Member » The NFL has three types of teams:

The NFL has three types of teams: (1) teams with franchise quarterbacks; (2) teams looking for franchise quarterbacks; and (3) teams with quarterbacks who may still become franchise quarterbacks. The Titans seem to admit that they are in category No. 3.鈥淢arcus Mike Alstott Jersey White , I want him to be successful,鈥?Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk said Tuesday, via Jim Wyatt of the team’s official website. 鈥淚 want him to be our franchise quarterback.”The phrasing means that he currently isn’t a “franchise quarterback,” but that he still could become one. The Titans will pay Mariota $20.8 million this year for the privilege of finding out whether he can earn that label, and the long-term deal that goes along with it. In that respect, Mariota is no different from the player taken one spot before him in the 2015 draft: Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston.Bucs G.M. Jason Licht made it clear this week in a visit to that the team will take a wait-and-see approach as to signing Winston to a long-term deal, and the Titans apparently will be doing the same with Mariota.鈥淚t was a tough year from an injury standpoint last year, and I know that Marcus is raring to go and prove that he can be that guy,鈥?Strunk said.If he can’t, the Titans will presumably be sliding back into category No. 2 in 2020.Dirk Koetter commits to Ryan Fitzpatrick When the Buccaneers took the field for their first official training camp practice on Thursday morning, it was obvious that there won’t be a quarterback controversy while Jameis Winston sits out for the first three games of the season.35-year-old Ryan Fitzpatrick, as expected, got reps with the first team offense. Ryan Griffin, who has yet to see action in an NFL regular season game, got work with the second team. Winston, who can practice and play in the preseason before his suspension kicks in Lavonte David Jersey , mixed in with all three groups. After practice, head coach Dirk Koetter gave a very straightforward assessment of the quarterback situation, saying that Fitzpatrick will start and it would take “something that I can’t foresee right now” for Griffin to unseat him.Ever since the re-signing of Fitzpatrick, it was assumed that he would be the No. 2 behind Winston. Even still, there has been questions, at least among the fan base, about Griffin potentially taking that role if he has a strong preseason. Koetter shot that down, but was very complimentary of the 28-year-old:Griffin seemed to have a chance at winning the backup job during the 2017 preseason before going down with a shoulder injury. Koetter referred to him as a “veteran quarterback” on Thursday, which seems strange for someone who hasn’t taken a snap in the regular season. But it does make sense, considering the Tulane product has spent the last three seasons with the Bucs, all under the offensive direction of Koetter.Despite it already seeming like a foregone conclusion prior to Thursday, it was significant for Koetter to get this out of the way early. It’s already complicated enough to figure out how to split first team reps between two quarterbacks, so not having to entertain the idea of a third is a positive. Plus, it knocks out any possible distractions that can come with a quarterback controversy. The Bucs certainly have plenty of distractions to worry about already.