With The First Pick
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Franchise Building Blocks: Tennessee Titans

By Jon Dove

Dec 24, 2016; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) drops to throw a pass during the third quarter of an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars mat EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 24, 2016; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) drops to throw a pass during the third quarter of an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars mat EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Tennessee Titans are a team on the rise and nearly  made the playoffs this year thanks to the young talent on the roster.

Marcus Mariota’s development has created a lot a buzz around the Tennessee Titans franchise. His strong play combined with several other talented contributors nearly did enough to earn a playoff berth this season.

The future is bright for the Titans who have the young franchise building blocks needed to have a long run of success.

Outside of Mariota, the Titans have Taylor Lewan and Jack Conklin dominating at the line of scrimmage. These two are bookend tackles who not only keep Maroita upright but help open huge running lanes.

The rest of the offensive line has solid contributors, but it’s Lewan and Conklin that set the tone. They are a big reason why DeMarco Murray was able to get his career back on track. Murray put up big numbers this year and ran like he did with the Dallas Cowboys.

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Murray will be a part of the team’s future and someone the Titans feature as part of their offensive attack. However, he will need to share the workload with Derrick Henry who showed flashes of greatness during his rookie season.

Henry was able to produce big plays despite getting limited touches. He will be a bigger factor next season and someone the Titans lean on moving forward.

The receiver position has some high-upside players on the roster, but at this point it’s hard to label anyone as a franchise building block. Adding a receiver with one of their two 1st round picks could be a focus for the Titans in the upcoming draft.

Tennessee also needs to commit some resources to increasing the talent on the defensive side of the ball. Their best player on defense is Jurrell Casey who continues to wreak havoc in the offensive backfield.

The outside linebacker duo of Derrick Morgan and Brian Orakpo did a nice job rushing the passer. Both are established veterans who should be in the mix for a few more seasons. Tennessee is hoping that Kevin Dodd can rebound from his disappointing rookie season and become another piece of the puzzle.

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