Titans take Marcus Mariota with second pick - The Tennessean
The new face of the franchise for the Tennessee Titans watched the NFL draft in a Hawaiian shirt with leis around his neck, celebrating the moment with family and friends back home in Hawaii. Quarterback Marcus Mariota , selected second overall by the Titans in Thursday night's NFL draft, was an assassin on the football field during the past three seasons at Oregon. The Titans hope his addition will spark a turnaround after a 2-14 season, following some failed picks at the position in the past decade. The Titans had plenty of opportunity to trade out of the No. 2 spot. A number of teams, including the Eagles, Browns and Bears, offered draft picks — some offered players — in an effort to move up and pick Mariota. The Titans considered making a deal to acquire more picks but ultimately passed, in part because a trade offer didn't meet their wishes, but also because they'd fallen in love with Mariota during the predraft process. When NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell called Mariota's name — he actually mispronounced it at the podium in Chicago — last year's Heisman Trophy winner officially became a Titan. Earlier in the week, the Titans reached out to the Chargers about the possibility of trading for veteran quarterback Philip Rivers, but the team was told he wasn't available. The Titans' plan heading into the draft was to get a quarterback, one way or the other. Source: www.tennessean.com
