Back To Square One - CaziusCray's Tennessee Titans (Madden 16)

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Introduction

It's been 15 years since the Tennessee Titans' lone Super Bowl appearance, in which they fell one-yard short of possibly winning the Super Bowl.

Since then, they've been up and down as a franchise, making the playoffs a mere five times, only making it to one AFC Championship game.

Once thought of as anywhere between fixture in the playoffs and a Super Bowl contender, the Titans have quietly fallen from grace. Long gone are the days of Steve McNair and Eddie George. In 2005, George was cut as part of salary cap purge, and a year later, Steve McNair was traded to the rival Baltimore Ravens.

Taking their place were Vince Young and LenDale White. Young, a National Champion a year ago with the Texas Longhorns, had a lot of promise. Many thought he would become the next great quarterback for the Titans. However, on and off the field transgressions lead to him falling out of favor in Nashville, and he was eventually released.

As for White, who was part of the USC rushing duo alongside Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush, he also showed promise. After spending his first season mainly as Travis Henry's back-up, White started slowly as the main back in 2007, before breaking away and having a solid season. However, a year later, the Titans drafted Chris Johnson out of East Carolina, and Johnson would eventually take the running back job, leaving White in the dust.

Johnson's would go on to rush for over 2000 yards in 2010, and won the Offensive Player of the Year award. It seemed the Titans had finally found their go to running back.

However, Johnson's success would turn out to be short-lived, as two years later, after a long holdout that lead to him signing a big contract, Johnson started seeing a decline in production and in 2014, the Titans finally released him.

This would lead to them drafted Bishop Sankey out of Washington in the second round. He would be the first running back taken in the draft, and would join former college teammate Jake Locker, then man that replaced Vince Young in 2011.

Locker was drafted eighth overall in the 2011 NFL Draft, being the second quarterback drafted behind only Kaepernick. The Titans loved his arm and mobility, but Locker was known to be an inaccurate passer, as well as a health-risk. Despite showing promise at times, Locker would prove to fall victim to the injury bug time after time, suffering multiple injuries, and in 2015, after the Titans opted not to re-sign him, Locker would retire from the NFL entirely.

Needing a franchise quarterback after two misses, the Titans selected Marcus Mariota out of Oregon in the 2015 NFL Draft with the second overall pick. Mariota, coming off of a Heisman Trophy winning season, was passed over by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who instead drafted Florida State's Jameis Winston, also a former Heisman Trophy winner, with the first pick in the draft.

One of the most prolific quarterbacks in NCAA History, and with a lot of expectations held high over his head, Mariota is expected to start right away for the Titans.

After two misses at both the quarterback and running back positions, will the Titans finally strike gold with Mariota and Sankey? Will the third time really be the charm for both positions? Only time will tell...

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Year-by-Year Results

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Draft History

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Team Records

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Awards

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Super Bowl Champions

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Ok, now you guys can post.

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Mettenberger Fails To Report To Camp, Requests Trade

Nashville, TN - Zach Mettenberger was not at all happy when the Tennessee Titans decided to draft Marcus Mariota. So you can only imagine how he felt when told that Mariota would be the Week One starter at quarterback.

The LSU product and sixth round pick from the 2014 NFL Draft failed to report the the first day of the Titans' training camp, and according to his agent, Joe Linta, will request a trade to a team in need of a quarterback.

"My client feels that he has what it takes to be a starter in the NFL, and feels betrayed that the Tennessee Titans organization would go in a different direction after only six games last season." Linta said in a statement to reports. "He no longer wishes to be a Titan, and wants to play for a team that is in need of a quarterback."

The Titans have been contacted by several teams in the past, and while they won't divulge who they are negotiating with, say that they have found a trade partner for Mettenberger.

"We are disappointed that Zach has taken this route, but will do whatever is best for this organization, while also keeping Zach's wishes in mind." Titans general manager Ruston Webster told the media.

OTHER NEWS: The Titans have invited two veterans to training camp, one being a quarterback.

The Titans agreed to terms with quarterback Christian Ponder and center Brian de la Puente.

Ponder, a first round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, spent the first four seasons of his career with the Minnesota Vikings. After three less than stellar seasons with the Vikings, Ponder was benched in favor of Teddy Bridgewater. The Vikings would then opt out of Ponder's contract.

Undrafted in 2008, de la Puente spent the majority of his first three seasons bouncing from practice squad to practice squad, before finally latching on to an opportunity with the New Orleans Saints. He would spend the next four seasons there, before signing with the Chicago Bears this past year. His tenure in Chicago was cut short by a season-ending ankle injury.

De la Puente expects to battle Brian Schwenke for the starting center position.