The Titans have a plan for Malik Willis and Logan Woodside
The Tennessee Titans and head coach Mike Vrabel are already implementing a plan for quarterbacks Malik Willis and Logan Woodside during Titans training camp. The two quarterbacks have recently been competing for the Titans backup quarterback job behind Ryan Tannehill, and the game against the Ravens made the race even tighter. While it certainly looked […]
The Tennessee Titans and head coach Mike Vrabel are already implementing a plan for quarterbacks Malik Willis and Logan Woodside during Titans training camp.
The two quarterbacks have recently been competing for the Titans backup quarterback job behind Ryan Tannehill, and the game against the Ravens made the race even tighter.
While it certainly looked on paper as if Willis (6-11, 107 yards, 38 rush yards, 1 rush touchdown) outperformed Woodside (14-24, 104 yards, 2 interceptions) during the team's preseason opener in Baltimore, both quarterbacks still have a lot to work on.
For Willis, it's being decisive. He needs to develop his pocket presence and deliver balls in timing to his open receivers. His athleticism, while a special quality, can only take you so far, and during practices, Willis has struggled with holding onto the ball for too long.
Mike Vrabel put it best. He needs to throw the ball.
Woodside, on the other hand, needs to be more accurate. The Titans know that Woodside can understand the offense and make the proper read. They trust him to deliver the football to open targets when they emerge, but thus far in training camp, his inaccuracies have led to a high turnover rate. He's just not executing throws the way he needs to.
Woodside's two interception performance in Baltimore has bled through to a lot of practices.
So what do you do if you're the Titans? What do you value more, playmaking or understanding the offense?
While Mike Vrabel told media that the job is up for grabs and he has not yet decided which QB will start at home against the Bucs on Saturday, he did give some details behind the plan for the two QB's moving forward.
The Plan
For now, Willis is receiving a majority of the reps in training camp, something that was first noticeable after the Titans game in Baltimore.
According to Vrabel, the move is not necessarily indicative of where the two quarterbacks stand on the depth chart. It is, though, a sign of where their priorities are.
Right now, the Titans are more focused on developing Malik Willis (as they should be).
Willis stands to gain the most from formative reps during live practices, and moving forward, his play will be more essential to the future of the Titans.
If I were taking a guess, the hope internally is to have Willis earn the backup job, and the organization is currently giving him the opportunity to prove he deserves it. So far, Willis hasn't demonstrated that to his coaches.
That said, the more reps he takes, the better chance the Titans have of polishing his game and unlocking his true potential.
Not a bad strategy.
Image via George Walker IV / Tennessean.com-USA TODAY NETWORK
