The Titans made things interesting in their quarterback room yesterday when they traded for a select Liberty quarterback Malik Willis with the No. 86 selection. Speaking to reporters, Titans GM Jon Robinson said the front office did not consult with the veteran QB Ryan Tannehill before making the selection (via TitanInsider.com’s Terry McCormick on Twitter). Additionally, the executive appeared to imply that Willis’s playing time will depend on the rookie’s development (versus Tannehill’s production).
[RELATED: Titans Trade Up To Select Malik Willis At No. 86]
“His role will be determined by how quickly he gets in here and learns offense and improves and earns the respect of his teammates,” Robinson said (via ESPN’s Turron Davenport).
“[Willis] was the best player on the board and we are happy to have him on the team. Good arm, athletic, moves well and has really good skills. He throws a good ball and is difficult to deal with. He’s busy, like all these rookies.”
Tannehill enjoyed many team successes in his three years with the Titans, leading the roster to a 30-13 regular season. You can’t blame the Titans for looking for a higher-potential QB, though; Tannehill finished last season with just 21 touchdowns vs. 14 interceptions, and the Titans had back-to-back one-and-done appearances in the postseason.
Of course, yesterday’s move doesn’t necessarily indicate that Tannehill is slowly being ousted from Tennessee. While some pundits believe Willis has first-round talent, he was still selected in the third round, a choice that’s easy to write off. Perhaps the Willis selection will even ignite a fire under Tannehill, cementing the 33-year-old as the team’s sure starter going forward.