Super Bowl XXI MVP Phil Simms doesn't believe Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Marcus Mariota is the right choice for the Tennessee Titans, who hold the No. 2 overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft and just waved goodbye to a former first-round quarterback in Jake Locker.
"If Jake Locker didn't fit the coaching staff there, what makes you think Marcus Mariota fits the coaching staff in Tennessee?" Simms said, according to tennessean.com. "If the Titans don't take Mariota, I'm sure there will be a lot of negative reaction from fans, media across the country. They'll say, 'They need a franchise quarterback, so how could they not do it?' The Titans would have to make a whole lot of alterations to the offense to fit Mariota and really teach what he does. I just don't see it."
That sounds an awful lot like the sentiments of NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah, who said much the same last week about the challenge Mariota's learning curve would present to Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt.
Simms had a 14-year pro career with the New York Giants and earned MVP honors in Super Bowl XXI, a 39-20 win over the Denver Broncos.
After a 2-14 season, the Titans are nowhere near the Super Bowl, but they are in need of a quarterback. Second-year pro Zach Mettenberger showed some positive signs as a rookie last season, but it's unclear whether the former LSU star is a long-term answer. Locker, 26, retired last month, but the Titans had already moved on from him as their starter.
"Marcus Mariota, and I'm not taking anything away from Oregon, he just hasn't been taught," Simms said. "You'd have to make alterations to your offense and really teach what he does. ... He doesn't have time to make up all the time he wasn't under center. And I don't see top-10 arm talent with Marcus Mariota."
While FSU quarterback Jameis Winston is the consensus choice among NFL Media analysts to be the No. 1 overall pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, there is zero consensus about Mariota's destination. Six analysts project six different landing spots for Mariota: The New York Jets, Chicago Bears, St. Louis Rams, Cleveland Browns, San Diego Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles.
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