The Tennessee Titans struggled to run the ball during the 2015 season, but not for a lack of trying. They relied on the combination of Antonio Andrews, Bishop Sankey, David Cobb and Dexter McCluster to run the ball and none of these players showed any spark at all.
Most NFL fans who play fantasy football will remember the weekly updates on Andrews and Cobb stating they will be the next Devonta Freeman in 2015, but obviously this never happened. Instead, the Titans are now faced with more questions than ever at the running back position and are left to wonder if any of the backs on their roster could become an every-down back.
The Titans have the first overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft and they are projected to take offensive lineman Laremy Tunsil. The addition of Tunsil should help make the running game more productive, but a playmaking running back would also help Marcus Mariota in the long run.
Currently, Tennessee has $47 million in cap space and could potentially go after multiple running backs during the 2016 offseason. The Titans will likely have interest in Chris Ivory, Ronnie Hillman, Arian Foster, Doug Martin and Lamar Miller. Miller, being one of the most productive, could be the main target, but another solid fit would be Doug Martin. Martin is a back used to running behind a porous offensive line, so he will be able to make plays and reads other running backs cannot.
Martin may have had two injury-plagued seasons, but he is a proven back and deserves to be paid as such. He was second only to Adrian Peterson in rushing yards in 2015. Martin will likely look for the team willing to offer him the most money, which could be the Titans based on how much he helped rookie quarterback Jameis Winston. Having an efficient and effective running game allowed Winston to have a highly productive season which earned him a trip to the Pro Bowl.
If Marcus Mariota had a solid running game things may have turned out differently in Tennessee. Instead, Mariota was bombarded by blitzers for most of the season as teams were not afraid of the nonexistent running attack. If the Titans want to keep Mariota healthy, they would be wise to invest in a productive running back.
