Josh McDaniels Must Believe In Marcus Mariota If He Wants To Coach Titans
By Matt Dolloff
BOSTON (CBS) -- If any assistant coach in the league knows the importance of the quarterback position, it's Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. Working with Tom Brady for most of his NFL career has undoubtedly shown him enough to realize that without a good QB, your chances of winning it all are slim.
So if and when McDaniels departs Foxboro for a second time to become a head coach, he should choose carefully and wisely. There are several intriguing options out there, like the New York Giants - but, apparently, McDaniels' interest actually lies in Tennessee with the Titans, who just drafted their quarterback of the future, Marcus Mariota.
If the Titans are McDaniels' first choice, which ESPN's John Clayton reported Wednesday, he must believe that Mariota is the next great QB. He probably also likes that they hold the No. 1 pick in next year's draft - although McDaniels did draft Tim Tebow in the first round...
Considering the other intriguing franchises out there for head coaches - the New York Giants, in particular, have a franchise QB/WR combo and stable ownership - McDaniels has to think Mariota will be his Brady for the next decade-plus if he's choosing lowly Tennessee over New York, or even San Francisco. If he does go to Tennessee and Mariota blossoms into a franchise QB, McDaniels will look like a genius.
McDaniels failed in his first stint as the head coach of the Denver Broncos, but the team started 6-1 in his first season in 2009. If McDaniels can sustain that kind of success over the course of a full season, he may be a head coach in the NFL for good.
Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. His opinions do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.
