Ryan Tannehill welcomes Malik Willis after not being told of Titans' plan to draft QB
Tennessee Titans' incumbent quarterback Ryan Tannehill is happy to have rookie signal caller Malik Willis on board as part of the team. He was apparently unaware that the team would be drafting a quarterback.
Tannehill delivered a simple message to his newest teammate on Twitter:
"Welcome to the squad!"
Welcome to the squad! @malikwillis twitter.com/titans/status/…
Tannehill will be entering his ninth NFL season and third with Tennessee when the season begins. The plan for Willis will likely be to sit and learn behind the veteran, who was the eighth overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.
Tannehill spent his first six seasons as a starter for the Miami Dolphins. His lack of success there led to Miami trading him to the Titans.
The change of scenery was apparently what was needed as Tannehill led the Tennessee Titans to the AFC Championship in his first season with the team. He also earned NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors for 2019.
Can the Tennessee Titans make it to the Super Bowl in 2022 from a competitive conference?
Despite the success that Ryan Tannehill has had with the organization, Tennessee operates according to the status of their star running back Derrick Henry. The latter missed much of last season with a Jones fracture in his right foot.
King Henry, as he is affectionately known when healthy, is the dominant force in the game at the position. In the 2020-2021 season, the former Heisman Trophy winner ran for 2,027 yards and 17 touchdowns while averaging 5.4 yards per carry.
: #HOUvsTEN on CBS
: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: bit.ly/3pIZhDLCROWN THE KING.
Derrick Henry has rushed for 2,000 yards in a season! #Titans
📺: #HOUvsTEN on CBS
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The team's results in 2022 will depend heavily upon the health of their star running back. Henry has the ability to impose his will on defenses, particularly in the second half of games. Tannehill is often seen as a secondary option for Tennessee behind Henry.
The team will have a different look in 2022 as A.J. Brown, the Titans' second-round draft pick in 2019, was traded during the draft to the Philadelphia Eagles. Almost immediately after that trade, Tennessee drafted University of Arkansas receiver Treylon Burks with the 18th pick.
At 6'2" and 225 pounds, Burks is seen as a clone of sorts to Brown, with both players sharing a robust physical stature and the ability to bounce off of defenders.
The team will have all sorts of competition in the AFC. The Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Chargers, to name just a few, will be difficult to get past.
Tennessee will boast a young, budding defense and new players on the offensive end heading into the new season. However, they will still lean on Henry and Tannehill to help them make a charge for the Super Bowl.