5 questions facing the Titans in training camp

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The Tennessee Titans entered 2014 with a new head coach in Ken Whisenhunt and the promise of better days ahead, but the wheels came off as they stumbled to a 2-14 finish, the franchise's worst in two decades.

Whisenhunt and general manager Ruston Webster managed to keep their jobs, and they'll be tasked with righting the ship in what could be the NFL's weakest division. Bolstering the Titans' chances of a turnaround is the addition of second overall pick Marcus Mariota. If nothing else, the Titans should be a lot more fun to watch.

Here are five questions facing the Titans heading into training camp:

How quickly can Marcus Mariota learn to run a pro-style offense?

The Titans couldn't resist spending the second overall pick on a player dripping with upside like Mariota, but there are legitimate questions - not only about how quickly the former Oregon passer can develop pro-style skills he didn't need in college, but about how willing Whisenhunt will be to adjust his system to suit Mariota.

The Titans need to build Mariota up from scratch in several crucial areas. As a Duck, Mariota rarely took snaps under center and never called plays in the huddle. It's rare to see a quarterback enter the league without experience in those fundamental aspects of quarterbacking.

Reports out of minicamp suggest Mariota is a quick learner, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him struggle with a few of these new concepts in the heat of summer. If he's forced to expend mental energy on correctly reciting long-tail play calls, it could hinder his development in more important areas, like reading defenses.

Who will emerge as the starter at running back?

The Titans made Bishop Sankey the first running back off the board in 2014, then watched him turn in a very disappointing rookie season. Whisenhunt criticized Sankey's footwork, but it was clear the rookie had bigger problems than his feet. Sankey was poor in pass protection, too loose with ball security, and, most glaringly, looked tentative hitting the hole. It's no surprise the Titans' coaches lost faith in him.

David Cobb was added to the roster in the fifth round of this year's draft and some analysts are projecting the former Minnesota runner as the Titans' likely starter. Cobb is unspectacular in almost every respect, but he's a durable, consistent runner who could add some stability to the Titans' running game.

Some sort of time-share looks inevitable, with Cobb handling between-the-tackles work and Sankey used more in space, but it's possible one of these tailbacks will emerge as the clear lead runner in camp.

What is the pecking order at wide receiver?

The Titans have candidates to be their No. 1, 2, and 3 wideouts, but it remains to be seen how competition at the position will shake out.

Kendall Wright looks to be locked-in as the team's top option, but he doesn't necessarily fit the profile of a traditional No. 1. Second-round pick Dorial Green-Beckham does, but he hasn't played football in a year, and carries major question marks off the field, too.

Then there's Justin Hunter, whose once sky-high promise is careening toward earth at terminal velocity, especially in light of his recent arrest on assault charges. Hunter was asked to be the No. 2 last year and failed in spectacular fashion. He's almost out of chances.

Veterans Harry Douglas and Hakeem Nicks will push the trio of youngsters for playing time, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see Douglas carve out a significant role for himself.

Can free-agent additions fix the defense?

The Titans fielded one of the NFL's most toothless defenses last season and made upgrading the unit a priority in free agency. Enter outside linebacker Brian Orakpo, safety Da'Norris Searcy, and cornerback Perrish Cox.

And, perhaps most importantly, enter new assistant head coach Dick LeBeau, who will be in charge of the defense.

Make no mistake about it: The Titans are still perilously thin and relatively talent-poor on defense, but the 11 starters the team will field are a substantial upgrade on last year's crop. If they gel in training camp and quickly assimilate LeBeau's blitz-heavy scheme, the Titans could jump from a bottom-10 defense to the middle of the pack.

Will investments in the offensive line finally pay off?

The Titans have used two of their past three first-round picks on offensive linemen and also handed a fat contract to a guard. Despite these investments, the line was frequently woeful in 2014.

But there's reason for hope. Chance Warmack showed signs of life late in the season and may finally be developing into the road-grader the Titans thought they were getting at No. 10 overall in 2013. Taylor Lewan finished the year on injured reserve, but looked like he has the raw skills to become a franchise left tackle before that.

As for Andy Levitre, well, the Titans may be stuck with his subpar play and big paychecks. Or maybe they'll cut their losses with him and look to do a little addition by subtraction.

The makings of a top-10 offensive line are here, especially if 2015 third-rounder Jeremiah Poutasi develops into a starter at either guard or right tackle and someone - anyone - emerges as a viable center.

Nothing would aid Mariota's development more than a high-end line in front of him, so look for the Titans to do everything in their power to ensure this unit develops chemistry in camp.