Titans' Marcus Mariota: Gains five pounds for durability

Mariota has only gained about five pounds this offseason, TitansInsider.com reports.

Analysis:

A previous report said Mariota played at 210 pounds as a rookie, but it turns out he was actually closer to 220. He now checks in at 225, hoping that the slight increase will help him stay healthy for 16 games. Despite finishing with a surprisingly low total of 34 carries (for 252 yards and 2 TDs) in 12 appearances, Mariota took a lot of hits last season while playing behind a shaky offensive line. The Titans responded by heavily investing in their offense during the offseason, notably adding RB DeMarco Murray, WR Rishard Matthews and C Ben Jones, then using early draft picks to select OT Jack Conklin (eighth overall) and RB Derrick Henry (45th). The team clearly plans to run the ball much more often than it did last season, but any drop in Mariota's passing volume should be offset by improved efficiency, increased rushing production and/or a bump in scoring opportunities. It would also help his cause if the team were generally more competitive, as last season's lack of carries may have partially resulted from the Titans' desire to avoid a serious injury to their franchise centerpiece during a clear rebuilding year. With the roster now decent enough to at least dream of a playoff appearance, Mariota should get to deploy his 4.52 speed a bit more often.