Dein erstes Forum » My takeaways from the media’s

My takeaways from the media’s first chance to talk to the Titans’ new OC..."The Tennessee Titans officially introduced Arthur Smith as the offensive coordinator on Tuesday afternoon with a press conference at Saint Thomas Sports Park. Following Dean Pees’ appearance at the podium Womens Amani Hooker Jersey , Smith was asked about his rise through the ranks and his plans for the Titans offense going forward. These are the key takeaways I noticed from the press conference...Smith started off by talking about getting hired in 2011 by Mike Munchak and Jerry Gray on the defensive side of the ball and how fortunate he was to continue getting promoted as new coaching staffs rolled through, moving from defense to offense to assistant tight ends/OL, to assistant tight ends, to tight ends, and finally to where he is now. Smith was asked of all the offenses and coordinators he’s coached under, which one most closely aligns with his beliefs.One concern that was raised when it was announced that Arthur Smith would be running the same system as Lafleur was to wonder just how well he actually knew this system after being in it for just one season.It’s clear to me now that Smith truly understands the keys, the history, and the nuances of the “West Coast” offense. He was asked to give a percentage on how much the scheme would stay the same compared to what he wants to implement, but he didn’t commit to a percentage, knowing that things will change from the offseason install to the gameplans in the fall. I like that he’s acknowledging the need to be flexible and prepared to adapt while also not really giving anything away about what the offense will actually look like.Smith also confirmed that the language for the offense would not change.This was the expectation, and Mike Vrabel said as much at the Senior Bowl last month, but it’s still nice to hear it from Smith along with his explanation. Comforting even if it is the obvious response. Paul Kuharsky asked, “What’s the key to maximizing Marcus?” Smith said that having familiarity with the system and an improved offense around him would help Mariota improve. Not to read into that answer too much, but it sounds like the Titans will place an emphasis on improving the players around Mariota in an effort to maximize their quarterback’s own abilities. When asked if there’s anything the coaches can do to help ensure that Mariota plays 16 games, Smith said there are plenty of things they can try to accomplish, and that there are a lot of factors in keeping the quarterback upright, including playcalling, understanding week-to-week matchups, changing the quarterback’s launch point, and having a successful run game, and capped it off by saying Amani Hooker Tennessee Titans Jersey , “There definitely will be a conscious effort to keep him healthy.”Jim Wyatt raised the question about Derrick Henry and how involved he’ll be in the offense moving forward. Smith mentioned Henry a few times unprompted, and he definitely sounds excited to have the young running back as a part of his offense. When asked if the Titans would remain a primarily zone-blocking concept team, Smith was pretty noncommittal. He said that while zone is a great starting point for the team, Henry and Lewis, and even David Fluellen (or “whoever else on our roster that we’re going to hand the ball to”), could fit into a multitude of schemes. Smith talked about the ways Mike Vrabel will help prepare him to call plays, something he’s never done before, throughout spring practices and training camp.Obviously the ability to call plays is the number one question mark concerning Art Smith’s promotion. We won’t know how well he can do it until he actually does it, but it’s nice to hear the ways they’ll be practicing this all-important aspect of his new job. Jim Wyatt asked what the ideal run-pass ratio would look like at the end of the season. Smith responded by saying, “Again that’s another thing you don’t want to put a number on,” noting that different games will call for different ratios of run and pass. “We’ll try to be as balanced as we can, but again we’re going to do what we have to do to win a game.”He mentioned that as long as everyone is healthy, “12” and “13” personnel will be big parts of the gameplan because of the mismatches they can create with the tight ends on the roster.Smith talked about how playing “physical” doesn’t just mean in the run game, that it applies to pass protection, how you finish plays with the ball in your hands, if you’re running with your teammates downfield, and added that the “passing game will evolve to fit our players’ skillsets.” Mickey Ryan pointed out the advantage Smith has taking over this position with a roster he’s already familiar with. Smith expanded on that point:When asked about his family background and his father’s status as the billionaire founder of FedEx, Smith gave a great answer.Someone asked Smith, “Do you think it’s more important now for fans to have kind of a high-powered entertaining offense more so than it was 5 or 10 years ago?”Smith discussed how he’s had a chance to get up and present something in front of the team under every staff he’s worked for, and how that experience should prepare him well for his new role. Today’s press conference gave us an outstanding first impression of the Titans new offensive coordinator. He quelled many of the concerns that were raised about his lack of coordinator experience by exuding a quiet confidence. His answers were intelligent. He wasn’t reliant on “coach speak,” answering most questions in detail while still managing to avoid giving away any secrets about how the offense will actually operate.Coach Art showed off some personality Ryan Succop Jersey , including a bit of humor when he joked that he “failed upward” to achieve this position, and later said he hopes that the players who endorsed him when he got this job will “still feel that way in Week 2.” He also threw in a funny comment about Gregg Williams being a “genius, a Mensa, and you can tell Gregg I said that,” drawing laughs from the room. Smith has a humble, hard-working mentality that shined today. He consistently used words and phrases like “luckily” or “I was very fortunate,” passing off the credit for his hard work and success to factors outside his control.Despite his reluctance to admit it, Arthur Smith got to the position he now holds by working hard and contributing wherever he was able. Whether or not he is capable of designing an offense and calling the right plays to maximize the talent on the roster is yet to be seen, but he’s not shown us any reason to be concerned thus far. Overall, King Arthur came across as a very intelligent, relatable, and hard-working coach who is determined to be successful and do whatever it takes to win football games. I’m behind Art Smith 100%. Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota‘s first order of business this offseason was to recover from the elbow issues that plagued him at the end of the 2018 season, but he’s moved on to other things.Mariota went home to Hawaii to concentrate on the rehab before returning to Nashville to get a jump on the Titans’ offseason program this week. Per the team’s website, Mariota has gathered members of the team’s receiving corps for informal workouts and throwing sessions.The newly signed Adam Humphries joined returning wide receivers Corey Davis, Taywan Taylor, Tajae Sharpe, Darius Jennings and Cameron Batson in catching passes from Mariota. MyCole Pruittt was also on hand, but fellow tight ends Delanie Walker and Jonnu Smith are still focused on getting healthy after ending last season on injured reserve.The Titans start the first phase of their official offseason program on Monday.