It's no secret that the Tennessee Titans' offseason plans, led by general manager Ran Carthon, focused heavily on establishing a solid foundation for second-year quarterback Will Levis.
Carthon has shown faith in Levis by intentionally not drafting a quarterback or signing a free agent quarterback who could threaten Levis' position as the starter and has also bolstered the offense around him.
The Titans have signed a number of talented offensive players, including Tony Pollard, Calvin Ridley, Tyler Boyd, and Lloyd Cushenberry.
These additions demonstrate the team's commitment to giving Levis every opportunity to prove himself as a top-caliber quarterback in the National Football League.
Titans' first-year coach Brian Callahan believes Levis can best take advantage of the foundation set around him by putting himself in a good position with his footwork.
"It's more consistency in the footwork so you can play on time within the parameters of the progressions of the passing game," Callahan said. "All the really, really great quarterbacks all play with a great base and they're able to take a really short first step and the ball comes out. So you tie those mechanical things in with an already really natural quick release that Will has, I think it's only going to help him."
"But a lot of it's more the discipline in the footwork leading into the base of the top of the drop, where he can really, I think, generate even more power than he's already got, and it helps him play more on time within the system framework. He's incredibly coachable, so that part's been fun to watch."
During the last season, Ryan Tannehill's injury led to Levis unexpectedly entering the starting lineup, where he demonstrated his potential in nine games. In those nine starts last year, Levis threw for 1,808 yards, eight touchdowns, and four interceptions. He completed 58.4 percent of his passes and had a passer rating of 84.2.
Callahan believes Levis is becoming more comfortable as a starter as he continues to improve his mechanics.
"That's one of the big things we've emphasized with Will over this period here is the base, how important that is to playing quarterback, being able to play on time, being able to get the ball out quickly," Callahan said. "He's always had a really natural, quick release. That's always been one of his strengths. But the base, playing with a base and playing on time, within the framework of your mechanics are things that we spend a lot of time talking about."
"I think he's done a really nice job of translating those things on the field. Again, he's always had a quick release, so that part's easy. You don't have to do much coaching there. That's a natural thing that he does."
