NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Jake Locker is in line to be the Titans' starting quarterback in 2014.
But he’s going to have competition and Tennessee hopes the group is better overall.
Right now it’s Locker, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Tyler Wilson.
Expect a draft pick as well.
“I really think you probably should look at the quarterback position every year,” general manager Ruston Webster told Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. “I’d like to take that philosophy moving forward.”
Ron Wolf, the former GM of the Green Bay Packers, believed in drafting a quarterback every year. Hit on them at any kind of decent rate, you develop the most important commodity in the league, give yourself options, make trades and upgrade draft picks.
The thing that makes it somewhat difficult is that to take an approach like that, a team without a clear-cut franchise signal-caller probably has to commit to carrying three quarterbacks.
In the Titans' case, it’d be the presumptive starter in Locker. It’d be the veteran backup in Fitzpatrick or someone like him who could play when needed but not require regular practice snaps. And it’d be the rookie or second-year kid like Wilson.
The loser of that last spot could be rated as a practice-squad talent, but there would be very little practice work for the third guy, let alone the fourth.
Here's some detail on drafting quarterbacks from Michael Bonzagni of ESPN Stats & Information:
In the last 10 drafts (2004-2013), there have been a total of 126 quarterbacks taken.
Most QBs taken in last 10 drafts:
Broncos: 7
Jets: 6
Eagles: 5
Packers: 5
Browns: 5
Ravens: 5
49ers: 5
Redskins: 5
The Titans have drafted three in that span, tied for 24th most.
Two of the three quarterbacks the Titans have taken in that time frame have been first-round picks -- Vince Young, third overall in 2006, and Locker, eighth overall in 2011.
That's tied with four other teams (the Broncos, Browns, Bills, Redskins) for the most QBs taken with first-round picks.
Tennessee is the only team in the last 10 drafts to use two different top-10 picks on QBs.
There have been a total of 28 quarterbacks taken in the first round in the last 10 drafts, 16 with top-10 picks.
The Titans also took Rusty Smith with a sixth-round pick in 2010.