Three seasons in, the Tennessee Titans are still waiting to find out if Jake Locker is their franchise quarterback.
Ken Whisenhunt inherited Tennessee's mystery QB. The new coach is optimistic Locker can be the solution and has downplayed the idea he's looking for his "own" quarterback.
"To be honest, I haven't really thought about it that way," Whisenhunt said Thursday, according to the Tennessean. "I am excited about the little bit of time I have spent with Jake. He exhibits a lot of the qualities I like. He has been great in the meeting rooms, I like the way our exchanges have gone. So our focus is on that."
Locker has started jogging as he continues his recovery from Lisfranc surgery on his right foot. The Titans, meanwhile, are looking very closely at an intriguing crop of quarterbacks in this year's draft. Plenty of homework has been done on Fresno State's Derek Carr, with Georgia's Aaron Murray, LSU's Zach Mettenberger and Eastern Illinois' Jimmy Garoppolo among the other names on the radar.
As for Locker, the time is now to be productive ... and stay healthy.
"It is a make-or-break year for a lot of guys in the league. Jake is one of the guys," Whisenhunt said. "That is the nature of this business. He just happens to play a position that gets a lot of attention."
Locker will be lucky if the Titans don't use an early-round pick on a signal-caller. Either way, the pressure is on. The Titans aren't expected to pick up Locker's fifth-year option, likely making 2014 his final chance to convince the Titans he is their guy.
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