As Dick LeBeau sets sail toward the season with a new team for the first time in a decade, the defensive guru hopes the Tennessee Titans shut down all quarterbacks in 2015 save one: Marcus Mariota.
LeBeau understands that it's an entire team effort to get the No. 2 overall pick ready for the season, even -- or especially -- his defense.
"I am going to do my best to show him what an NFL defense is going to look like," LeBeau said with a smile on Tuesday, via The Tennessean. "I was glad we drafted him where I won't have to face him. I hope we can't stop him on the practice field. But we're going to try to."
The transition from college to the pros will be particularly interesting for Mariota, who will be under the microscope as he moves from a spread system to an NFL offense. Facing a defensive mind like LeBeau will be a solid daily test for the signal-caller.
But as linebacker Derrick Morgan noted, hopefully they don't demoralize the rookie too much.
"You have to break him in, but you don't want to steal all of his confidence," Morgan said. "I think it is a great defense for him to go against, being our defense is pretty complicated in the looks and the schemes that we give."
The Titans' main focus this offseason will clearly be on the quarterback. The entire coaching staff understands that if the rookie doesn't show promise out of the gate, they won't be around to see if or when he finally does.
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