Tennessee Titans: Loss of Marc Mariani Cannot Be Understated

After being named to the Pro Bowl as a kick/punt returner in 2010, Mariani’s numbers dropped off quite a bit last season; mostly because NFL coaches changed the special teams game plan by kicking the ball away from him because they saw how dangerous he was in his rookie year. The same thing happened to Chicago Bears return man Devin Hester.

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It’s probably too soon know who the Titans will turn to for returns, but there is a good chance Munchak will give Darius Reynaud a long look to fill the recently vacated role. Reynaud turned a punt for a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1 of the preseason. Before the injury to Mariani, Reynaud was thought to be on the roster bubble, but the Titans coaching staff will almost definitely re-think that now.

Another name to watch for is wide receiver Damian Williams. With Kenny Britt still working to get healthy, and rookie first round pick Kendall Wright emerging as a legitimate threat, Williams is going to find himself seeing the ball much less, so throwing him back returning punts and kicks like he did at USC might not be such a bad thing.

Mariani has been a very exciting player to watch develop over the past few seasons. Not only should it a sad day for Titans fans, it’s should sad day for football fans all across the country.

Stay tuned to National Football Authority for more on how the Titans might fill the void left by Mariani’s injury.

Follow Bear on Twitter: @BearHeiser

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