The competition: Woodside vs. McDonald
For now, the Titans are set to have a competition for the backup quarterback spot between Logan Woodside and 2020 seventh-round pick, Cole McDonald.
However, that could — and should — change, either before or during training camp. We’ll get to that later, but first let’s just pretend McDonald and Woodside will be the Titans’ only options for the backup job.
The only thing these two have in common is that neither have taken a regular season snap in the NFL, as McDonald is an incoming rookie and Woodside has only played in the preseason.
While McDonald is a far more intriguing player and nothing really jumps off the page at you about Woodside, the latter maintains a slight edge over the former in this battle.
After all, Woodside does have a year under his belt learning offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s system, and he has the support of his head coach and general manager, both of whom have expressed confidence in him.
Another thing working against McDonald is that he didn’t have a rookie mini-camp, which could hinder his progress.
What Woodside doesn’t have is the kind of skill set McDonald brings to the table. The Hawaii product has a strong arm, elite athleticism and an ideal build for an NFL quarterback, all traits that closely mirror Tannehill’s and could allow the Titans to run mostly the same offense if he gets hurt.
However, McDonald still has a lot of work to do if he’s going to beat out Woodside. The rookie is notorious for having a flawed throwing motion, which forces him to take more time to get rid of the football. He got away with that in college, but won’t be able to do so in the NFL.
McDonald has been working on his release since last year, and that work has continued into this offseason. If he’s going to win the backup job, he’s going to have to show that he can deliver the football accurately with an improved throwing motion.
In 2019, the Titans carried two quarterbacks into the season with Tannehill being a high-end backup to Marcus Mariota. It wouldn’t be at all surprising to see Tennessee carry three into 2020 if a more experienced backup option isn’t added.