When Vince Young was quarterbacking the Tennessee Titans they were generally a good running team.

The threat of Young as a runner helped open things up for Chris Johnson and others.

Could Marcus Mariota have a similar effect on the Titans current crop of running backs, likely to work as a committee? The Titans certainly hope that as they look for an improved running game.

They average 4.1 yards per carry and 90.4 yards a game a year ago, when they ultimately turned to the immobile Zach Mettenberger as their starter.

Defenses have to be prepared for Mariota to take off at any time, with a designed running play, a zone read play, a bootleg that may turn into a run or a scramble. When a defense is working against an immobile signal-caller, it can neglect him as a run threat. That could be good news for Bishop Sankey, who was expected to make more of an impact than he did last year. The Titans O-line also struggled, which didn't help. Sankey is ranked just 40th on our list of RBs and is available as late as the ninth round in drafts.

Titans beat writer John Glennon:

Wide receiver Justin Hunter made what was perhaps the catch of camp so far, going high in the air and making a one-handed grab (using his left hand, no less) of a Marcus Mariota pass that was thrown behind him. Hunter earned some praise yesterday after making a contested catch on the sideline, and the coaching staff complimented him again today. He strikes me as a guy who is getting more comfortable and confident as camp goes along.

This is likely Hunter's last chance in Tennessee, and there is opportunity available in the Titans' passing game. Former fantasy owners are going to need several more blurbs like this before they'll be convinced to go down this road again.

The Titans are hoping a thumb injury suffered by tight end Delanie Walker during Thursday’s practice won’t keep him out for long.

Walker said he needed 12 stitches to close the cut, and the base of his left thumb was bandaged and taped in the locker room. The injury occurred when Da’Norris Searcy broke up a Marcus Mariota pass intended for Walker over the middle.

“I’m not concerned about it,” Walker said. “The trainers just wanted me to be smart about it, so I just went inside and made sure everything was okay with it.”

Titans Ken Whisenhunt said his preliminary estimation was that the injury wasn’t too serious and wouldn’t keep Walker out of training camp for long. He said if Walker had to sit out a couple days, he might benefit from some rest.

It doesn't sound like this is a major concern, and hopefully it stays that way since Walker is one of our favorite sleepers in 2015. Last year, he finished #9 in standard formats and #8 in PPR leagues even though he missed a game and a half in the middle of the season due to a concussion. He was #12 and #11, respectively, in 2013. In his last 22 games with the Titans, he has averaged 11.9 PPG in PPR formats, which would have been enough for a #6 finish last season. In Marcus Mariota, he should get an upgrade at quarterback and figures to remain a big part of the team’s passing attack, such that it is.

Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt had said he'd be interested to see how quarterback Marcus Mariota handled his first days in pads, with more players bumping and jostling him, and more players falling at his feet.

Mariota still looked like a cool, composed quarterback. He completed a combined 12-of-18 passes in 7-on-7 drills and team drills, and three of the incompletions should have been caught. Mariota went without an interception for the third straight day.

A couple Mariota highlights: He anticipated Kendall Wright's break to the sideline perfectly on one play, connecting with him just as Wright turned for the ball. Mariota also threw a good deep completion down the right sideline to Hakeem Nicks, who'd beaten Jason McCourty on the play.

That's not to say Mariota was perfect, of course. The story said he overthrew TE Delanie Walker once on a short pass as Walker headed toward the sideline. He also wobbled another pass downfield to Walker, even though it reached its intended destination. But the bottom line is that 15-of-18 passes were caught or should have been caught. Mariota isn't making any risky throws that are causing coaches great worry, and he knows how important it is not to turn the ball over. Of course, it's only early in camp and a lot remains to be seen from Mariota, but the positive reports have continued throughout the offseason when it comes to the rookie QB. Mariota is 26th on our QB list and could at least have some streaming value. In 12-team leagues he's getting some late round action in early season drafts according to his ADP.

Marcus Mariota's teammates offered the same sort of solid reviews they offered during organized team activities and minicamp.

"You could tell he was training this offseason, really in the playbook," Titans tight end Delanie Walker said. "He called the huddle with poise, said the plays like he knew them, ran the offense very well. That’s exciting to see when you’ve got a young quarterback coming in and ready to go."

Mariota continues to look good in practice, so he’s off to a good start. His weapons aren’t as established as those of Jameis Winston, but in Kendall Wright and Delanie Walker, he has a couple of dependable targets. If Dorial Green-Beckham and/or Justin Hunter emerge as a viable downfield threat, Mariota may be in business. His ability to run the ball gives him some baseline fantasy value.

Delanie Walker has proved to be a tremendous pick-up for the Titans, as he’s caught 123 passes for 1,461 yards and 10 touchdowns over the past two seasons. But he’ll face even more of a challenge this year, as Walker probably will be working with rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota. Expect the young signal-caller to place plenty of reliance on his veteran tight end, who has been a dependable target for a handful of Titans quarterbacks.

Last year, Walker finished #9 in standard formats and #8 in PPR leagues even though he missed a game and a half in the middle of the season due to a concussion. He was #12 and #11, respectively, in 2013. In his last 22 games with the Titans, he has averaged 11.9 PPG in PPR formats, which would have been enough for a #6 finish last season. In Marcus Mariota, he should get an upgrade at quarterback and figures to remain a big part of the team’s passing attack, such that it is.