Titans finally ink Marcus Mariota:

The Tennessee Titans and rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota have finally come to terms on a deal for the second-overall pick. While nobody expected negotiations to last into training camp, it was a surprise to some that the two sides had not been able to come together over offset language in the contract.

Offset language allows an NFL team to recoup some of the guaranteed money owed to a player if they’re cut during their deal. The idea that any team would cut a rookie quarterback during his first contract is so outlandish, that most couldn’t understand why this was a hang-up for the two sides.

In the end, the Titans didn’t want to concede and give Mariota a deal without offset language, because they didn’t want to break a precedent that had already been set.

Mariota and the team ended up meeting half-way with the contract being written up with partial offsets.

Perhaps it’s because there was no real concern that Mariota wouldn’t be signed before camp, but the most puzzling part of the entire situation was that Titans’ general manager Ruston Webster  saying he wasn’t concerned if the rookie signal caller would miss a couple of days of training camp.

It’s a bad thing when any quarterback misses camp, but for a rookie quarterback making the kind of transition that Mariota is making, it’s hard to argue that every day isn’t crucial.

Mariota needs to get comfortable with everything from reading NFL defenses to getting in and out of the huddle, and while some of the transitions Mariota will need to make are being a bit overstated, training camp is very important for any rookie, even a guy who’s more pro-ready than Mariota.

Regardless, the Titans won’t have to worry about Mariota missing any days in camp, and now he and the team can focus on getting him ready and seeing if he’s ready to start Week 1 in Tampa Bay.  A game where he’ll likely be matched-up against the top pick in this year’s NFL Draft, Jameis Winston.

For Mariota, it’s good to have the contract situation behind him, and now it’s time to go live his dream.

“Thank you to the Tennessee Titans organization as well as my agent for making a dream come true,” Mariota said in a statement.

Texans doctor says Jadeveon Clowney looks spectacular:

When the Houston Texans drafted Jadeveon Clowney first overall in the 2014 NFL Draft, they envisioned the former South Carolina Gamecocks defensive end joining forces with J.J. Watt to create a pass rush as ferocious as the league had ever seen.

After a rookie season that saw Clowney play in just four games and start just two, and after recording just seven tackles, Clowney’s season was cut short by injury.  The rookie defensive end underwent microfracture surgery on his right knee causing some to wonder if Clowney would ever become an NFL star, or if he’ll join the long list of unbelievable talents who never impacted the game.

Houston Texans’ team doctor Walt Lowe explained to Forbes.com that a microfracture surgery like Clowney’s could cause a player to lose up to three centimeters of girth to their quadriceps muscle, making recovery very difficult.

“Even if they’ve recovered well and healed what we’ve repaired, the weakness is so profound that it takes months to get it back to a guy that needs to do what JD needs to do on his leg to be successful playing pro football,” Lowe told Forbes.com.

According to Lowe, Clowney lost between half a centimeter, and a centimeter because the team employed, “blood flow restriction training.”

Lowe went on to tell Forbes.com that Clowney, “Looks spectacular,” although the team is still unable to determine a hard timetable for his return.

“The real goal in the end is to have him be who he was before he got hurt,” Lowe explained.

Who he was before he got hurt is a player who looked like he had the ability to be one of the best defensive players in the NFL, but whose effort and durability have been questioned since before he was selected atop the NFL Draft in 2014.

While Lowe is focusing on getting him back to who he was before the injury, the Texans are clearly focused on getting him on the field, and hopefully to a point where he and Watt can star in the nightmares of NFL quarterbacks for years to come.

Cardinals reportedly interested in tight end Chris Cooley:

Remember Chris Cooley? The former Washington Redskins tight end hasn’t played NFL football since 2012, but after getting as healthy has he’s been in years, the 33-year-old believes he can have an impact in the NFL once again.

Apparently Cooley isn’t alone in his belief, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Cooley recently spoke to the Arizona Cardinals, who have some interest in signing the veteran to add depth to a tight end position left thin after the retirement of John Carlson.

The Cardinals worked out former Cincinnati Bengals’ tight end Jermaine Gresham on Tuesday, so it’s no lock that Cooley will be back in the NFL, but the charismatic tight end who used to be one of the most productive players at the position believes he can at least be a team’s third tight end.

“If I went to camp, I could be anybody’s third tight end, worst case,” Cooley said. “I have no doubt. Any team in the NFL, I could be their third tight end. There’s not a question in my mind.”

Cooley’s realization that he likely is no longer good enough to start for an NFL team shows that he’s clearly just interested in playing a little more football for the love of the game. Who can’t root for a guy like that?