Paul Kuharsky, ESPN Staff Writer 8y

QB Alex Tanney chose Titans' practice squad, raise, and culture over Browns

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Alex Tanney ranks as the Tennessee Titans' third-string quarterback, but does so from outside the 53-man roster, as Tanney is on the team's 10-man practice squad.

Last week he accepted a raise to stay in that post as opposed to accepting an offer to sign with the Cleveland Browns.

The raise means he's now scheduled to make $30,882.35 per week. Most practice-squaders make $6,900 a week.

"I don't know that it had anything to do with the raise," Tanney said. "I feel like I've been on quite a few teams and I know the direction this team is heading, the culture that's in this locker room and it's something I want to be a part of.

"I wanted to stay here. It's something I obviously discussed with Jon [Robinson, the GM], Coach [Mike] Mularkey and my agent. Obviously I wanted to stay here."

Tanney, 28, has been with seven teams over five seasons, mostly on practice squads. He’s already jumped to the Browns roster from a practice squad before, on Nov. 28, 2013, when he left the Cowboys. He lasted in Cleveland until May 12, 2014.

He came into the league out of Monmouth, where he also played basketball as a freshman and sophomore. A viral video of him making some improbable throws helped get more eyes on him.

He signed with Kansas City after the 2012 draft. He's been also been in Dallas, Cleveland, Tampa Bay, Buffalo and Indianapolis with time on the rosters of the Chiefs, Cowboys and Browns.

"I was claimed in Cleveland before, it had nothing to do with that," Tanney said, disavowing the notion that the move was an indictment of the Browns. "I just feel like this is the best fit for me long term."

Tanney's lone appearance in a regular-season game was for the Titans, when he played the second half of the last season's finale at Indianapolis, a 27-24 loss. Tanney was 10 of 14 for 99 yards, was sacked three times, threw a touchdown pass to Dorial Green-Beckham and had a 114.9 passer rating.

The Titans kept him on their initial 53-man roster this season, then waived him on Sept. 12, the day after they lost their opener to Minnesota at Nissan Stadium. They signed him to the practice squad two days later.

His willingness to stick around suggests to me that he’s in line to be Marcus Mariota's backup in 2017, after Matt Cassel's one-year deal with the team runs out.

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