Dobbs Works Quickly to Get Up to Speed

NASHVILLE – In looking to add just the right quarterback to the roster at this point of the season, the Tennessee Titans needed not only a player with a good physical skill set.

They needed one who was smart enough to learn a new offensive scheme very quickly.

Why not grab a rocket scientist?

That’s just what the Titans did in signing Josh Dobbs earlier this week, following the ankle injury to Ryan Tannehill that will keep the starter out this week.

Dobbs, who will back up Malik Willis, graduated from the University of Tennessee with a 4.0 in Aerospace Engineering in 2017.

So, Dobbs was asked Friday, what’s harder – learning a new NFL offense in a couple of days or cramming for an engineering final?

“Oh man, engineering final,” Dobbs said. “We had to take … a combustible flow exam and a fluid dynamics (exam) in the same day, and then heat transfer the next day. So those two days were a little more difficult.”

That’s not to say learning the ins and outs of the Titans’ offense will be easy to do on short notice.

But Dobbs, who spent almost all of this year in Cleveland, said his transition to the Titans will be helped by similarities in the two schemes.

“We’ve seen some guys (play on short notice), like we saw Baker (Mayfield) do it a couple weeks ago,” Dobbs said. “But yeah, it’s not easy.

“Luckily there’s a lot of crossovers in this system from the system I’ve been in all year in Cleveland, with terminology, just overall offensive mindset, so that helps a ton. There are differences. But I’ve just been in the facility, meeting with (quarterbacks coach Pat O’Hara) and meeting with the coaches, and just studying as much as I can, and I feel really good.”

A fourth-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2017, Dobbs played in six NFL games for the Steelers – five in 2018 and one in 2020. He completed 10-of-17 passes for 45 yards and one interception, posting a quarterback rating of 39.1.

The Steelers traded Dobbs to Jacksonville in 2019, but he never played for the Jaguars. The Steelers re-signed Dobbs in 2020. He signed with the Browns last April, but didn’t play before his release. Dobbs was on the Detroit Lions’ practice squad when the Titans signed him.

Titans coach Mike Vrabel said Dobbs didn’t do a lot of work the last couple days in practice, since practices at this time of year aren’t as strenuous or involved as they were early in the season.

But Vrabel said he likes the way Dobbs has jumped into the mental challenge, especially considering how much information a quarterback has to process to feel ready.

“There’s just a lot of volume there,” Vrabel said. “I think we’ve had other players do it. It’s just a different animal when you’re talking about the quarterback position and the verbiage and the cadence and the operation.

“It’s just a lot there, especially having put a lot of time into learning somebody else’s system and the language there. So it’s been cool to watch Josh work with (O’Hara), put a lot of time in and try to get ready to help us.”

In four seasons at the University of Tennessee, Dobbs completed 614-of-999 passes (61 percent) for 7,138 yards (11.6 yards per completion). He threw 53 touchdowns and 29 interceptions.

Dobbs is a dual threat, as he ran 438 times for 2,160 yards (5.5-yard average) and 32 touchdowns for the Vols.

The 6-3, 210-pound Dobbs earned second-team all-SEC honors in 2016 and participated in the Senior Bowl.

The fact that Dobbs’ skill set is similar to Willis’ may have been one of the reasons the Titans added Dobbs instead of promoting Kevin Hogan from the practice squad.

“Obviously my skill set fits with what the offense does, and obviously just complementing (running back Derrick Henry) at the quarterback position and getting the ball in the receivers’ hands,” Dobbs said of why the Titans signed him. “(But) also the ability to prepare and get ready to play a game in three days.”

Dobbs is even familiar with Nissan Stadium, as he played his final collegiate game there, leading the Vols past Nebraska 38-28 in the 2016 Music City Bowl.

“Obviously I have a lot of friends in Nashville, people I know back in the state of Tennessee -- it feels like home, really,” Dobbs said. “I love Nashville, I love visiting Nashville in the offseason. So yeah, it just feels right, honestly. It’s good to be here.”