NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The first week of the Titans' offseason has brought a lot of simple conclusions to the forefront.

Worry not.

I am here to set things straight.

Please use these guidelines as you react to news and developments, or a lack thereof, with regard to what’s going on with the Titans.

1. Some talented people work for bad teams. I understand the thinking. The Giants have had three bad years and three not-great drafts in a row. Why would you hire Marc Ross to be your GM when he was part of that? But think about what we don’t know. Jerry Reese is the Giants' general manager. How do we know things wouldn’t have been worse for New York over the past several years but for the work Ross did? All of us have worked for bad bosses, or maybe even bad companies, in the past. Should those people or companies have prevented us from ever getting an opportunity to move up elsewhere?

The Titans don't need a new coach to create a special system for Marcus Mariota. They just need one who knows how to take advantage of Mariota's abilities. AP Photo/Julio Cortez

2. No announcements doesn't mean no action. The Titans are announcing who they’ve interviewed at the end of the day. Outside of that, they’ve steered away from sharing, and with such a small circle involved in the process, they are doing well to contain information. Not hearing about something doesn’t mean nothing is happening. The Lions are searching for a GM. They haven't said a word since their season ended Sunday. I'm not convinced that means they've done zero.

3. The timetable doesn't actually tell all. What’s taking so long? I get that one a couple of times a day. The offseason is five days old. It’s not a race. No one else has hired a GM from the outside at this point. No one else has hired a coach. I don’t know what clock you are putting the Titans on, but it’s moving too fast. I feel certain they won’t be first. And the team that finishes first doesn’t always finish best off.

4. Don't count on hires as lures. If the Titans hire Kansas City director of football operations Chris Ballard, maybe it’d be one of a number of things on the list of what’s important to Chiefs free-agent safety Eric Berry, but it’s hardly a package deal. If the Titans hire Hue Jackson as their coach, he could have a bit of gravitational pull on right tackle Andre Smith and/or receiver Mohamed Sanu as they reach free agency. But again, it’s hardly a package deal and it shouldn’t be a factor in hiring Jackson.

5. Splashy hires are not crucial. They just aren’t. None of the GM candidates are widely known. And the name recognition of the coach can’t be a big factor. Winning the January or February introductory news conference is nice, but it’s not the goal. I don’t remember fans in Arizona throwing parades for Bruce Arians when he was hired on Jan. 17, 2013. I don’t remember fans in Minnesota doing cartwheels when the Vikings hired Mike Zimmer on Jan. 15, 2014. Both of them have been great and are leading their teams into the playoffs.

6. Non-football people can actually hire good football people. Smart people can talk to football people and hire them effectively, and Titans president and CEO Steve Underwood is smart. If you are parting ways with your top football people -- and that’s what the fans were hoping for -- then who, exactly, would you propose hire the first key football person? See how it needs to be someone?

7. The new coach has to craft something fancy/special for Marcus Mariota. The quarterback the Titans drafted No. 2 overall in 2015 can play in any scheme. The Titans don’t need some special system for him, just a smart system that will take some degree of advantage of his mobility. Keeping him from bad hits should be a priority. Giving him weapons should be a priority. Fielding a defense that will get him the ball back should be a priority. Constructing some cute or quirky offense for him should not be a priority.