Proof that the Tennessee Titans are improving

NASHVILLE -- For a franchise that had hit rock bottom a couple of years ago and had very little in the way of recognition, the annual Pro Bowl announcement was usually greeted with an, "oh, well."

Jurrell Casey and Delanie Walker eventually made the game last year, but only as alternates after the initial selections had bowed out of the contest.

The last Titans player to earn Pro-Bowl accolades in the first wave was cornerback Alterraun Verner in 2013. Some years, no Titans players at all were selected for the league's all-star game.

So for five Titans to be selected in the inaugural group and to have three more teammates selected as alternates qualifies as a major sign of the improvement that has permeated every ounce of the franchise this season.

Joining defensive end Casey and tight end Walker are running back DeMarco Murray, who has 1,224 yards rushing this season, linebacker Brian Orakpo, who leads the team with 10.5 sacks and first-time Pro Bowl selection Taylor Lewan, who quickly has become recognized as one of the best left tackles in the game. Titans chosen as alternates include quarterback Marcus Mariota, fullback Jalston Fowler and rookie right tackle Jack Conklin.

"I thought (they were) well-deserving, I thought they've had very good years and it was nice to see them recognized. I was hoping that was the case," Titans head coach Mike Mularkey said. "Even the alternates, to be recognized, to have that many guys where your peers and fans are starting to take notice of your play, that's something for them. I'm very proud of them."

Having so many players is a reflection of the improvement the Titans have made as they are 8-6 overall and can win the AFC South if they can close out the regular season with wins over Jacksonville and Houston. The Pro Bowl accolades as proof of that improvement was not lost on Orakpo.

"That's huge. The turnaround on this team is dramatic. It's night and day, because we have so many other guys on this team that deserved to have their name called as well," Orakpo said.

As for the honors themselves, no one seemed more humbled by the selection than Lewan, the only first-time Pro Bowler among the Titans' five.

"All the politics that go into this game sometimes, I didn't know if I would get it," Lewan said. "I knew that I had played well enough to have the opportunity to get it, but I didn't know, knowing that the fan vote was so low. But the players and coaches vote pulled me in it, and it was an awesome deal."