Last Year
Caught up against the salary cap, the Tennessee Titans couldn't afford quality components and were forced to choose the cheaper, youthful route. After a discouraging 2-3 start followed up by a five-game losing streak, it became quite obvious that the season was just a precursor to a rebuilding process. For the first time since the franchise moved to Tennessee, Steve McNair will not be the starting quarterback as the Vince Young era begins in Nashville.
What We Learned From Last Year
After losing cornerbacks Samari Rolle and Andre Dyson in addition to wide receiver Derrick Mason to free agency, the Titans lost a lot of veteran contributors off their team.
Mason was a favorite of Steve McNair and the two often hooked up for game-changing plays.
There was some hope that Drew Bennett would be able to step up as the team's top wideout, but he was not ready to face the opponent's best cornerback every week.
There was a youth movement in place at the wide receiver position, but no one was able to take some pressure off of Bennett and he therefore faced coverage rolled his way or double teams.
There were high expectations for Tyron Calico — again — but rookies Brandon Jones, Roydell Williams, and Courtney Roby all finished with more receiving yards and touchdowns than him.
With a lack of threats at the receiver position, the Titans channeled their offense more through the tight ends. Erron Kinney and Ben Troupe both finished with 55 receptions and Troupe really started to tap into his playmaking potential.
First year offensive coordinator Norm Chow was given an offensive line that permitted 44 sacks in 2004, but he implemented a quick release system, which put less stress on the linemen. That scheme helped trim the sack total by 10 and McNair didn't face as much pressure as the previous season.
The running game was inconsistent for Tennessee as Chris Brown and Travis Henry, who missed four games with a drug suspension, only averaged 3.8 yards per carry.
On defense, the Titans used a first-round pick to select Adam "Pacman" Jones in an effort to replace Rolle and Dyson. With Andre Woolfolk, the Titans starters at cornerback were extremely inexperienced.
At the back end, Lamont Thompson was steady, but lacked speed, and therefore range in the passing game. Tank Williams, who was returning from an ACL injury, also looked slow.
With green cornerbacks and safeties that could not get over in time, the Titans secondary was picked apart and allowed a league-high 33 passing touchdowns.
The front seven for Tennessee was also lacking.
The linebacking corps had no playmakers outside of Keith Bulluck, while the front four only had one consistent contributor in Kyle Vanden Bosch. In Albert Haynesworth and Randy Starks, the Titans have two tackles with endless potential, but both are very inconsistent. Travis LaBoy looked like a solid prospect, finishing with 6.5 sacks.
The youth movement was in place all over the roster last season, but this year we will find out whether the youngsters are going to develop into vital contributors or whether they still need babying.
This Year
With such a young team last season, one issue that seemed to plague the Titans was locker room leadership. In free agency this offseason, the front office focused on welcoming experienced veterans who perform at a high level and can show the younger players how to get the job done.
By signing safety Chris Hope, linebacker David Thornton, center Kevin Mawae, and wide receiver David Givens, the Titans have infused a ton of leadership, experience and savvy.
Hope will start at strong safety and LaMont Thompson has trimmed down a bit in the offseason to pick up some speed. The back end of the defense should be much more secure.
At cornerback, last year's rookies Pacman Jones and Reynaldo Hill return as the top cornerbacks and Andre Woolfolk is still on the depth chart. The team has not been pleased with what the former first-round pick has provided in three seasons.
Although Jones has looked excellent and Hill has been solid, the tandem is still unseasoned and the nickel role will also be filled by someone inexperienced. The secondary will be better than last year, but it looks like another year of experience is necessary before they become dependable.
The linebacking position will see a steep upgrade in speed, as the pace brought by Brad Kassell and Peter Sirmon simply didn't cut it last year. David Thornton and Keith Bulluck will team to become the fastest tandem in the league, while Sirmon should be a little more mobile one year removed from his serious injury.
Up front, the Titans still figure to be inconsistent. Kyle Vanden Bosch will receive a lot more attention this season because Antwan Odom and Travis LaBoy have not proven that they deserve extra blockers. In the middle, Rien Long is lost for the year with an ACL injury, which will hurt the run defense and thin the rotation at the position.
Randy Starks and Albert Haynseworth can be game-changing players in the middle, but they need to play at a high level each week. The surprising return of Robaire Smith, who was a standout in Tennessee and a flop in Houston, should add some protection.
On offense, the front line is also experiencing some turmoil.
Last year's right tackle, Michael Roos, moves over to the left side, while guard Jacob Bell takes over his former spot. Center Justin Hartwig was swapped for veteran Kevin Mawae. The guards, Zach Piller and Benji Olson, are decent. With three major changes on the line, they need to develop chemistry.
With McNair gone, it looked like 10-year veteran Billy Volek would finally get a shot at the starting gig. But he's hasn't impressed, has complained a lot and has displayed poor leadership. Vince Young will get some time in the lineup early in the season — maybe a series or two per game — but veteran Kerry Collins, who was signed two weeks before the season, will likely head into week one as the starter.
With many teams in search for a backup and third string quarterback, the Titans would be wise to move Volek while they can get something in return for him.
The Titans spent a lot of money to sign David Gives from the Patriots, but chalk me up as one of the skeptics who disagree with the move. Givens has size and speed, but he's not a number one receiver. He's a solid target in the red zone, but it is questionable whether he can be a game-changer in the other 80 yards of the field.
Nonetheless, Drew Bennett should see less attention and be more of a playmaker this season. The Titans are banking on some of last year's rookie wideouts to step up. Brandon Jones is the best candidate to develop, but he is coming off an ACL injury. The team signed veteran Bobby Wade to play the third role.
Tight ends Ben Troupe and Erron Kinney make a solid tandem and Bo Scaife is a good backup. Troupe has worked on his blocking and should be a favorite target. With the depth at this position, expect the Titans to flash plenty of two tight end sets.
At running back, the team is expecting Chris Brown and Travis Henry to bounce back from sub-par seasons. Brown is the game-breaker, but it is unclear whether he is durable to last 300 carries or whether he can pick up tough yards. Henry can, but he doesn't break big runs. LenDale White is lurking in the background, but hasn't shown much as of yet.
Overall, the Titans are pretty much a vanilla offense without any superstars. They seem to be average or good at most positions, but with a shaky defense, that will not be good enough to get by. Head coach Jeff Fisher has an excellent coaching staff that will get the most out of these players and does a great job of developing young prospects, but the Titans are still at least a year away from challenging for a .500 record.
Over/Under: 5.5
The Tennessee Titans look like they still might decline a little bit before things get better. With the Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars as wining teams and the Houston Texans on the rise, the Titans will be the poor boy in the AFC South. They play: NYJ, @SD, @MIA, DAL, @IND, @WAS, HOU, @JAC, BAL, @PHI, NYG, IND, @HOU, JAC, @BUF, and NE.
Fantasy Sleeper
Chris Brown is being drafted ahead of Travis Henry in most drafts and at this point, that is the correct order. But Brown has yet to prove he can handle the wear and tear of a full season's work and should he get dinged up — which is almost inevitable — Henry will step in. Since the battle for carries was so closely contested between the two, if Henry steps in and is effective, don't expect Jeff Fisher to go back to Brown.
This is the fourth consecutive season of comprehensive NFL previews by Dave Golokhov. Stay tuned as he brings you previews for all 32 NFL teams! He can be reached at [email protected].
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