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2007 Team Report: Tennessee Titans
Quarterbacks
Starter: Vince YoungBackup(s): Kerry Collins Starting QB: It didn't take long for the Kerry Collins era to come and go. Vince Young took over as the team's starter after three games and proceeded to go 8-5, coming within one victory of the playoffs. Young led four fourth-quarter comebacks and had victories in six consecutive games during 2006, showing fans and teammates that his clutch play in college may very well extend into his NFL career. Young runs enough that even days where his passing stats are average (as they often are), he can be a fantasy starter. Despite the growing pains of being a rookie and only starting 13 games, Young was the No. 11 scorer among fantasy quarterbacks last season. Save for a minor team violation (Young slept at his home instead of a dorm one evening), Young has been a fixture at practice. He's in shape, and looks to build off his surprising rookie tilt. Backup QB: Kerry Collins serves as Vince Young's primary backup. Despite his extensive experience, Collins production was significantly lacking as a starter last year. In Collins' three games, the team looked painfully lethargic. His style of play could not be more different then Young's.
Running Backs
Starter: LenDale WhiteBackup(s): Chris Brown, Chris Henry [R]
Fullback(s): Ahmard Hall, Casey Cramer Starting RB: Travis Henry had an excellent 2006, carrying 270 times for 1,211 yards and seven touchdowns. His departure leaves a big hole in the offense. Rather than replacing him with one guy, they'll hope that a committee can approximate what Henry accomplished. The two primary ball carriers will be 2nd year LenDale White; who will get the nominal start in Week One, and returning veteran Chris Bown. White has done an admirable job of digging himself out of the dog house. He showed up to camp below 240 pounds, and after battling minor injuries in camp; came on strong in preseason game action. The presence of Vince Young as a running threat clearly opened up holes for the running backs in 2006 and should continue to do so in the future. Backup RBs: Norm Chow's offense is most successful when the running game -- and to a significant extent, the passing game with running backs -- is established early and often. If the Titans have their way, Chris Brown will touch the ball a lot; perhaps not as much as LenDale White, but quite a bit. Brown is a proven runner who, when healthy, averages a good clip and runs with vision and determination. His upright style can sometimes get him into trouble, but the coaches know exactly what they're getting from him. The X-Factor this season is clearly rookie Chris Henry. In many pundits eyes, Henry was one of the biggest reaches in the April draft after a lackluster career at the University of Arizona. But, the Titans think highly of him and would eventually like to see him earn a major role. Fullback: Like Bo Scaife, another former Texas Longhorn, Ahmard Hall is one of Vince Young's more trusted teammates on the offensive side of the ball. Hall is a former Marine who excels in pass blocking.
Wide Receivers
Starters: Eric Moulds, Roydell WilliamsBackups: Brandon Jones, Chris Davis [R], Paul Williams [R], Justin Gage, David Givens [inj] Starting WRs: The Titans have addressed their need for receivers with quantity as opposed to quality. With the exception of Moulds and Givens, who is recovering from a knee injury and is hardly assured of being available on opening day, the other receivers on the roster have fewer then 200 career catches among them. Eric Moulds will provide much needed veteran leadership, but is winding down his career and may no longer be fit for the featured role at WR. He has been the Titans' best receiver throughout training camp, however, so that's the role he finds himself in headed into the regular season. Roydell Williams has won the number two job after an intense training camp battle with Brandon Jones. Backup WRs: While Brandon Jones has shown flashes of being a quality receiver and played a large role in the passing game in 2006, he will be under more pressure to contribute this season. Justin Gage was added to be a large target, and was impressive during the preseason. The new class of rookies has a very good chance of playing significant roles. An argument can be made that Paul Williams has more physical talent than any other WR on the team. Chris Davis may be best suited to play out of the slot, and will likely also find his way to the field as a kick returner.
Tight Ends
Starters: Bo ScaifeBackups: Ben Troupe, Ben Hartsock Bo Scaife may be emerging as Vince Young's most trusted outlet. Both Scaife and Ben Troupe will likely be called upon regularly, but it appears that Scaife may get the majority of the targets between them. Former Indianapolis Colt Ben Hartsock is battling Cooper Wallace for the 3rd, and likely final roster spot.
Place Kicker
Rob Bironas : After spending several years in various teams' training camps and in the AFL, Bironas finally landed a starting job with the Titans two years ago. Last year he connected on 22 of 28 FGs (78.6%) and was perfect on all 32 PATs. His long field goal was a 60 yard game winner against division rival Indianapolis. The Titans have ranked 26th, 21st, and 21st in kicker scoring the last three years. The scoring pace did pick up in the second half last year; 8.0 ppg as compared to 4.3 ppg during the first half of the year. He again did well on kickoffs, averaging 62.2 yards and had 10 touchbacks. Bironas is recovering from two offseason surgeries, including a knee. That could open the door for undrafted rookie John Vaughn from Auburn.Kick and Punt Returners
Kick Returners: Cortland Finnegan; Chris Davis; Chris Henry; Bo Scaife; Casey Cramer; Michael Waddell; Adam "Pacman" Jones The Titans had one of the best returner tandems in the league last year. However, Bobby Wade is gone via free agency to the Vikings and Adam Pacman Jones will be serving a much publicized one year suspension in 2007. Next in line is WR Courtney Roby, who served as the primary backup (22 returns, 22.5 avg.) in 2005, and practiced in that role all of last preseason. DB Cortland Finnegan averaged 25.1 yards on kickoff returns during his college career at Samford. Fifth round draft pick Chris Davis handled punt returns in college, but will probably also practice kickoff returns for the Titans. Two tight ends that each had a handful of returns last year were Bo Scaife (4 returns, 16.0 avg.) and Casey Cramer (3 returns, 12.3 avg.). CB Michael Waddell was part of a kickoff return committee approach in 2004, however he failed to impress. Punt Returners: Cortland Finnegan; Chris Davis; Brandon Jones; Calvin Lowry; Michael Waddell; Adam "Pacman" Jones Pacman Jones will be especially missed on punt returns, where he averaged 12.9 yards and scored three times. Rookie Chris Davis will get a shot at replacing him for the 2007 season. He averaged 7.4 yards on punt returns during his career at Florida State. Cortland Finnegan averaged 15.1 yards on punt returns while at Samford, and handled that role during preseason games for the Titans last year. WR Brandon Jones averaged 15.0 yards on five returns in limited duty last season. DB Calvin Lowry returned punts (10.6 avg.) for Penn State in 2005. Michael Waddell was a backup during his rookie year (9 returns, 6.0 avg.). CAMP UPDATE: In the game against the Redskins, Chris Davis averaged a meager 2.7 yards on three punt returns and had a fair catch.Offensive Line
Projected Starters: LT Michael Roos, LG Jacob Bell, C Kevin Mawae, RG Benji Olson, RT David StewartKey Backups: T Daniel Loper, G Justin Geisinger, C Eugene Amano, C Leroy Harris The Titans offensive line featured two young tackles in 2006 but managed to have a good season. David Stewart and Michael Roos both played very well and will be fixtures at tackles for the next decade. Benji Olson has missed just two starts in eight seasons and is as consistent as they come. Jacob Bell started 15 games last season and had a tremendous year. Stewart and Roos give the Titans perhaps the best young bookends in all of the NFL. The Titans offensive line appears to be in great shape.
Team Defense
The Tennessee Titans, although a team not devoid of talent, were dead last defensively in the NFL. They were 30th in rushing defense and 31st in points allowed. They were 29th in the league in both sacks and forced fumbles. The saga of CB Pacman Jones just adds to the team's troubles. Two of the team's last four top picks in the NFL draft were cornerbacks, and neither Andre Woolfolk nor Pacman Jones have lived up to expectations, with Jones facing a season-long suspension. The only offseason changes for this unit was in signing CB Nick Harper from the Colts, MLB Ryan Fowler from Dallas and drafting defensive back Michael Griffin. DE Kyle Vanden Bosch has had back-to-back solid seasons for the team but the team needs a lot more help from DEs Travis LaBoy and Antwan Odom. LB Keith Bulluck is the sole superstar on defense and although he's one of the league's very best, he can't do it alone. Their defensive coordinator for the sixth year in a row will be Jim Schwartz and they will again deploy a 4-3. They face an uphill battle.Defensive Line
Starters: DE Kyle Vanden Bosch, DT Albert Haynesworth, DT Randy Starks, DE Travis LaBoyBackups: DE Antwan Odom, DT Tony Brown, DT Antonio Johnson, Chris Simon Starting DL: DE Kyle Vanden Bosch came out of obscurity two years ago to have a monster season that led to a Pro Bowl appearance. His sacks dropped a bit last year, but he still had 6.5 and he added a career-high 75 total tackles, sixth in the league amongst defensive ends. It's imperative for the Titans to get improved results from Travis LaBoy to keep less attention on Vanden Bosch. LaBoy progressed nicely in his first two NFL seasons but seemed to halt his improvement last year. After getting 6.5 sacks in 2005, he only had 3.5 last year. Midseason injuries slowed down LaBoy but he's running out of time to show he can produce to the level expected from the former second round pick. At DT, Randy Starks may still be on the rise but has yet to reach a consistent level of performance. Despite the fact that he is entering his fourth NFL season, he's still only 23 years old. Like with just about every other member on this line, they need more out of Starks, but he's still a relatively bright spot for the team's future there. The other DT spot is slated for Albert Haynesworth. Haynesworth desperately needs to have an injury-free productive season. Injuries have caused the much maligned DT to miss 12 games prior to last year and a suspension last year caused him to miss five games. He's never had the work ethic the coaches believe is necessary for him to take it to the next level, but he continues to tease with his potential. Backup DL: Antwan Odom has freakish potential, especially as a pass rusher. But knee injuries caused him to miss all but four games in 2006. Even when healthy, Odom has struggled at times. Odom seems to wear down during games and makes too many mental mistakes. The team remains high on him, but if he doesn't improve his intensity and mature, the bust label could apply. DL Tony Brown is a versatile player who can fill in at both defensive end and tackle, but his skills are fairly limited and they could not rely on him as a starter. DT Antonio Johnson was a fifth round draft choice who plays well enough against the run but needs work on getting to the passer.
Linebackers
Starters: WLB Keith Bullock, MLB Robert Tulloch, SLB David ThorntonBackups: MLB Ryan Fowler, LB Robert Reynolds, LB Gilbert Gardner, LB Cody Spencer Starting LBs: This unit is led by star Keith Bullock. Although he might be closer to the end of his career than the beginning, Bullock remains in his prime and is one of the league's very best. He is averaging more than 100 solo tackles per year over the last five years and is about as consistently great as they come. He also has over 15 sacks over the last four seasons. He has excellent speed, a tremendous work ethic and excels in coverage. David Thornton adds speed to the linebacking unit. Thornton had 107 total tackles in 2006, the most he's had since 2003 playing on the weak side at Indianapolis. He's a good tackler who provides solid pass coverage against both running backs and tight ends. The middle spot is up in the air. Robert Tulloch was drafted in the fourth round and the team believes his speed and tackling skills will enable him with an opportunity to compete for the starting job in the middle, but he'll have to beat out Ryan Fowler first. Fowler has great instincts and reads and reacts well to plays. Backup LBs: This is an area of concern for Tennessee, as they currently have little depth. Unheralded MLB Ryan Fowler comes over from Dallas and many believe he wins the starting job from second year player Stephen Tulloch. Fowler's a strong, physical player who possesses good instincts. Robert Reynolds is a fourth year player who was limited to four games last year due to a quadriceps injury. He can substitute in a pinch but is a liability if ever forced in as a starter. Gilbert Gardner was claimed off waivers after playing for the Colts the last three seasons. Although he had his problems retaining his starting spot at Indianapolis, Gardner brings much needed experience to the Titans linebacking unit and has good speed.
Defensive Backs
Starters: SS Chris Hope, FS Calvin Lowry, CB Nick Harper, CB Reynaldo HillBackups: S/CB Michael Griffin, S Bryan Scott, CB Kelly Herndon, CB Andre Woolfolk, S Calvin Lowry Starting DBs: SS Chris Hope came to Tennessee last year in hopes of providing much needed team speed and leadership. He succeeded in both areas and had a career-high 121 total tackles and five interceptions. He hits hard and plays smart. Nick Harper will replace Pacman Jones at a starting corner. Harper comes over from the Colts and must get acclimated to the new defense after playing the cover two exclusively. He's a tough, seasoned veteran but will turn 33 near the beginning of the 2007 season. Calvin Lowry will be a new starter at free safety. Reynaldo Hill needs to recover from offseason surgery from a groin injury, but is tabbed as the other CB. A 7th round pick, Hill came on as a starter by midseason and played well, leading the team in interceptions. Hill has good speed but needs to work on his conditioning as he wore down a little near the end of the season. Backup DBs: Depth could remain a big problem for the Titans secondary. The team draft safety Michael Griffin in the first round this year, but the situation with Jones might merit Griffin starting off as a cornerback. He's an aggressive player who excels against both the run and pass and can play either safety position as well as corner. They added safety Bryan Scott. Scott has good size and speed and hits hard. But after showing some early promise in the NFL, Scott has struggled with his consistency. The Titans signed Kelly Herndon, who could compete for a starting spot, but he will at least serve as the team's third corner. 2003 first round pick Andre Woolfolk has been a major disappointment. He has battled injuries (he's played only 29 of 48 NFL games), but even when healthy Woolfolk has not been playing like a first round pick. He remains talented, but if he doesn't turn things around quickly, he could find himself lucky to play in any situation. Calvin Lowry is an interesting sort who could find himself in the thick of things as the starting safety opposite Hope. Lowry is a second year player who has been impressive in the offseason. Last modified: 2007-09-01 23:03:14
