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2009 Team Report: Tennessee Titans

Quarterbacks

Starter: Kerry Collins
Backup(s): Vince Young, Patrick Ramsey

Starting QB: Kerry Collins took over for an injured Vince Young in Week 1 of the 2008 season and never looked back. Collins led the team so effectively that even when Young came back he did not get the starting job back. While he didn't put up huge numbers the team won 13 games and Collins did a good job of managing the flow of the game. The Titans signed Collins to a two-year, $15-million dollar deal in February and are looking to him to once again lead the team to the playoffs. Tennessee did not rest on their laurels when it came to their offense in the offseason. They signed WR Nate Washington to a free agent contract, and in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft they selected WR Kenny Britt from Rutgers. They also drafted WR Dominique Edison in the sixth round and signed WR Dudley Guice as an undrafted free agent. These players will help upgrade the position and help Collins put up better numbers in 2009.

Backup QB: Vince Young was once thought of as the QB of the future in Tennessee but entering the 2009 season he will be in a fight for his job. Reports have indicated that Young may finally be serious about his career and has re-dedicated himself this offseason. Chris Simms was on the roster last year, but he switched places with former Denver backup Patrick Ramsey. Ramsey's skill set is very similar to Kerry Collins and there are some that have speculated that he could end up being the No. 2 QB and not Vince Young.

Running Backs

Starter: Chris Johnson
Backup(s): LenDale White, Chris Henry, Javon Ringer [R], Quinton Ganther, Rafael Little
Fullback(s): Ahmard Hall, Casey Cramer

Starting RB: Chris Johnson was everything that the Titans had hoped for -- and more! He immediately made an impact and provided the type of big-play threat that the running game had been missing. He finished the season with almost 1,500 total yards and 10 TDs which made him the 11th ranked RB in fantasy football. He could have easily been Top 10 -- maybe Top 5 -- had he not lost carries and goalline opportunities to LenDale White. Johnson may be unproven carrying the full load but he looked good last season and the Titans may be moving away from White. He is an electric playmaker that has the ability to take it to the house on any play. He doesn't need a lot of carries to produce and defenses certainly have to gameplan for him because of his rare ability. This season he could see an increase in receptions and rushing attempts although he will more than likely still lose out on goalline carries to White.

Backup RBs: LenDale White can bust off 80-yard TD runs, but he doesn't consistently do enough with the carries that are outside of the red zone. He has a proven nose for the endzone as evidenced by the 15 rushing TDs that he scored in 2008. White is in a contract year and is reportedly taking his offseason conditioning seriously. As long as Chris Johnson is healthy, White shouldn't get more than 180 carries with a good percentage coming at the goalline. Chris Henry has gone from second round pick to on the roster bubble in only two short seasons. Javon Ringer had an amazing 380 carries for Michigan State in 2008 and could be in line to take LenDale White's job. Quinton Ganther is a good special teams player that doesn't do much with any carries he receives. Rafael Little could be used as a Darren Sproles type of player in this offense but is buried in the depth chart and coming off an injury.

Fullback: Ahmard Hall is a battering ram that plays fullback. He has decent hands and caught a pair of TD passes out of the backfield in 2008. He could duplicate his 2008 performance (around 150 yards receiving and two TDs), but it's not likely that his production would increase much if at all. Casey Cramer comes back to the Titans after spending a year with Miami.

Wide Receivers

Starters: Justin Gage, Nate Washington
Backups: Kenny Britt [R], Lavelle Hawkins, Justin McCareins, Chris Davis, Mark Jones, Paul Williams, Dominique Edison [R], Dudley Guice [R]

Starting WRs: Justin Gage is a big target that has flashed playmaking ability since he came to the Titans in 2007. He finished the 2008 season with a bang, and had over 100-yards receiving in each of his final two games. Kerry Collins targeted him 74 times they failed to connect 40 times so Gage finished the season with only 34 receptions. The Titans need him to play with consistency, so defenses will honor the pass instead of just stacking the line of scrimmage to stop the run. Nate Washington comes over from Pittsburgh, and the Titans are hoping that he can become the same deep threat for Kerry Collins that he was for Ben Roethlisberger. Washington only scored three TDs in 2008, but all came on a hot streak in the first half of the season where he had at least 57 yards receiving and a TD in three consecutive weeks. Like Gage, Washington needs to drop fewer passes in order to improve his game.

Backup WRs: The Titans have a ton of backup WRs with potential and they are hoping that one or more come out of this group as solid starting options. With their first round pick in 2009 they selected WR Kenny Britt from Rutgers. He is a big and physical target that has plenty of speed but also drops too many passes. Lavelle Hawkins has great body control and leaping ability but didn't play his way on to the field much in 2008. Justin McCareins could be on the roster bubble with the number of quality WRs currently behind him on the depth chart. Chris Davis and Mark Jones are return men that won't see many receptions. Paul Williams is a big and athletic player that can't seem to seize any opportunity to move up. Dominique Edison and Dudley Guice are both hard-working rookies that have the skills to reach the starting lineup if they fulfill their potential.

Tight Ends

Starters: Bo Scaife
Backups: Alge Crumpler, Jared Cook [R]

Bo Scaife had great chemistry with Vince Young, but when Kerry Collins took over in Week 1 against Jacksonville, he didn't miss a beat. He is targeted most often when Tennessee needs to sustain drives, eat clock, and keep the chains moving. Scaife signed his franchise tender at the end of April and will have more competition for playing time then he did last year. Alge Crumpler came over from Atlanta last season but failed to be much of a fantasy factor with only one receiving TD and no games with more than 38 yards receiving. Jared Cook is perhaps the most athletic TE in the 2009 draft class. His athleticism is on par with Vernon Davis, and Tennessee will be looking for ways to exploit that. Cook will never be known as a good blocker, but he can make plays with his run after the catch ability.

Place Kicker

Rob Bironas : After spending several years in the AFL and in various NFL teams' training camps, Rob Bironas finally landed a starting job with the Titans four years ago. After modest results his first two years, he had a breakout season in 2007. Bironas made 35 of 39 (89.7 percent) field goals and added 28 PATs. He improved his long range accuracy, going 9 of 10 from 40-49 yards and 4 of 5 from 50+ yards. Along the way, Bironas broke the single game NFL record by hitting 8 of 8 field goals in the game at Houston. Last year he hit 29 of 33 (87.9 percent) field goals and added 40 PATs. After missing two PATs his first year, he has been perfect since. His strong leg on kickoffs averaged 67.2 yards and had 22 touchbacks last year. The Titans ranked 21st, 21st, and 26th in kicker scoring from 2004 to 2006. The last two years they have ranked 4th and 7th.

Kick and Punt Returners

Kick Returners: Mark Jones, Lavelle Hawkins, Chris Davis, Michael Griffin, Chris Johnson, Chris Henry, Casey Cramer, Cortland Finnegan, Cary Williams, Rafael Little

Return specialist Chris Carr only stayed one year with the Titans, so they subsequently signed WR Mark Jones as the likely successor. Although injuries derailed his return specialist role in Tampa Bay, he finally got a chance to show he can produce last year in Carolina (40 returns, 24.0 avg. on kickoff returns). The Titans have a long list of potential backups and upmen. WR Lavelle Hawkins averaged 22.0 yards on 42 returns and scored once for California in 2007, and averaged 18.6 yards on 7 returns as a rookie last year. Presumed as more of a punt returner, WR Chris Davis averaged a healthy 29.8 yards on four kickoff returns in 2008. FS Michael Griffin handled kickoff returns the first part of 2007 (18 returns, 23.4 avg.) and had two returns last year. RB Chris Johnson averaged 28.0 yards (18th in NCAA) and scored once for East Carolina in 2007, but quickly became involved on offense with the Titans and had only one kickoff return last year. In 2007, RB Chris Henry averaged 20. 9 yard on 13 returns and RB Casey Cramer had one return for 13 yards. DB Cortland Finnegan averaged 25.1 yards on kickoff returns during his college career at Samford. CB Cary Williams averaged 28.6 yards and scored twice during his two years at Washburn. RB Rafael Little is under the radar after missing last year recovering from an ACL tear. He handled returns at Kentucky.

Punt Returners: Mark Jones, Chris Davis, Cortland Finnegan, Rafael Little

Mark Jones strength is punt returns and that showed last year as he averaged 11.4 yards on 39 returns. Chris Davis handled the majority of the Titans' punt returns in 2007 (31 returns, 9.5 avg., 12 fair catches), although he did get benched at one point due to ball handling issues. He had only two returns last year (3.0 avg.). Cortland Finnegan averaged 15.1 yards on punt returns while at Samford, and had looked like he might become the Titans' return specialist during the 2007 preseason, but he had only two punt returns in the regular season (5.5 avg.). After two years in the top five in fantasy returns, the Titans spent the last two years near the bottom of the rankings at 30th and 26th.

Offensive Line

Projected Starters: LT Michael Roos, LG Eugene Amano, C Kevin Mawae, RG Jake Scott, RT David Stewart
Key Backups: G/C Leroy Harris, T Mike Otto, T Troy Kropog [R]

What can you say about the Titans offensive line performance last season? The starters dominated throughout the year, run blocking and pass blocking equally well. The only real concern heading into this season is the age of the starting center Kevin Mawae and the limited offensive line depth on the roster. If this group stays healthy, however, it is a Top 5 unit.

Team Defense

There was plenty to like about the Titans defense in 2008. They were among the Top 10 in every important category including second in points allowed and third in takeaways. This unit returns ten starters, but the one who isn't coming back may be the most important. Albert Haynesworth was the most dominating interior lineman in the league last year and will be missed greatly. That said, it's not as if the club has not prepared. Last year's second round pick Jason Jones will step into the lineup after a solid rookie year. He gained experience while seeing significant action in the rotation and may well have been part of the reason Tennessee didn't break the bank to keep Haynesworth. They also used a second this year on DT Sen'Derrick Marks and picked up Jovan Haye in free agency to add veteran depth. The Titans lowest mark last year was a ninth rated pass defense, so they nabbed Ryan Mouton in the third round to bolster the corner position. This was a Top 5 defense in 2008, and despite the loss of Haynesworth, they should finish in a similar position this season.

Defensive Line

Starters: DE Kyle Vanden Bosch; DE Jevon Kearse; DT Tony Brown; DT Jovan Haye
Backups: DE Dave Ball; DT Jason Jones; DT Sen'Derrick Marks; DE William Hayes

Starting DL: Their defensive front line is led by veteran DE Kyle Vanden Bosch. Labeled a disappointment in Arizona, he was transformed to stardom after becoming a Titan in 2005. Before last season, Vanden Bosch averaged over ten sacks and nearly 70 total tackles in his first three seasons with Tennessee. Vanden Bosch was hurt in the last half of last season due to a groin injury, but was back for the playoffs and should be ready to opening day. His numbers dwindled though, causing some concern. DE Jevon Kearse's injury history makes Vanden Bosch look like an ironman, but when healthy, he's a dangerous pass rusher. He's not the same player he once was, though, and hasn't had four sacks or more since 2005 and will be turning 33 around the start of the season. The team signed Jovan Haye from Tampa Bay, and if healthy he'll likely start opening day at the spot vacated by Albert Haynesworth. In 2007, Haye showed plenty of spark with Tampa Bay, with 68 total tackles and six sacks, and the team is hoping for more of the same in 2009. DT Tony Brown is a space eater who gets his share of tackles and can also get to the quarterback a little bit. With 52 total tackles and four sacks last year, Brown is a legitimate DT1 in leagues that must start them.

Backup DL: DT Jason Jones will battle for a starting spot. Jones, a second round pick last year, showed he has legitimate upside and played well in relief. The team drafted DT Sen'Derrick Marks in the second round this year and envision him as the long term replacement for Albert Haynesworth. He is strong against the run and has good speed for the position. Look for him to play immediately as the team continues to use several players in a rotation. DE Dave Ball finally got an opportunity to show something and rewarded the team with 4.5 sacks in a supporting role and the Titans feel good about his ability to contribute again in a rotation. The same can be said for Jacob Ford, who in his second season had seven sacks, 22-7 tackles and a pair of forced fumbles. Ford's first season consisted of a torn Achilles tendon early in camp and a season in the training room. The team believes DE William Hayes has nice potential and should see more time this year.

Linebackers

Starters: LB Stephen Tulloch; LB David Thornton; LB Keith Bulluck
Backups: LB Ryan Fowler; LB Gerald McRath; LB Josh Stamer; LB Standford Keglar

Starting LBs: LB Stephen Tulloch is an instinctual aggressive LB who eventually won over the starting job last year and for the first time will head into training camp as the likely number one man in the middle. Tulloch finished the year with a respectable 64-20 tackles, despite not playing much in the first three games of the year. At 32 years old, LB Keith Bullock has clearly lost a bit and he's not the top five producing linebacker that he was for so many years up until 2006. But while he may not be getting 140 total tackles, he still gets close to 100. Free agency is on the horizon for Bullock, and he's good enough for another solid year. LB David Thornton is another veteran who is now 30 years old. He plays on the strong side so he probably won't put top numbers, but he should still get 80 or so total tackles and has a role in most fantasy leagues. With little depth behind them, the team desperately needs Bullock and Thornton to stay healthy, and as they're on the wrong side of 30, the likelihood of that happening decreases.

Backup LBs: Ryan Fowler is a solid backup who came over from Dallas a couple years ago. He once held the starting nod and provides the team with the kind of depth they will need in order to sustain the same kind of run as last year. LB Gerald McRath was drafted in the fourth round out of Hawaii. McRath was one of the fastest linebackers in the draft and possesses good instincts, but he needs to get a little stronger. It's unlikely he breaks into the regular rotation this year, but he should see time on special teams. LB Standford Keglar was a fourth round pick out of Purdue last year will be counted on to provide needed depth and could have a starting role thrust upon him if there is an injury to one of the starters. LB Josh Stamer came over from Buffalo last year and is reasonably good, but he has played sparingly at best and is not able to step into a starting role.

Defensive Backs

Starters: S Chris Hope; S Michael Griffin; CB Nick Harper; CB Cortland Finnegan
Backups: S Vincent Fuller; CB DeMarcus Faggins; CB Reynaldo Hill; S Donnie Nickey; CB Ryan Mouton

Starting DBs: Cortland Finnegan was a first team All-Pro last season and has proven to be one of the league's better young corners. He hits hard, is a true lockdown defender and last year added five interceptions. Well traveled NFL veteran Nick Harper has played exceptionally well for Tennessee, but his history of injuries seems to plague his every move. The team needs him to stay healthy. Harper plays older than his 28 years, but he's also produced nice tackle numbers when playing and is a viable fantasy corner, especially in leagues that must start them. After career season in Pittsburgh in 2005, Chris Hope followed it up with a career year in his first year with Tennessee in 2006. While he hasn't produced the same kind of volume since then, he remains a solid fantasy play, capably of more than 80 total tackles and a handful of interceptions at the strong safety spot. S Michael Griffin made the Pro Bowl in only his second season last year and had 55-20 tackles and seven interceptions. He helps round out a very solid starting unit for the Tennessee secondary. Depth, however, is another story.

Backup DBs: DeMarcus Faggins was signed in the offseason and is expected to be the first corner off the bench. Faggins had his moments with Houston, although relying on him as a possible starter in case of an injury is not ideal. The Titans selected CB Ryan Mouton with one of their third round picks, and he should be able to step up immediately and make his way into the nickel and dime packages. He's smallish but very athletic and could become a nice playmaker in time. Safety Vincent Fuller was re-signed in the offseason and adds a little punch to the nickel defense. With 37-10 tackles last year, the four year Titan veteran adds an important piece to the puzzle. Donnie Nickey, a former fifth round draft choice out of Ohio State, is entering his sixth season with the team and will play a supporting role. Reynaldo Hill is an unrestricted free agent as of this writing.

Last modified: 2009-06-11 18:51:42