(Sports Network) - Jake Locker probably wasn't too pleased when the Tennessee
Titans flirted with the idea of bringing in longtime AFC South rival Peyton
Manning during the offseason.
And who could blame last year's first-round draft pick for having mixed
emotions? The Titans used the eighth overall pick on Locker with the intention
of him being their quarterback of the future. When Manning opted to join the
Denver Broncos, the Titans eventually made it clear that Locker was the man.
"It's really cool," Locker said after the announcement that he won a
competition with veteran Matt Hasselbeck. "It's something I'm proud of, but
it's not going to change my approach on how I practice or my preparation for a
game. That will still all be the same, but it is cool to be given this
opportunity."
Locker beat out last year's starter, Hasselbeck, who said he's excited to help
his teammate and would be happy to support him in any way he can. It's
admirable for Hasselbeck to be John Q. Supportive, since he's now taking a
back seat after leading Tennessee to a 9-7 record in 2011.
Nonetheless, the Titans will try to end a three-year playoff drought behind
Locker in 2012. The team ended last season on a high note, winning two
straight and four of the final six games. Whether that translates into success
for the new campaign is foreign knowledge, however.
Already stacked with two talented wide receivers in Kenny Britt and Nate
Washington, the Titans opted to take Baylor's Kendall Wright in the first
round of April's NFL Draft. The 20th overall selection doesn't have great
height at 5-foot-10, but his speed and quickness make him a quality prospect.
Perhaps Tennessee plucked Wright since standout Britt is recovering from
multiple offseason knee surgeries and played in only three games last season
due to a torn ACL and MCL, a devastating injury that wasn't completely healed
when the team began training camp.
Britt had another procedure done in the offseason to clean up the area, though
the former first-round pick in 2009 should be close ready for Tennessee's
season opener on Sept. 9 against the New England Patriots. He won't play,
however, after receiving a one-game suspension by the NFL for his July 20
arrest for driving under the influence.
Washington was thrust into the spotlight in Britt's absence in 2011 and led
the Titans with 74 catches for 1,023 yards and seven touchdowns, helping the
team to the fourth-highest passing yardage total (3,923 net yards) in
franchise history under offensive coordinator Chris Palmer.
Palmer is a former quarterbacks coach of such players as Eli Manning,
Hasselbeck, Drew Bledsoe, Mark Brunell and Warren Moon. And those players were
all blessed with talented receivers around them.
Of course, an offense needs a ground game as well, and the Titans have one of
the best running backs in the league in Chris Johnson. However, the speedster
held out of camp for a new contract last year and his game suffered, despite
racking up another 1,000-yard season.
Two years removed from a 2,000-yard campaign, Johnson hopes to thrive once
again in this pass-first league behind an offensive line that struggled at
times to open holes. The Titans struggled to run the football last year,
finishing 31st in the league with just 89.8 rushing yards per game.
Johnson appeared to be back to his old ways in the preseason, and that can
only make this team better.
Below we take a capsule look at the 2012 edition of the Titans, with a
personnel evaluation and prognosis included therein:
2011 RECORD: 9-7 (2nd, AFC South)
LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2008, lost to Baltimore in AFC Divisional Playoff
COACH (RECORD): Mike Munchak (9-7 in one season)
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Chris Palmer (second season with Titans)
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Jerry Gray (second season with Titans)
OFFENSIVE STAR: Chris Johnson, RB (1047 rushing yards, 57 receptions, 4 TD)
DEFENSIVE STAR: Kamerion Wimbley, DE (63 tackles, 7 sacks, 1 INT)
2011 OFFENSIVE TEAM RANKS: 17th overall (31st rushing, 12th passing), 21st
scoring (20.3 ppg)
2011 DEFENSIVE TEAM RANKS: tied 18th overall (24th rushing, 14th passing), 8th
scoring (19.8 ppg)
KEY ADDITIONS: LG Steve Hutchinson (from Vikings), DE Kamerion Wimbley (from
Raiders), RB Darius Reynaud (free agent), WR Kendall Wright (1st Round,
Baylor), DE Leger Douzable (from Jaguars), DT Mike Martin (3rd Round,
Michigan), OLB Zac Diles (from Colts), S Aaron Francisco (free agent)
KEY DEPARTURES: FB Ahmard Hall (free agent), C Eugene Amano (out for season),
RG Jake Scott (free agent), DE Jason Jones (to Seahawks), MLB Barrett Ruud (to
Saints), CB Cortland Finnegan (to Rams), LS Ken Amato (free agent), WR Marc
Mariani (out for season), WR Donnie Avery (to Colts), TE Daniel Graham (to
Saints), DE William Hayes (to Rams), DT Shaun Smith (released), S Chris Hope
(to Falcons), S Anthony Smith (retired)
QB: Even though Hasselbeck (3571 passing yards, 18 TD, 14 INT in 2011) can
still manage the game with the best around, he'll be holding a clipboard as
the Titans move on with the Locker experiment. The veteran will still be a
strong mentor for the youngster and played in all 16 games last season, with
his 3,571 passing yards in 2011 the fourth-highest total in team history and
his 18 touchdown passes the most by a Titan since Billy Volek had the same
amount in 2004. If Locker (542 passing yards, 4 TD, 0 INT) goes down to injury
or struggles to live up to his high billing, the Titans are still in good
hands with Hasselbeck under center. Locker is bigger and more athletic than
Hasselbeck, but that means nothing in the NFL unless he plays smart and shows
poise in the pocket. A big arm can go a long way, however, and Locker
certainly has the strength to air it out to his talented receivers. He is the
future of the franchise, and appeared ready to handle Palmer's offense in
limited action as a rookie. Locker also thrives more out of the pocket with
his athleticism, which could present a new wrinkle for opponents.
RB: It's hard to believe based on his past success, but Johnson (1047 rushing
yards, 4 TD) could be even more productive with Locker at quarterback because
defenses have to key on two mobile players in the backfield. He wasn't in game
shape for much of last season after skipping camp until finally getting his
new contract, but started to get better around Week 10, when he ran for 130
yards at Carolina. Johnson had two more 100-yard games after that and became
the third player in franchise history to rush for 1,000 yards in four
consecutive seasons, joining Eddie George and Earl Campbell. His 5,645 rushing
yards from 2008-2011 is also the highest in the league over that span. Backup
Javon Ringer (185 rushing yards, 1 TD) was an excellent college back at
Michigan State and could possibly start elsewhere in the league, but doesn't
see much time because of Johnson's presence and instead serves as a solid
reserve. Jamie Harper, another who saw little playing time last season, also
returns as the No. 3 back. Craig Stevens (9 receptions, 1 TD) is a natural
tight end who is often lined up at fullback, a position Quinn Johnson is
trying to stick on the roster at.
WR: Britt (17 receptions, 3 TD) could have enjoyed a productive season in 2011
had he stayed healthy. He had three receiving scores in three weeks before
getting hurt, and his ability to stretch the field will help Locker in his
development. Hasselbeck still has a decent arm, but Palmer will most likely
try to add more vertical plays for this potent offense with the quarterback
situations. Britt still tends to get into trouble off the field, however, and
must improve his maturity for the offense to be at its best. Wright had an
outstanding career at Baylor, where he played with a strong-armed and mobile
quarterback in Robert Griffin III. The rookie can lean on the veteran
Washington (74 receptions, 1023 yards, 7 TD) to learn the ways to succeed and
dissect defenses and make Tennessee's offense a more potent one. Washington
was the new man in charge when Britt went down for the year, and gives the
offense a solid one-two punch for Locker after enjoying the first 1,000-yard
season of his career in 2011. As previously stated, more vertical routes
should be in store for these receivers. Damian Williams (45 receptions, 5 TD)
was second on the team in touchdown catches as a part-time starter last year ,
but could lose time to the rookie Wright. So could Lavelle Hawkins (47
receptions, 1 TD), one of five Titans receivers with 40-plus catches in 2011.
TE: Tight end plays a big role in Tennessee's offense for blocking purposes,
an area where Stevens has his most value. Top receiving target Jared Cook (49
receptions, 3 TD) still had a breakout campaign in 2011, placing second on
the team with 759 receiving yards. With a combination of size, speed and huge
hands, he will push Owen Daniels of Houston for the distinction of best tight
end in the AFC South. Cook set career highs in every receiving category last
year, and could improve on those numbers with a new quarterback under center.
The four-year pro's yardage total also ranked second in franchise history by a
tight end, finishing behind only Frank Wycheck's 768 yards in 1998. The Titans
also selected Taylor Thompson from Southern Methodist in the fifth round of
April's draft, and he'll start out his career as the No. 3 tight end.
OL: The addition of former Houston Oilers great Bruce Matthews as offensive
line coach proved to be the spark this unit needed, at least in pass
protection. The Titans allowed just 24 sacks on the year, but were terrible in
run blocking. A lot of that might have had to do with Chris Johnson not
playing up to par early on in the season, however. Tennessee boosted its front
line by adding seven-time All-Pro left guard Steve Hutchinson in the offseason
in hopes of improving the ground attack. If age or injury impedes the 34-year-
old's production, Ryan Durand would likely be next to fill in. The Titans have
reliable tackles in Michael Roos on the left side and David Stewart on the
opposite end. Roos is highly durable and his 112-game active starting streak
ranked second in the NFL among all offensive tackles at the end of last
season. Stewart's nickname is "Big Country" for obvious reasons. He uses his
6-7, 315-pound frame as an advantage, leaving those to wonder how can the
ground game was so poor last year. Leroy Harris can play both guard or center,
but right now the Titans have him as the starter at right guard. He started
all 16 games there last season, helping the Titans finish second overall in
fewest sacks allowed. Fernando Velasco is another versatile player and will
most likely start at center. He did not start a game last season, but was the
team's top interior reserve. Now is Velasco's chance to shine, since 2011
starter Eugene Amano will miss the season due to a torn right triceps.
DL: One area the Titans need to improve on is their run defense, which was
24th in the NFL last season after allowing 128.3 yards per game on the ground.
The unit also was only 31st overall with 28 sacks, with a team-high seven
coming from defensive tackle Karl Klug (20 tackles) in his rookie season.
Expect an extended role from the former Iowa standout, who played
predominantly on passing downs last season with fellow 2011 draft choice
Jurrell Casey (52 tackles, 2 1/2 sacks) working as the starter. Casey helped
Tennessee bulk up on the front line alongside Sen'Derrick Marks (24 tackles,
0.5 sacks), a four-year veteran who also makes the Titans that much bigger and
the linebackers' job easier. He was a key piece to a solid rotation while
setting career highs with nine starts and 16 games played in 2011. Rookie Mike
Martin (3rd Round, Michigan) was drafted in April for further depth at tackle.
End Derrick Morgan (30 tackles, 2 1/2 sacks) has to step it up this season to
prove his first-round selection in 2010 was worth it. He played just four
games during his rookie campaign due to injury, but appeared in 15 last year
and didn't mount much in the way of a pass rush. The Titans bolstered one end
spot by signing former Raider Kamerion Wimbley (63 tackles, 7 sacks), who can
get to the quarterback with ease and has at least six sacks in each of the
past three seasons. Dave Ball (36 tackles, 4 sacks) is a strong backup and key
to the rotation at end, while rookie Scott Solomon (7th Round, Rice) and free
agent Leger Douzable (38 tackles, 1 sack with Jaguars) also in the mix.
LB: Tennessee will start young linebackers Akeem Ayers (76 tackles, 2 sacks)
and Colin McCarthy (68 tackles, 1 INT) this season, and should be impressed
with how each of the 2011 draft picks performed in their debuts. Ayers can
rush the edge from the outside, while McCarthy is plugged in at the middle
spot after replacing an injured Barrett Ruud last season. He is tremendously
athletic in pass coverage and can also get to the quarterback. Will
Witherspoon (56 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 INT) is getting older and can be a
liability in pass coverage. However, he still has enough speed to chase down
runners and be inserted in blitz packages. Zach Brown was added as a second-
round pick in the latest draft, and Tennessee hopes the North Carolina product
can make an impact right away. Don't be surprised to see Brown supplant
Witherspoon in the starting lineup at some point. Zac Diles, a former starter
in Houston, signed in the offseason and played 11 games with both Tampa Bay
and Indianapolis last year. He can be used in all three linebacker spots.
Linebacker Gerald McRath (15 tackles) was to be one of the top backups, but
had season-ending knee surgery in mid-August.
DB: The Titans further loaded up on defense in the draft by adding cornerback
Coty Sensabaugh from Clemson (4th Round) and safety Markelle Martin out of
Oklahoma State (6th Round). Martin will start the season on the PUP list with
a knee injury, however. With the Titans losing Cortland Finnegan to St. Louis
in free agency, Jason McCourty (105 tackles, 2 INT) is now the best cornerback
on the team. He emerged on the scene for a secondary that rated 14th in
defending the pass (226.8 ypg) in 2011 and set a career high in stops.
McCourty led the team with 13 passes defensed as well, proving that he can
keep up with the receivers, and his 15 starts a season ago also were a career-
best. Alterraun Verner (47 tackles, 1 INT) is a jack-of-all-trades when it
comes to the defensive backfield, having the ability to play outside in base
defenses as well the slot in nickel and dime packages. He will have an even
larger role as a starter this season as a starter. Tommie Campbell will see
more action this season as the main nickel back and tied for third on the
team with eight special teams tackles during his rookie year of 2011. The
Titans have one of the league's top free safeties in Michael Griffin (75
tackles, 2 INT), who inked a multi-year deal in June. He can put down the big
hit and is a two-time Pro Bowl pick. Strong safety Jordan Babineaux (93
tackles, 1 INT) was second on the team in stops in his first stint with the
team after spending the past few years in Seattle. With their ball-hawking
skills, Babineaux and Griffin can put a scare into opposing receivers. Safety
Aaron Francisco was signed in the offseason for depth.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Rob Bironas is one of the best kickers in the league and hasn't
missed a game since entering the NFL in 2005. He made 29-of-32 field goal
attempts (90.6 percent) a season ago and was successful on 24-of-26 tries
(92.3 percent) in 2010. Bironas also made six of his seven tries from 50-plus
yards out last season and is a definite game-changer with his accurate leg.
Punter Brett Kern is entering his third season with the Titans and averaged
43.6 yards on a career-best 86 tries. He landed a career-high 31 punts inside
the 20-yard line as well, helping Tennessee gain good field position. Darius
Reynaud is slated to return both kickoffs and punts this season after Marc
Mariani handled both positions in 2011. Mariani, however, is on injured
reserve with a broken left leg suffered in the preseason, and averaged 23.4
yards on 32 kickoffs and 10.7 yards on 46 punts. The Titans are counting on
the versatile Reynaud to at least match those solid numbers. Williams is
capable of making plays in the return game as well, mostly on punts. Beau
Brinkley, an undrafted college free agent out of Missouri, is the Titans' new
long snapper.
PROGNOSIS: It's boom or bust for Locker this season. The Titans already have
an NFL-ready quarterback in Hasselbeck, but they're going all-in with the
younger and more athletic talent. A fast start from Chris Johnson can only aid
Locker in his first year as the starter, and that means improved run blocking
is essential. The line can pass block for sure, but being one-dimensional in
this league can only get you so far, as the Titans found out last year. Britt
won't be there for the season opener versus New England, but will hopefully
return for a trip to San Diego in Week 2, and that should aid the new
quarterback as well. Tennessee could be looking at only seven or eight wins
this season because of such a difficult schedule early on. It plays the
Patriots, Chargers, Lions and Texans in the first month of the season, and
that very well could be an 0-4 start. It gets a bit easier from there, save
for a visit by Pittsburgh. The Titans could battle Houston for AFC South
bragging rights, but still have a few holes on defense that may be exposed and
prevent them from ending their postseason drought.
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