TGS 2007 Football Preview Bonus: Tennessee Titans

TENNESSEE—Not a lot of good comes from hanging out at strip clubs in Las Vegas, especially when someone decides to pull a gun. But no one was too surprised when it was revealed that the Titans’ own trouble magnet, DB Adam “Pacman" Jones (left), was in the middle of such shenanigans last winter. Although that was just the latest off-field escapade for Jones, it also turned out to be the last disciplinary straw, as he was subsequently hit with a one-year suspension by commissioner Roger Goodell. The only wonder is that it took so long. With the NFL now adopting something akin to a “three strikes and ‘yer out” policy, Pacman has already accumulated an Adam Dunn-like number of Ks, questioned by police no fewer than ten times, with five arrests, all since being drafted in April of 2005. That’s enough to get suspended from Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s posse, much less the NFL.

The practical impact of Pacman’s suspension, however, changed the offseason priorities for new Titans GM Mike Reinfeldt (a former DB for Bum Phillips’ teams when the franchise was located in Houston). Remember, Pacman (who was hoping to get the suspension reduced by a handful of games as we went to press) is an impact CB and explosive punt returner (3 return TDs LY!), a rare playmaker indeed, and trying to fill his spot suddenly became a priority in free agency and the draft, forcing other problem areas back in the queue. And unless Vince Young can play every position on the field (and we wouldn’t put it past him), the Titans have plenty of holes to fill.

Reinfeldt, a noted “capologist” from his days in Seattle’s front office, proved a bit gun-shy in his first stab at free agency as a full-fledged GM, doing little more than re-signing role players on the current roster. The Titans mostly stood on the sidelines and watched other teams throw big money around, although Reinfeldt, in a Pacman-motivated desperation move, did convince CB Nick Harper to move from Indy to Music City. Tennessee ended up losing a lot more in free agency than it gained, with a thin WR corps depleted even further by departures of Drew Bennett to St. Louis and Bobby Wade to Minnesota. Also leaving town were top rusher Travis Henry, who fled to Denver, and DT Robaire Smith, who moved to Cleveland. Stay tuned for the second wave of free agency to see if more help might be on the way.

Meanwhile, with needs practically across the board, Reinfeldt then cast a lot of stones with his 10 picks at the draft, again addressing the Pacman void above other needs in the first round by nabbing Texas DB Michael Griffin (right, on draft day), who could either fill in at Jones’ CB spot or replace FS Lamont Thompson. Otherwise, most insiders view the majority of picks as projects who won’t make an immediate impact. Of course, perhaps the marvelous Young can simply overcome all of the team’s shortcomings by himself. Once Vince got the feel of things at QB after replacing the ineffective Kerry Collins as the starter in early October, he might as well have been back at Texas, eventually causing fits for NFL defensive coordinators just like he did those at Baylor and Texas Tech. Although still unrefined, he made significant progress under sage o.c. Norm Chow, even throwing for 12 TDs (not bad for a rookie) while terrorizing foes with his legs. In the process, Young (left) led several improbable comeback wins over the Giants, Colts, Texans, and Bills, single-handedly beating hometown Houston with a madcap 39-yard TD scramble in overtime. But even though he maintains a rare ability to distort games, NFL defenses eventually catch on, and Young’s supporting cast has to provide some help. That’s why the FA defections at WR are causing concern for Chow and HC Jeff Fisher, who now have to rely on the likes of 3rd-year wideout Brandon Jones (50 catches in two years combined), rookies Paul Williams (Fresno State) and Chris Davis (Florida State), and raw ex-Bear FA and former college hoopster Justin Gage (just 64 catches in 4 years), as the main targets. Meanwhile, after attempts to acquire San Diego’s Michael Turner failed, unproven 2nd-year LenDale White and combine phenom 2nd-round draftee choice Chris Henry (Arizona) are left to lead the RB corps, unless some help arrives (perhaps Corey Dillon?) in the second wave of free agency.

It’s doubtful we have enough room to list the litany of deficiencies on a defense that ranked last or close to last in almost every meaningful category in ‘06. With Reinfeldt preoccupied finding replacements for Pacman, other serious shortcomings remain unsolved. The Titans haven’t had a decent pass rush since Jevon Kearse left several years ago, and Reinfeldt didn’t add anybody who looks like they might complement DE Kyle Vanden Bosch in that regard. And besides Harper, other early FA additions such as LB Ryan Fowler (Cowboys) and S Bryan Scott (Saints) were more noted for their special team work. Again, more help hopefully arrives in later free agency.

Bottom line...Thanks to Young, Tennessee made an unexpected run late LY, winning 6 straight down the stretch and even getting on the periphery of the wildcard mix. A false alarm, or real progress? Young is a great equalizer, but since the Titans appear to have lost more than they gained in the offseason, we might opt for the former. “Totals” alert: note the combo of Young and a weak “D” resulted in 10 “overs” the last 11 games of ‘06!

BET ON BASEBALL!! Use your knowledge of the game to win big money at the Bodog Sportsbook!

Football Related Articles

Return To Articles Archive