After a 4-12 season on the heels of a 5-11 season, it would seem that the magic has gone from Tennessee. Franchise stalwarts Steve McNair and Eddie George are gone, victims of poor contract management in the salary cap era. There have been other victims of that invisible cash line, or cash axe is more like it for the Titans. Derrick Mason, gone. Samari Rolle, gone. Brad Hopkins, gone. Fred Miller, gone. In their places? Billy Volek. Chris Brown. Drew Bennett. Adam “Pac Man” Jones. Michael Roos. Jacob Bell. Hardly as inspiring a group, is it?
There is a light at the end of the tunnel, however. The defense is stocked with young talent, and looks like it could have it's best season since the Super Bowl run in 1999. The offense is slowly coming back to life, with young, exciting players like Vince Young, LenDale White, Ben Troupe, Brandon Jones, and Roydell Williams looking to contribute heavily in the next couple of years. Maybe this year isn't the Titans' year. But 2007? 2008? Maybe. Maybe...
Offense
Quarterback: Franchise stalwart Steve McNair is gone, leaving the reins of the offense in the hands of Billy Volek. Or are they in the hands of Vince Young? In 2007 they will be, but for now, the offense belongs to Volek, a caretaker-type of QB who won't wow you with tons of big plays, unlike Young, but also won't make a ton of mistakes, also unlike Young, at least at this point in his career. The biggest plus that Volek has for him is that he has a strong, accurate arm, which is a must in offensive coordinator Norm Chow's offense.
Young is a work in progress. The No. 3 overall pick in the 2006 draft, Vince Young looks a lot like a young Steve McNair in a lot of ways. Big kid, mobile as all get-out, and possessor of a huge arm with a funky motion. Will he turn out like McNair did, who split the MVP award in 2006 with Peyton Manning? We'll see.
Third on the depth chart lies Matt Mauck, a strong-armed kid who's still extremely raw and needs a lot of teaching before he can become much in the NFL. (editor's note: Kerry Collins was recently signed to compete for the starting job.)
Running Back and Fullback: Chris Brown is looking extremely shaky on top of Tennessee's depth chart. Rookie LenDale White has been making a strong push for playing time, and Travis Henry is no slouch either. Brown's so uncertain of his place in Tennessee that he has requested a trade, a request that GM Floyd Reese has flatly denied. Still, Brown is a fairly talented back, but his biggest issue is staying out of the trainer's room.
Travis Henry, a former starter and budding star in Buffalo before the emergence of Willis McGahee, also has some durability issues, but he is capable of returning to the 1,200 yard form he showed in Buffalo. He's a tough back with good straight-line speed who's very hard to bring down. He could use some work in the passing game, both as a blocker and receiver, but so could most backs in the NFL.
LenDale White is an absolute bruiser. He won't run away from most people, but he'll run over you or around you with a surprising shiftiness born of fluid hips and some of the best footwork you'll see in a runner outside of Jerome Bettis. White looks to get the majority of the carries in the red zone and should push for a bigger role, especially if Brown is traded or released.
At fullback, they have one of the most athletic guys in the league at the position in Troy Flemming. While a marginal lead blocker, he's an exceptional pass blocker and a tough runner and receiver out of the backfield, and can serve as an emergency running back if needed. With a bit of seasoning and work, Flemming has the ability to become one of the best all-around fullbacks in the league.
Wide Receivers and Tight Ends: When it comes to who is the Titans' No. 1 receiver, it's more of a 1a and 1b deal. Drew Bennett is 1a, mostly borne of his experience in the system and his rapport with Billy Volek. Newcomer David Givens is 1b, being a bearer of exceptional natural talent and ability. Both are surprisingly similar receivers; both are quicker than fast, are natural leapers, are solid route runners, and have solid hands. Bennett has a slight edge in the route running and hands departments, while Givens is slightly faster and a somewhat better jumper.
Behind them, the depth starts with Tyrone Calico, a supremely talented but oft-injured receiver. He's suffered major knee injuries in both knees on several occasions, most notably missing all but one game in 2004 because of various knee ailments. He has incredible speed when healthy, however, and is a viable deep threat.
