Offensive Line
Tennessee has the rare luxury of returning all five starters on the offensive line, so cohesiveness should be of little concern for this squad. They are solid at the tackle positions with veterans Brad Hopkins and Fred Miller as the starters. Hopkins may have lost a step, but he still does a good job of staying with the league’s best pass rushers. Miller is a good run blocker who is a great fit in the Titans power-running game and his pass blocking skills seem to improve every year.
If there is room for improvement on this line, it’s at the center position where Justin Hartwig is little more than adequate. He lacks athletic ability, but he is young and does have room to improve. Zack Pillar and Benji Olson, who will flank Hartwig at the guard positions, are both solid players and good run blockers, but neither is a great pass protector. The depth of this unit hinges on the development of some of the younger guys like rookies Jacob Bell and Eugene Amano, so that is a bit of a concern for this unit.
Defensive Line
The defensive line took a hit with the losses of tackle Robaire Smith and end Jevon Kearse, and they were replaced mainly by a lot of inexperienced developmental players. Carlos Hall becomes the full-time starter on the right end, and Kevin Carter will be more of a swing player this year, likely spending more time on the inside, especially in obvious passing situations. Hall is a bit undersized, but he has a great first step and plays very aggressively. Carter is in the final year of his current contract, so look for him to have a big season.
Juqua Thomas is penciled in at left end when Carter moves to the inside, but he could be challenged by a trio of rookies in Travis LaBoy, Antwan Odom, and Bo Schobel, who will also battle for playing time behind Hall. At defensive tackle, Albert Haynesworth has the potential to be one of the best run stuffers in the league. He is big and explosive, but he seems to lack motivation at times and needs to learn to go hard on every play. Second-year player Rien Long and rookie Randy Starks, who was a nice pick up in the third round of this year’s draft, will battle for playing time in the rotation next to Haynesworth.
Linebackers
The Titans have a solid starting trio at linebacker, but they lack depth on the bench. Keith Bulluck is an extraordinary weak-side linebacker with exceptional speed, and Rocky Calmus is solid in the middle, but he lacks the top-end speed Bulluck possesses. Rocky Boiman will take over on the strong side for Peter Sirmon, who is likely out for the season with a knee injury. Boiman was very effective as a backup and a situational pass rusher in 2003, and he should do an adequate job, but his promotion leaves very little depth on the outside. Brad Kassell, however, is a solid backup to Calmus in the middle.
Secondary
Tennessee’s secondary is exceptionally strong and deep at both cornerback and safety. Andre Dyson and Samari Rolle are both very good starting cornerbacks and last years first-round draft pick Andre Woolfolk should be prepared to fill the No. 3 role after missing 10 games as a rookie. Although he lacks size and strength, Rolle is one of the better cover corners in the league. However, durability is a concern with him.
Dyson has excellent speed and has developed into a solid No. 2, but like Rolle, he lacks size and is not much help in run support. Woolfolk has the size, quickness, and talent to develop into a shut-down corner, but injuries have slowed his development. As he gains experience, he should push Dyson for playing time on the outside. Mike Echols is penciled in as the No. 4 at this point, but he may have to fend off rookies Rich Gardner and Michael Waddell.
