Tennessee Titans Season Preview

(Courtesy of My Sportsbook) - In just about every NFL season, there exists a San Diego Chargers, a team that defies expectations and reaches the postseason as the Bolts did last season. And equally as often, there is a situation like that of the 2004 Tennessee Titans. The Titans, who ended the 2003 campaign a heartbeat away from a spot in the AFC Championship, went down in 2004, and went down hard. With quarterback Steve McNair spending most of the season nursing a bruised sternum that required offseason surgery, Jeff Fisher's club fell from 12-4 to 5-11, a mark that brought with it the indignity of last place in the AFC South. A banged-up defense was stretched to the limit in the closing month-and-a-half of the season, and during an ugly five-game losing skid that dropped the Titans to 4-11, that unit gave up an eye-popping 41.6 points per game. The worst was yet to come.

In February, the salary cap-strapped Titans were forced to part with a number of the players that had formed the identity of their team for the past half-decade. Cornerback Samari Rolle, defensive end Kevin Carter, and right tackle Fred Miller were all placed on the chopping block during that initial purge. In April, the team let free agent cornerback Andre Dyson slip away to the Seahawks, and traded end Carlos Hall to the Chiefs. In June, Tennessee released popular safety Lance Schulters. The changes weren't limited to on-field personnel. Gone is highly-regarded offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger, who took a similar position with the New York Jets. In is former USC offensive wizard Norm Chow, who has plenty in the way of reputation and name cachet but has never coached in the NFL. Despite the obstacles, there is hope in the Music City that the Titans can take a Chargers-size leap back to the top of the division this season. At the very least, Tennessee supporters will take solace in the fact that this year's Titans can't possibly be last year's Titans. Below we take a capsule look at the 2005 edition of the Tennessee Titans, with a personnel evaluation and prognosis included therein:

RB: In his first year as a starter, Chris Brown (1067 yards, 6 TD, 20 receptions) showed plenty of flashes of brilliance, leading the AFC with a 4.9 yard average-per-carry. But preseason questions about his durability were not dismissed when Brown missed five games with a toe injury, and the wary Titans were forced to bring in some insurance in the offseason. Enter Travis Henry (326 yards, 10 receptions with Buffalo), who posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and made the 2002 Pro Bowl as a Bill before losing his job to Willis McGahee. Henry, who played collegiately at Tennessee, is expected to pick up some of the tough inside yards that Brown, more of a finesse runner, might struggle to gain. Jarrett Payton, who had an impressive spring with the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe, might have to beat out fifth-round draft choice Damien Nash (Missouri) to make the roster. Nash can also back up at fullback, where Troy Fleming (19 receptions, 2 TD) is fully entrenched as the starter.

WR/TE: Gone is top wideout Derrick Mason (96 receptions, 7 TD), who takes his four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons with him to Baltimore this season. That leaves Drew Bennett (80 receptions, 11 TD), who had a monster 2004 season opposite Mason, as the new No. 1. Bennett had five 100-yard games in '04, including a two-game stretch against the Chiefs and Raiders when he caught a combined 25 balls for 393 yards and five touchdowns (the Titans lost both of those games, and were 0-5 when Bennett had 100 receiving yards). The Titans are counting on 6-4 Tyrone Calico (2 receptions), who missed all but one game last year with an ACL tear, on returning to form to start opposite Bennett. A trio of rookies - Courtney Roby (Indiana), Brandon Jones (Oklahoma), and Roydell Williams (Tulane) - will have to make an immediate impact as well, and could start the season as the Nos. 3, 4, and 5 wideouts. Tight ends Erron Kinney (25 receptions, 3 TD) and Ben Troupe (33 receptions, 1 TD) are both coming off injuries, but are expected to be ready for the season. Sixth-round draft pick Bo Scaife (Texas) should make the club as a third tight end.

OL: The Titans' offseason salary cap purge had an impact on the offensive line, which lost right tackle Fred Miller (16 starts) and all-purpose spot starter Jason Mathews (7 starts) to the bottom line. Returning to the group are left tackle Brad Hopkins, center Justin Hartwig, and right guard Benji Olson. Left guard Zach Piller, who started 16 games in 2003 but missed all but one contest last season with a biceps injury, is expected to reclaim his former position. The Titans selected 6-7, 320-pound Michael Roos (Eastern Washington) in the second round of the April draft to take over for Miller at right tackle, and used subsequent picks on tackles David Stewart (4th Round, Mississippi State) and Daniel Loper (5th Round, Texas Tech). Center/guard Eugene Amano, who started two games as a rookie last year, and Todd Williams, who appeared in six, will again be vying for backup duties. Jacob Bell, who started 14 games a year ago but is currently rehabbing an ACL injury, might not be ready for the start of the season.

DL: Former defensive end mainstays Kevin Carter (49 tackles, 6 sacks) and Carlos Hall (41 tackles, 2.5 sacks) were released and traded, respectively, meaning Fisher and company need a group of young players to step up there. Second-year players Travis LaBoy (20 tackles, 3.5 sacks), Antwan Odom (21 tackles, 2 sacks), and Bo Schobel (15 tackles) were all part-time starters a year ago, and at least one figures to step in the starting lineup right away. The team also used one of its few free agent signings on former Cardinal Kyle Vanden Bosch (13 tackles with Arizona), who has started just one NFL game in the past two seasons. The Titans are in better shape at tackle, where Albert Haynesworth (36 tackles, 1 sack), Randy Starks (28 tackles, 4.5 sacks), and Rien Long (26 tackles, 5 sacks) were all solid performers a year ago. Jared Clauss (7 tackles) started one game during his rookie season, and should again figure in as a backup in 2005.

LB: The Titans were dealt a huge blow in training camp last season when linebacker Peter Sirmon was lost for the season to a torn ACL. Sirmon is back to re-claim his outside linebacker slot this season, and should start in a strong group that includes Brad Kassell (101 tackles) in the middle and Keith Bulluck (152 tackles, 5 sacks, 2 INT) on the other side. Rocky Boiman (19 tackles), Rocky Calmus (15 tackles) and Robert Reynolds (13 tackles) all spent time in the starting lineup last season, and should all be back in reserve roles.

DB: The 2005 Tennessee secondary will bear almost no resemblance to the units of the past few years. Cornerbacks Samari Rolle (28 tackles, 1 INT) and Andre Dyson (41 tackles, 6 INT) will be wearing different uniforms this year, as will safeties Lance Schulters (14 tackles, 1 sack) and Scott McGarrahan (40 tackles, 1 INT). The prominent new face in the defensive backfield will be cornerback and first-round draft choice Pacman Jones (West Virginia), who could struggle to start right away after beginning training camp with a prolonged holdout. Andre Woolfolk (49 tackles, 1 INT) is nearly assured of one of the cornerback jobs after serving in a nickel role for the past two seasons. Tony Beckham (5 tackles) could nail down the other corner slot until Jones is ready, but second-year men Michael Waddell (39 tackles, 1 INT) and Rich Gardner (13 tackles, 1 INT) could both have something to say about that. Seventh-round draft choice Reynaldo Hill (Florida) will be attempting to make the team. At free safety, Lamont Thompson (64 tackles, 4 INT) started 13 games in place of the injured Schulters last year, and Tank Williams (52 tackles, 1 INT, 1 sack) was a nine-game starter at strong safety before losing the remainder of his season to an ACL tear. Donnie Nickey (38 tackles), fourth- round draft choice Vincent Fuller (Virginia Tech), and 2004 reserve Justin Sandy will add depth at safety.

SPECIAL TEAMS: Gary Anderson (17-22 FG, 37-37 XP) has finally packed it in after a 23-year career, and the Titans also parted ways with injury-plagued Joe Nedney. The battle for place-kicking duties will be between Arena League star Rob Bironas and Ola Kimrin (6-10 FG, 6-6 XP), who appeared in five games with the Redskins last season. Craig Hentrich (42.7 avg.) will begin his eighth season as the Tennessee punter this year. With Derrick Mason (3.9 punt return avg.) and Jason McAddley (22.3 kickoff return avg,) both gone, return duties could be the sole responsibility of Michael Waddell (6.0 punt return avg., 20.1 kickoff return avg.). Of the 2005 draft choices, Courtney Roby is the only one with significant experience as a returner.

PROGNOSIS: The Titans are expected to struggle in 2005, but they are far from the hopeless case that teams like the Browns and 49ers appear to be. Tennessee has a former MVP quarterback in McNair, a couple of proven running backs in Brown and Henry, one 1,000-yard receiver in Bennett, a stable offensive line, and a talented group of linebackers. Their big struggles figure to be in the secondary, where they lack a proven corner; at defensive end, where they lack a proven pass rusher; and at receiver, where there is little quality depth behind Bennett. Those problems, combined with the fact that AFC South foes the Colts, Jaguars, and Texans have all positioned themselves to be playoff teams, do not bode well for Tennessee. The Titans will play hard for Fisher, will win a couple of games they shouldn't, and if things go extraordinarily well, could flirt with .500. But a second straight fourth-place finish in the division looks like a foregone conclusion at this stage.