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Heading into the 2009 season, filling the enormous void left by “Fat Albert” Haynesworth was the main goal for the Titans at DT. Despite the stellar play of Tony Brown and a solid run defense, the DT position failed to get the type of consistent pass rush that was a trademark of the units that consisted of the gargantuan Haynesworth manning the fort in the trenches.

With 2009 behind us and 2010 looming on the not-so-immediate horizon, let’s analyze the state of affairs at defensive tackle.

Tony Brown’s a keeper, folks

As my recent article indicates, retaining the services of DT Tony Brown has to be one of the Titans’ top offseason priorities.

His tendency of jumping offsides aside, Brown emerged as perhaps the team’s best defensive player in 2009. A free agent next month, I’m sure that they’re will be several teams looking to pounce on Tony but hopefully, the Titans will be able to lock him up for the next few years with a brand-spanking new contract.

Stay healthy, Jason Jones

Coming off his memorable performance against the eventual Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers in a pivotal AFC showdown in December 2008, the hopes were high for Jason Jones entering the 2009 season.

With Haynesworth vacating the premises last offseason, the goal was for Jones to continue his progress and continue his emergence as an up-and-comer at the DT position.

Unfortunately, injuries derailed Jason in 2009 as he was limited to only seven games. On the bright side, Jones was productive when he was healthy, amassing four sacks and defending five passes in a little less than a half of a season.

In his third season in the league, I’m expecting Jason to continue his stellar play as he develops into one of the better defensive tackles in the league. Hopefully, the injury bug that permeated his 2009 campaign will fly in the opposite direction of Jones in 2010.

Time to step up, Jovan Haye

Signed as an immediate replacement for Haynesworth, Haye failed to live up to his billing as he struggled mightily in 2009. Lauded for his pass-rushing abilities and his penchant for playing solid run defense despite his lack of size, Haye displayed neither of those tendencies on a consistent basis for the Titans last year.

Unlike Jones, Haye was able to stay healthy for the majority of the ’09 season, playing in 15 games. Also contrary to Jones, (unfortunately) Haye was anything but productive when he was on the playing field, routinely serving as a turnstile as opposing running backs ran by him while also providing no pass rush whatsoever as indicated by his paltry half-sack performance in the QB takedown category.

Needless to stay, Haye has to show us more in 2010.

Will Sen’Derrick make his mark in ’10?

Slowly but surely, Sen’Derrick Marks started to show signs of being a producer down the road. Due to the team’s early season struggles, Marks had plenty of opportunities for playing time at the end of the year.

Marks is a big guy with the ability to get to opposing passers and despite his lack of experience, he’s a project with some upside and with Coach Jim Washburn yelling expletives in his direction, Marks has a chance to develop into a player in the future.

Happy trails, Kevin Vickerson?

Due to Albert’s departure, Vickerson was the team’s designated big-body on the defensive line last year. He played well at times and continued to serve as a solid rotational guy for the Titans in ’09.

Vickerson is a restricted free agent this offseason and has recently hired notorious agent Drew Rosenhaus in his pursuit to get a nicer deal. The Titans should try to re-sign him, but I wouldn’t be shocked if the allure for more playing time in a less crowded DT rotation in another NFL locale is appealing to Vickerson.

Possible offseason moves

The DT position is a bit crowded, so barring a departure or two by the likes of Brown and/or Vickerson, I’m not expecting the Titans to make any significant moves at the defensive tackle spot.

However, I’m a bit intrigued by the potential of University of Tennessee alum Dan Williams, a talented youngster who possesses a few Haynesworth-esque qualities. I’d be (pleasantly) surprised if the Titans went in that direction with their first-round selection.

Your turn, guys: What are your thoughts on how the Titans stack up at defensive tackle?

William Hayes and Jevon Kearse wore each others' jerseys in practice one day. Photo by Andrew Strickert for Total Titans.

That leaves only two who are certain to be on the roster in September so this position group should have more turnover than any other for the Titans this offseason.

Here’s a look at the status of the defensive ends, after the jump.

William Hayes, who took over as the starter at LDE in Week Five, is signed through 2011. A solid run defender, Hayes still needs improvement as a pass rusher, but if he hasn’t developed into one yet, it’s hard to imagine he will ever become top shelf material in that facet. You can pencil him in as the starter again this year. Hayes will be the one constant in the position group amid the turnover within the rest of the group.

Jacob Ford is the other DE who will be back this season and should assume the position of the frontrunner to be the starter at RDE, for the time being at least. A backup for his first three seasons, Ford has shown the ability to be a productive edge rusher but he can be run at and run over. In my opinion, he is most effective as a situational pass rusher and should continue to be utilized in that manner, meaning someone else should man the position on first down and obvious running downs. 2010 is the final year on Ford’s contract.

Kyle Vanden Bosch had a substandard season last year and is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent. KVB, an eight-year veteran who will be 32 years old in November, believes he’ll be calling somewhere else home this year, as Drexel wrote about here. My heart hopes he’ll be re-signed for another season and that he’ll regain his old form. My head says the Titans need a younger, more effective player as the starter. Perhaps KVB will return as a backup simply to provide depth in the rotation and leadership. I try not to put too much importance on veteran leadership – I think it’s overblown far too often – but I believe in KVB’s case, it’s a warranted issue. Anyone who’s watched the man on the practice field can understand why. Jeff Fisher recently said the Titans still have an interest in KVB, so we’ll see what happens in the next month.

Jevon Kearse, thanks for the memories. The Freak lost his starting job to Hayes in Week Five and appeared in only two games since. He’ll be 34 years old and will definitely not be a Tennessee Titan when the season starts.

Dave Ball is another DE headed for unrestricted free agency. He did not provide any dividends in 2009, as he did in 2008, and I wonder if his offseason back surgery a year ago had any effect on that.

Eric Bakhtiari rounds out the position group. As I mentioned in my special teams report card, he should compete for a job in training camp this summer. A former 3-4 linebacker for the Chargers, Bakhtiari was on the Titans practice squad before being activated late in the season. I don’t know what kind of DE he is but do know he’s got decent speed for a man of his size.

The lack of a reliable, consistent outside pass rush was one of the Titans’ biggest problems last year. Couple that with the impending loss of several players and you have a double whammy. Because of these two reasons, defensive end is the number one priority the Titans need to address this offseason, either through free agency, the draft, or possibly both. (Also see Drexel’s post on whether DE is the Titans biggest offseason need.)

The biggest name among the free agents to be is Julius Peppers, who should be the most expensive. He’ll also be 34 He’s also 30 years old and for those two reasons, shouldn’t be a Titan.

Two other big names are Richard Seymour and Adewale Ogunlewe but they will be 31 and 33 years old this season. As with Peppers, signing either of them would be a very short-term solution and they are all at the stage in their careers when they will want one more big payday, a four-year deal with most of the money guaranteed.

I just don’t see throwing big money at an older player who may have only a year left at his current level of play.

I’d rather go with a younger guy such as the Vikings’ Ray Edwards, who’s 26, and is a budding star. (I commented last month on Edwards in Drexel’s DE article.) Several teams ought to be very interested in obtaining him and he should be expensive but if you’re going to pay big money for a player, I’d rather spend it on someone under the age of 30.

I’d also rather have Edwards than a first-round draft pick but that may be wishful thinking. It’s hard for me to get excited about a rookie-to-be when you could get a proven veteran who’s still improving. Ask Jaguars fans how Jacksonville’s first-round selection of Derrick Harvey, an eighth-overall pick two years ago, worked out.

Still, if the issue isn’t resolved through free agency, I believe the Titans should use their first-round draft pick on a defensive end. If there’s a player available with enough value to justify using that pick, of course.

The top three prospects are Derrick Morgan (Georgia Tech), Carlos Dunlap (Florida) and Jason Pierre-Paul (South Florida). Morgan is projected to be a top ten pick but the other two may be available when Tennessee is on the clock in Round One.

We’ll continue to take a look at these prospects, and others, in the coming weeks.

To make a long story short: New CBA= Tulloch is an unrestricted free agent, No CBA= Tulloch being a restricted free agent.

As the case with my feelings towards bringing Brown back into the fold, re-signing Stephen Tulloch should also be a top offseason priority for the Tennessee Titans.

Since replacing Ryan Fowler as the team’s starting MLB in early 2008, Tulloch has emerged as a positive force on the Titan defense. What he lacks in size (5’11″) he more than compensates with the speed to be a punishing force in stopping the run.

As Andrew mentioned in his defensive report card, Tulloch’s pass coverage could use a little work. However, despite that weakness, overall, he’s stepped up as one of the team’s better players on the defensive side of the football. In 2009, he led the team in total tackles (121) while also registering two QB takedowns.

In addition to his talents, I’ve also been impressed with Tulloch’s durability. He’s a hard-working guy with a great work ethic and those integral traits are probably the engine behind his impressive streak of not missing a single game during his first four seasons in the NFL.

Look no further than Tulloch’s Twitter page to get a sense of how dedicated he is to perfecting his craft:

“Over my career the thing I noticed most is players that tend to have success in the NFL are the 1′s that eat & sleep the sport…”

Another Tulloch Twitter gem:

“That’s what separates and average player from a great player your decision. How much are you willing to sacrifice point blank and simple…”

Thankfully, the Titans appear willing to do whatever it takes to retain the services of their up-and-coming talented MLB. According to The Tennessean’s Gary Estwick, the Titans are contemplating the move of reeling in Tulloch by labeling him with the team’s franchise tag.

Hopefully, one way or another, Tulloch will continue to spend his Fall/Winter Sundays manning the fort as the Titans’ starting MLB next year and beyond.

Without a new CBA, Brown’s ability to test the free agency waters will be restricted. At the opposite end of the spectrum, TB will be an unrestricted free agent if the seemingly impossible occurs with the owners and the players’ union shaking hands on a new agreement.

Either way, based on his stellar play over the last couple of seasons, the Tennessee Titans would be wise to bring Tony Brown back into the fold.

Overcoming the hardships associated with sticking around in the NFL after entering the league as an undrafted free agent, Brown has made himself into one of the league’s better interior pass rushers. Far from the biggest defensive tackle you’ll ever see, the smallish Brown utilizes a combination of cat-like quickness and great moves to pester opposing NFL signal-callers.

Playing next to the gargantuan Albert Haynesworth, Brown amassed four sacks in both 2007 and 2008. In “Fat Albert’s” absence, TB stepped up with an even better performance in 2009 as he accumulated five sacks while forcing three fumbles. His successful showing in ’09 led to him being named as a Pro Bowl alternate.

Despite his penchant for jumping offsides, Tony Brown has established himself as one of the Titans’ best defensive players. In an offseason that should yield a ton of change on the defensive side of the football, Mike Reinfeldt, Jeff Fisher and Co. would be wise to do what it takes to ensure that Brown’s presence will remain a constant on the Titans’ defense in 2010 and beyond.

Your turn, audience: Should the Titans re-sign Tony Brown?

Michael Roos has played in two Pro Bowls. Photo by Andrew Strickert for Total Titans

In earlier articles, Drexel examined the quarterback and receiver positions and I took a look at the guards. Today we continue on the offensive line with a look at the tackles.

The good news is that the Titans have two All-Pro tackles signed through 2013. The bad news is that the depth behind them is untested. We’ll take a closer look after the jump.

Michael Roos has been to two Pro Bowls and is generally considered to be one of the best young left tackles in the league. I thought he was quite a bit better in 2008 and that his 2009 Pro Bowl invite was strictly on reputation. If you’re an optimist, you know Roos is capable of recapturing his 2008 form and even improving beyond that. I’m glad he’ll be a Titan for at least four more years.

David Stewart was the Titans’ best o-lineman in 2009, in my opinion. Other than his All-Pro recognition, he doesn’t get enough credit, probably because he’s a right tackle and also because he’s on the same line as Roos. Big Country is a guy I enjoy watching, especially the ways he uses his hands. Like Roos, I’m glad he’ll be a Titan for at least four more years.

Michael Otto appeared in 14 games last year, taking over Daniel Loper’s role as a special teams blocker and as the primary backup tackle. He had played in only game in 2008 so it appeared he was making a natural progression as a Titans’ o-lineman. (Stewart didn’t play at all in his rookie season.) Appearances can be deceiving. Otto’s status changed when Stewart sat out the 49ers game and was replaced by C/G Leroy Harris, who hadn’t played tackle since high school. If o-line coach Mike Munchak didn’t have enough confidence to play Otto, who was in his third year as a Titans tackle, then I don’t believe it says much for Otto.

Troy Kropog, a fourth-round draft selection a year ago, is the fourth OT on the roster. Munchak worked him at left tackle for the first half of training camp last summer, then at right tackle for the remainder of camp, so he has at least some experience at both positions. Kropog can also play guard but I wouldn’t feel comfortable with him at that position. Kropog appeared in one game last year and will compete with Otto for the #3 OT spot this year.

The Titans are set with their starting tackles, but Munchak’s lack of faith in his two backups gives me cause for concern. I expect Harris to start this season at either center or guard so he shouldn’t be available to step in again in the event of an injury to Roos or Stewart.

I don’t anticipate Tennessee obtaining a tackle in free agency. It seems far more likely that they’ll acquire one late in the draft, either as a potential upgrade over Otto and Kropog, or to convert to an interior lineman. It’s not at all unusual for college tackles to become NFL guards (Zach Piller is a good example) and Munchak also converted Justin Hartwig into a center. As noted in the positional analysis for the guards, depth is needed there so if the Titans do draft a tackle, we’ll just have to see how Munchak plans to use him.

CJ was a consistent ray of light as he trotted past the 2,000 yard rushing mark in ’09. In only two seasons in the NFL, he’s been everything the Titans dreamed and envisioned when they shocked the world (outside of Frank Wycheck) by selecting him with pick #24 in the 2008 draft.

With two years served in a modest $12 million rookie contract, CJ has hopes of becoming the league’s highest paid-back in the not-so-distant future.

When will the typically frugal Titan front office step up and reward Johnson with the new contract he probably deserves?

There is no question, IMO, that Chris Johnson is well-deserving of a raise from his current rookie deal. He’s been the team’s best player on offense in only two years in the league and last year, he emerged as one of the premier players in the game with his record-breaking performance.

According to The Tennessean, there have been no conversations between CJ, his agent Joel Segal and the Titans at this point. CJ himself insisted that despite his desire to strike a brand-spanking new deal worth millions, he’s not going to allow his financial goals to interfere with his play (or presence) on the field.

Normally, the mere notion of extending a player’s deal a couple of years before its completion is something I wouldn’t endorse. However, it’s hard not to make an exception to that thought-process in regards to one of the game’s best players: CJ has out-performed and then some a humble rookie deal that was appropriate for a guy who was selected in the bottom-tier of the first round but not-so appropriate for the league’s premier offensive playmaker.

With free agency and the craziness associated with an uncapped year probably looming on the horizon, the Titans will have plenty on their plates over the next couple of months. Due to this, the priority of making CJ one of the league’s richest players will probably be put on the proverbial backburner, at least for now.

However, the team has a recent history of locking up the guys who they want to stick around for the long-term such as Cortland Finnegan, Michael Roos and “Big Country” Stewart, players that were rewarded with new deals prior to becoming free agents.

Of course, the team also has a recent history of not locking up a dominant player and allowing him to depart as a free agent (cough, cough Albert Haynesworth) but considering CJ’s youthful age, I’d be utterly shocked if the “Big Al” situation re-emerged in the form of Johnson departing for financially greener pastures.

So in my opinion, it’s not a matter of if but when the Titans will pony up a rich new contract for Chris Johnson. Any guesses as to when that time will arrive? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

RG Jake Scott is the Titans' best guard.
Photo by Andrew Strickert for Total Titans.

It wouldn’t surprise me to see Amano test the marketplace in March. He’s a serviceable but replaceable guard and I don’t see the Titans overspending to keep him. I’m not sure that any teams will bid highly for his services with better options available. All it takes though is for just one team to like a guy so I’d be a little surprised to see Amano re-sign with the Titans.

At the other guard spot, Jake Scott will resume his third season as Tennessee’s starting right guard. He’s started every game since joining the Titans and has two years remaining on his contract. Scott is easily the best guard on the roster so there are no problems on that front.

Leroy Harris will be entering the final year of his initial contract and may finally become a full-time starter, either as Amano’s replacement or, more likely, as Kevin Mawae’s replacement at center. Harris has three career starts, one each at center, left guard and right tackle but center is his natural position. If Amano and Mawae both leave, the Titans would be better off with Leroy at center and someone not currently on the roster at left guard.

Troy Kropog, a fourth-round compensatory selection a year ago, is listed as a T/G. Maybe he can play a little guard, but I hope he doesn’t have to. Kropog isn’t strong enough yet to handle many of the defensive tackles in the league and I’d rather see him remain primarily as a tackle.

Ryan Durand is a true guard, but from what I’ve seen of him so far, he’s not yet ready to contribute. I’d be shocked if he replaces Amano.

Fernando Velasco rounds out the roster. Like Amano and Harris, he’s designated as both a center and guard. Like Harris and unlike Amano, Velasco is a better center than guard. I thought Velasco had a better training camp than Durand last summer, but he was an UDFA whereas Durand was a draft pick, so guess which one made the roster. Velasco spent most of the season on the practice squad and may have better luck this summer making the 53-man roster.

As you can see, I’m not very thrilled with the depth after Harris.

Looking at the potential free agents, there are a few, like Logan Mankins, Jahri Evans and Bobbie Williams at the top of the heap. Guys like that will either be retained by their current teams, or will be very expensive.

One guy I like, who may be available and within Mike Reinfeldt’s budget, is Seahawks’ RFA Rob Sims, who had a good game against the Titans in the season finale. Tony Brown was out for that game so Sims was primarily blocking Kevin Vickerson and did a good job.

If the Titans decide to address the position in the draft, three guards are expected to be selected in the first three rounds, one per round in the following order.

1. Mike Iupati, Idaho
2. Jon Asamoah, Illinois
3. Mike Johnson, Alabama

Of course, the Titans don’t have a second-round pick, which seems to leave out Asamoah. Other guards expected to be drafted later include:

John Jerry, Mississippi
Mitch Petrus, Arkansas
Brandon Carter, Texas Tech
Sergio Render, Virginia Tech
Zane Beadles, Utah
Reggie Stephens, Iowa State

One thing we can be certain of is Mike Reinfeldt making contingency plans in the event of Amano’s possible departure. Will he go with Harris, target a free agent like Sims or wait for the draft? We’ll find out in the coming months.

KVB, who will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, has not been approached with an offer to stay and he’s preparing to extend his career in another NFL city in 2010.

Is letting KVB depart via the waters of free agency a good or bad decision by the Titans?

The rags-to-riches story of the emergence of Vanden Bosch from an injury-prone player to one of the game’s better defensive ends has been a pleasure to watch over the last several years.

The Titans’ version of the energizer bunny due to his relentless motor, KVB resuscitated a career that was headed nowhere in the Arizona desert by accumulating double-digit sacks total in two of his first three years in Nashville.

Unfortunately, the dreaded injury bug reared its ugly head in 2008 as KVB was limited to only 4.5 sacks while suiting up in only 10 games. In 2009, despite being rewarded with a trip to Miami’s Pro Bowl, Kyle did not have one of his trademark stellar seasons, ending up with only 3 QB takedowns in 16 games.

Due to the decline in production from KVB and the team’s other veteran DE Jevon Kearse, who is also headed out the door, the Titans appear to be in a state of transition at the DE position.

With youngsters Jacob Ford and William Hayes stepping up and according to mock drafters, the real possibility of adding a first-round talent at DE, the Titans are in the midst of a youth movement at the position.

As for KVB, he’ll undoubtedly have a suitor or two in free agency. Don’t be shocked if he ends up in Detroit with former Titan defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, who could use the presence of a veteran guy with a winning attitude in the losing climate of Motown.

So what do you think, guys? To let or not let KVB go: that is the question.

The Senior Bowl is an excellent opportunity for NFL teams to get a head-start in the lengthy evaluation process that culminates with April’s NFL Draft.

Let’s take a look at a few Senior Bowl participants who could emerge as potential draft targets for the Tennessee Titans.

Defensive Backs

Considering the advancing age and decline in performance by veteran starting CB Nick Harper, the Titans may have a cornerback on their 2010 draft wish list.

While youngsters Jason McCourty and Ryan Mouton were selected in 2009, they were mid-to-late round picks, so the Titans may be interested in securing the services of a first-round talent at the CB position this year.

At the Senior Bowl, Boise State’s Kyle Wilson is emerging as a potential first-round pick due to the combination of his stellar play at corner and his return abilities. With the aforementioned talents, the selection of Wilson could provide the Titans with an answer to two of their biggest offseason needs.

Two other senior corners who have caught my attention this week are Perrish Cox; a talented CB who has a nose for the football and is also a good returner; and a name that may be familiar; Devin McCourty, the twin brother of Titans’ CB Jason McCourty.

I like McCourty’s versatility: in addition to his defensive talents, he’s a demon on special teams via returning punts and also blocking them.

Returners

The loss of Chris Carr played a key role in the Titans’ struggles on special teams last year. There is no question that a dynamic kick/punt returner is on the team’s offseason wish list.

In addition to corners such as Wilson and McCourty, there are two other guys who could make an impact returning punts and kicks as rookies. Alabama’s Javier Arenas is a dangerous returner who also isn’t doing too bad at the cornerback position during Senior Bowl week, despite his lack of size (5’9″).

Another intriguing returner could be Dexter McCluster, the pint-sized dynamo (5’8″, 165 pounds) who is standing out as a potential difference-maker in spite of his small stature.

Defensive Linemen

Albert Haynesworth’s departure definitely had an effect on a Tennessee Titan defense that uncharacteristically struggled in 2009.

At the Senior Bowl, DT Dan Williams has a similar build (6’3″, 330 lbs) and hails from the same college (Tennessee) as Haynesworth and has apparently attacted the attention of the Titans in Mobile this week.

His ability to occupy multiple blockers could be appealing to the Titans if he’s still available in the mid-first round.

According to many, defensive end is the direction the Titans appear to be headed in with their first round selection.

Guys like Everson Griffen and Jason Pierre-Paul have been linked to the Titans in mock drafts, but due to their statuses as juniors, they are not participating in this week’s Senior Bowl festivities.

One DE who is in Mobile this week is East Carolina’s C.J. Wilson, a solid DE who can pass-rush and defend the run. Considering the Titans success with drafting another C.J. from East Carolina, bringing this guy into the fold may not be a bad idea.

For those of you interested in watching the Senior Bowl, it will be televised tomorrow on the NFL Network at 3PM Central.