Who do the Titans rookies remind you of?

Many Titans fans were overjoyed when Tennessee drafted Kenny Britt in the first round of this year’s draft, the first time the team had selected a first-round wideout since Kevin Dyson in 1998. Britt will now be linked to Dyson for quite a few years and comparisons between the two will be made.

 

It might surprise you to know that Dyson wasn’t the first former Titans draft pick I thought of when playing the “he reminds you of…” game. The first former Titans draft pick who came to my mind was Tyrone Calico, who, until Britt, was the highest WR draft pick by Tennessee since Dyson.

Titans among the best at their position

Recently, The Sporting News has been running a list of the NFL’s best players by position.  The series concluded today, so let’s take a look at which Titans were selected.

Cary Williams: Nick Harper’s future replacement?

On the verge of turning 35 at the start of the 2009 NFL season, veteran cornerback Nick Harper isn’t getting any younger. In addition to his advancing age, he’s also dealing with the effects of abdominal surgery.

His inability to participate in the beginning stages of the Tennessee Titans’ minicamps has created an opportunity for second-year CB Cary Williams, who has often taken Harper’s spot on the first-team defense during drills.

Could Williams, who ironically, was hindered by injuries during his rookie season, compete for significant playing time in 2009?

This is probably Alge Crumpler’s last year as a Titan

Lately on Total Titans we’ve been discussing, among other things, aging veterans, players in contract years and crowded position groups (DE, DT and RB) Quite a few Titans have membership in more than one of those groupings, such as Keith Bulluck, who is an older veteran in a contract year.

 

That description also applies to tight end Alge Crumpler, who is in the last year of his contract and will be 32 years old in December. Alge started 15 games last year at a position that will be very crowded in 2009.

 

As I wrote here, Crumpler hasn’t yet turned out to be the red zone threat the Titans needed, Craig Stevens and Jared Cook appear to be the Titans’ tight ends of the future, and this will probably be Alge’s last year in Tennessee.

 

Will Crumpler improve this year on his 2008 campaign? It’s possible. Sometimes it takes two years following an injury for a player to regain or surpass his previous level of his play.

Keith Bulluck should be a Tennessee Titan for life

Dear Mike Reinfeldt,

How’s it going, Mike? I’ve been very impressed with your personnel decisons over the course of the last offseason or so. From the shrewd decision to draft Chris Johnson to allowing the likes of Antwan Odom and Travis LaBoy venture elsewhere, you’ve done an excellent job constructing a team that’s knocking on the door of accomplishing something special.

Of course, your past decision-making isn’t the reason why I’m writing you. As a matter of fact, the subject of this “letter” pertains to a move that hasn’t occurred yet but hopefully, will happen sometime soon.

What move, you ask? A brand-spanking new contract that will ensure that Keith Bulluck remains a member of the Tennessee Titans for the rest of his prolific NFL career.

Thoughts on roster construction, plus links

Before the draft, I wrote a post wondering if the Titans had room for all their draft picks, and speculated the Titans would look to get rid of some of their draft picks by moving up, because they didn’t have room for all of them.  Of course, those wacky folks at Baptist Sports Park then went ahead and not only kept their draft picks, they traded one of the most valuable commodities the NFL has, a second round pick, from next year’s draft to draft another player who’ll beat out somebody who was good enough to play on last year’s 13-3, #1-seeded team.  Does this make any sense?

Total Titans remembers some true heroes on Memorial Day

Total Titans wishes all of you a safe and happy Memorial Day. Many people will celebrate the three-day weekend with picnics, backyard cookouts, days on the lake, and other festive activities.

In the midst of your holiday celebration, I urge you to remember Pat Tillman and others like him who have given true meaning to the reason why we recognize this special day.

DT LaJuan Ramsey: This year’s Dave Ball?

Derailed by injuries and earning the dubious status as a bonafide NFL castoff, Dave Ball overcame the odds and became an unlikely contributor on the Tennessee Titans’ defensive line in 2008.

In addition to his stellar play, Ball also provided us with a glimpse of his Fred Astaire-like dance moves during his memorable “Turkey Shuffle” after scoring a touchdown last Thanksgiving.

Like Ball before him, DT LaJuan Ramsey is another guy who, after bouncing around in numerous NFL cities, is attempting to find his groove as a Tennessee Titan. 

Kevin Vickerson will have a tough row to hoe

I know that Titans’ defensive line coach Jim Washburn likes Kevin Vickerson. He kept Vickerson as the fourth defensive tackle on the roster last year, even though I thought Antonio Johnson was the better player. Mookie didn’t survive the final cut at the end of training camp, ended up on the Titans’ practice squad and was later signed by the Colts, starting four games for them.

 

Making the roster will be even more difficult for Vickerson this year. Jovan Haye, Tony Brown and Jason Jones are all ahead of him on the depth chart and second-round draft pick Sen’Derrick Marks is also expected to make the team. Bear in mind that in case of injuries at DT, the Titans have an insurance policy in DE Dave Ball, who can move inside to play DT.

 

The one big advantage Vickerson has is his size. Three of the other four DTs all weigh in at 290 or less while Vickerson is listed at 305. He’s the big body, the space eater, which Washburn would like to have on the field in short-yardage situations.

2008 Tennessee Titan draft class: A year two outlook

Despite the not-so-glowing reviews issued by several prognosticators almost immediately after they were selected, the Tennessee Titans’ 2008 draftees more than held their own during their rookie seasons.

Chris Johnson was an impact player who instantaneously made the Titan offense significantly better. The potential of DT Jason Jones was on full display against the eventual world champion Steelers as he consistently made life miserable for Ben Roethlisberger.

With one season in the NFL under their belts, what does 2009 have in store for the ’08 Tennessee Titan draft class?