Titans Preseason Report - harleyhorse8's Dynasty

Arena Blog Dynasty Scores Sign Up ☰

harleyhorse8's Dynasty Blog

Titans Preseason Report

Posted on January 25, 2014 at 11:10 AM.

(0)

Titans Training Camp Report: Position Battles and Who's Who

By Dan Bloch, NFL.com Titans Correspondent

NASHVILLE- The announcement of new head coach Chris Haig is sure to shake things up in Tennessee. Let's break down the 2013 Tennessee Titans, position by position.

QUARTERBACKS- It appears that Jake Locker will be the starter going into 2013. Locker is the kind of run and gun quarterback that Haig loves: he has the speed to run plays out of the pistol, and the arm to throw bombs downfield all day long. Ryan Fitzpatrick was promised the starting job to come to Tennessee, but with the coaching change, it appears the former Buffalo Bill's place is on the bench. Rusty Smith and Tyler Thigpen will fight for the final QB spot.

RUNNING BACKS- There is no question that Chris Johnson will be the starter in 2013. If two 2,000+ yard seasons aren't enough to merit him the #1 HB spot, I don't know what will. After him, Shonn Greene is a lock for the #2 spot; he improved greatly last year. It will be a little more interesting in the #3 spot, as speedster Darius Reynaud and power back Jackie Battle will duke it out. We'll see if Haig goes with his tried-and-true method of fast halfbacks with good hands, or if he selects a powerful running back to shake things up.

FULLBACKS- The only skill position that is a certainty right now, with former TE Craig Stevens all but guaranteed the start. Quinn Johnson is also on the roster, but don't expect him to be there at the start of the regular season. However, it remains to be seen how often Stevens's number will be called, as Haig doesn't run a lot of sets with a fullback.

WIDE RECEIVERS- Kendall Wright and Nate Washington have the first two WR spots locked down; however, it is unclear who will be #1 and who will be #2. Wright, the Titans' first round draft pick in 2012, has shown tremendous improvement since his selection. On the other hand, Washington, a ten-year veteran, is beloved by the Tennessee fans and the 30-year-old finds the chance to rejuvenate himself in Coach Haig's offense. Kenny Britt holds the slot for now, but has Marc Mariani nipping at his heels. Britt is big and strong and could be used for some variety, but the much-maligned Mariani fits Haig's system to a T ans will get to show what he can do from scrimmage as opposed to special teams. No matter who Haig chooses for the #3 to start the season, expect both to get some playing time as Haig likes to spread the field. 32-year-old veteran Kevin Walter was liked by Mike Munchak, but sources don't seem to indicate Haig feels the same way. According to the Tennessean, Haig is ready to dump Walter at the next available opportunity. Damian Williams and rookie Justin Hunter are in a fight for the last WR spot, but if Walter is cut, both could make the roster. Michael Preston is also on the roster, but it is very unlikely he will see the start of the season as a Titan.

TIGHT ENDS- The oldest of the group, former 49er Delanie Walker will be the starter coming in to 2013. Behind him are three second-year players, all of a different type. Out of SMU, Taylor Thompson is a pure blocker, but can catch if he needs to. Brandon Barden out of Vanderbilt is a receiver much like Walker. Lastly, the former Missouri Tiger Beau Brinkley appears to be a blocker at first glance, but has surprising speed and catching ability. It remains to be seen which two of these three Haig will select for his roster, and how much playing time they will get, as Haig does not like to run a lot of twin TE sets.

OFFENSIVE LINE- Tennessee has one of the best O-lines in the AFC, but also has some depth issues. At left tackle, Michael Roos holds the position, with Barry Richardson and Michael Otto behind him. Starting at left guard is expert run blocker Andy Levitre. His backup Chris Spencer has the quality to start and will likely be used as a OL "sixth man". Also on the roster is Kevin Haslam. Center is the only line position up in the air, with established starter Fernando Velasco and rookie fourth round pick Brian Schwenke both making their cases to be named starter. Jason Slowey is third center. At right guard, the rookie first-rounder out of Alabama, Chance Warmack, will have the start with Robert Turner and Zack Williams behind him. Warmack is the youngest member of the line but has the potential to develop into an elite lineman. Finally, at right tackle is David Stewart. Depth at this position could be a problem, with two mediocre linemen in Byron Stingily and Daniel Baldridge behind him.

DEFENSIVE ENDS- Obviously the weakest part of Tennessee's lineup, the left side start goes to Derrick Morgan. Behind him is rookie LaVar Edwards, who wants to show what he can do. Thaddeus Gibson is also on the roster. At the right, the start goes to Kamerion Wimbley, who is really more of a linebacker. There are rumors that Coach Haig wants to get rid of Wimbley ASAP. Scott Solomon and Keyunta Dawson are the #2 and #3, respectively. With the weakness of this postion, Haig is actively searching for reinforcements.

DEFENSIVE TACKLES- Jurrell Casey will go into 2013 as the unquestioned #1. The superstar lineman's partner spot on the line is up for grabs, with Mike Martin and Karl Klug both fighting for the spot. Klug had fallen down the depth chart under Munchak, but has been rescued by Haig, who prefers to utilize defensive tackles as pass rushers and defensive ends as run stoppers. Antonio Brown, Zach Clayton, DaJohn Harris, and Ropati Pitoitua will battle for the remaining spots, as Haig has not made it clear whether he plans to keep four or five DTs on the roster. One player who almost certainly won't be sticking around, however, is Sammie Hill. A favorite of Munchak, he has fallen out of Coach Haig's plans, and quite a few teams around the league are interested in him.

OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS- Tennessee's linebacker core needs some work, but has the potential for great things. On the left, Akeem Ayers will get the start, with Tim Shaw and Patrick Bailey behind him. On the right side is the leader of Tennessee's linebacker corps, Zach Brown. Backing him up is Zaviar Gooden, the rookie out of Missouri, who will hope to see some playing time this year. At #3 on the right is Jamaal Westerman.

MIDDLE LINEBACKERS- The middle is the weakest area of Tennessee's linebacker corps, with both Moise Fokou and Colin McCarthy fighting to be starting MLB. Both are similar players and it appears Coach Haig does not yet prefer one over the other. Behind them, Greg Jones and former Raider Travis Goethel will attempt to secure the #3 MLB spot. Sources close to Haig have informed us that Goethel may be more likely to get the spot because Haig prefers his style of play over Jones's.

CORNERBACKS- After the departure of Cortland Finnegan, Jason McCourty becomes number 1 cornerback, and all reports suggest that he is ready for the role. The number 2 spot is also a lock, going to Alterraun Verner, whose coverage-based play style helps compliment McCourty's blitzing ability. After those two, Tommie Campbell, Coty Sensabaugh, and rookies Blidi Wreh-Wilson and Khalid Wooten will compete for the nickel and dime corner spots.

SAFETIES- After Mike Munchak played him at backup strong safety, Haig has decided to move veteran George Wilson to free safety and give him the start. According to the Tennessean, Haig made this move because Wilson is in the prime of his career and better than Michael Griffin, who Munchak intended to start. Griffin will be used as a twelfth man to back up both Wilson and Bernard Pollard, one of the best defensive players in both Nashville and the league. Pollard, like Wilson, has come into his own with the Titans organization. Expect to see a lot of interceptions when those two are on the field. Also making the roster are free safety Robert Johnson and strong safety Al Afalava, but don't expect them to stay.

SPECIAL TEAMS- 35-year-old Rob Bironas will return at kicker in what may be his last season in the game. Bironas's accurate kicking will be a help to Tennessee as they look to put points on the board; he has only missed one out of his last forty-two field goal attempts. At punter is Brett Kern, who, unlike Bironas, has a few seasons left in him. Like Bironas, Kern is an accurate kicker known for his coffin-corner punts. Returning both kicks and punts is WR Marc Mariani. Like Devin Hester, he is a mediocre wideout but an excellent kick returner. HB Darius Reynaud, a good kick returner in his own right, will field short kickoffs. If the Titans special teams unit can hold their blocks, these two could combine for some touchdowns.

Now that we've analyzed Chris Haig's players, the only thing left to do is to wait and see who proves themselves and who fails their tests.

Dan Bloch is the Titans Correspondent for NFL.com. He also writes for the Tennessean. Follow him on Twitter at @dan_blochTN.