Titan Sized News & Notes

Another week gone by yet I’m still not quite right. I should be in sunny Tampa right now (it’s almost 80 degrees there people), drinking Budweiser on the beach instead of scraping ice off my windshield with a broken cup. A broken cup. God, I’m pathetic. I hate you Ray Lewis, for stabbing stealing my dreams (again)…

• There hasn’t been a lot of news over the last few weeks since former defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz took the Detroit job. The main candidates to fill that position still appear to be Dave McGinnis and Chuck Cecil. McGinnis is the safe, proven choice, but Cecil has risen through the Titans coaching ranks since joining the organization as defensive assistant coach in 2001 (he was also a safety with the Oilers in 1995). Right now he seems to be the leading candidate.
• There still doesn’t seem to be any movement to sign DT Albert Haynesworth to long-term deal. That doesn’t mean there has been no communication between the two parties, but it is a bit discouraging that both sides have continued to stay mum on the situation. It’s hard to really say what’s going to happen here. Haynesworth is obviously one of the best defenders in the game when healthy, motivated and sane. But if you know your Titans history, then you know that the Titans have let some of the franchise’s most beloved players walk. That, or they ban them from their training facilities. It would be easy to question the Titans if they did this in Haynesworth’s case because he seems to finally have gotten it. The light really seemed to go on after the Gurorde incident, and since he came back from that suspension, he’s only gotten better. He’s also only 27. If the Titans let him go to free agency, he will likely (and deservedly) fetch at least $10 million on the open market. If we can get a “hometown discount” at 8.5-9 million a year for 4-5 years (he wants to stay here) then watch out world, because the Titans D will remain intact. The Titans’ have plenty of money, so if Haynesworth isn’t a Titan it’s because they feel like he can be replaced. Well, he can’t. He’s just that good. Open up the checkbook Reinfeldt.

UPDATE: ESPN’s John Clayton is reporting that contract talks between the Titans and Haynesworth have finally begun.

• I’d like to thank my mother for sending me a text the other day that said “Eddie George’s wife is on the new Survivor”. It’s true, she is. And here she is confirming what we’ve all known to be true for quite some time now.
• Former Titans GM and current ESPN analyst, Floyd Reese, has taken on an advisory role with the New England Patriots. Welcome back to the league “cue ball”.
• We here at Titan Sized would like to welcome Chris Kolb to the Fan Sided family and to our new NFL News & Rumors blog called, um… NFL News & Rumors. Make sure you all check it out and stay up on your Tennessee Titans news. Here’s a little follow up he did after it was first reported by ESPN that head coach Jeff Fisher told Kerry Collins he would like to bring him back as the starting QB next year. Good lookin’ out Chris, and welcome to the network!
• Something (or should I say someone) we’ll be tracking all week is former TSU Tiger Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who is now a starting CB for the Super Bowl-bound Arizona Cardinals. He has had a fantastic rookie campaign (4 INT’s, 1 TD) and has been one of the guys on the defensive side of the ball that has really stepped it up in the playoffs (2 INT’s). Here’s a nice piece about him from the Tennessean.com (via the Arizona Republic).
• We’ll have some stuff on the actual game up this week, including a game preview and prediction. We’re also working on our first mock draft of the off-season, so stay tuned.
• And finally, a little “Drunk History Vol. 1″…