Tennessee Titans’ Offense: Offseason Spotlight
The Tennessee Titans’ offense is only a few roster moves away from being quite formidable. Mike Munchak has proven, in a successful first season as head coach, that he does have a plan for this team and seems to have a calculated formula to make the Tennessee Titans a regular contender and eventually Super Bowl champions.
This off-season will be pivotal for the development of this organization, same as last. Overall, I feel there is a general belief, through the Titan nation, that this team is a few pieces/steps away from making a run and being a regular contender, as they were in the glory days of McNair, George, Wycheck, Kearse, etc.
Strengths: Let’s start with what they do have on offense. In place is our franchise quarterback, Jake Locker, who according to all reports is developing nicely and could be on pace to be the starter week one. Play-makers are actually quite prevalent on this offense, starting with Chris Johnson in the backfield; even after a lackluster season in 2010-2011, he is still a proven commodity and a top 5 back in the league. Out wide Tennessee has a nice crop of young wide-outs, including Kenny Britt who hopefully can return from an early season ACL injury, Nate Washington who had his first 1,000 yard season, Damian Williams who proved last year he has the ability to be a solid number 2 if he decides to surpass Washington, and the newly signed Lavelle Hawkins who finally flashed his ability. The wild card in this group is Jared “Cookie” Cook who blasted into the picture in the second half of the season. If he can develop into a dependable safety blanket for Jake Locker, that would be huge for his development and this team.
Weaknesses: Oddly the weakness on offense for this Titans’ team is the offensive line, which has usually been heralded as one of the best in the league. Outside of the tackles Michael Roos and David Stewart, this group needs some re-arranging. Ever since Kevin Mawae “left” they haven’t been as reliable of a group. Why was Eugene Amano moved from guard to center? Why has Leroy Harris been moved from his natural position at center to guard? I will never really be able to understand, especially with Munch as the head coach. Luckily, Jake Scott is a free agent and the Titans will be relieved of his services.
How to fix: This can be done in a number of ways. Move Amano and Harris back to their normal positions and see if they can return to their old form while adding a guard through free-agency or the draft. There is also the option of giving Fernando Velasco a shot as a starting interior offensive lineman. Possible free agent targets include Carl Nicks, Ben Grubbs etc. who are proven commodities, would provide an instant boost to the line, and could get CJ back to his old ways. Possible draft picks include David DeCastro, Ben Jones, and Peter Konz.
Prediction: I’d expect the Titans to make one notable signing on the offensive line in free agency and draft a young guy in the second round of this April’s draft. In camp, Munch and his staff would have an open competition and the best three get the job.
Feel free to leave comments on here and hit us up on our Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TitanSized) page or on Twitter (@Titan_Sized)
You can also find me on Twitter @Rusty_Griff