Evan Silva’s Prediction for Tennessee Titans: 2015 No. 1 Overall Pick
Jan 14, 2014; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Titans new head coach
Ken Whisenhunt(center) with general manager Ruston Webster (left) and president and ceo Tommy Smith (right) during the press conference at St. Thomas Sports Park. Mandatory Credit:
Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
The Tennessee Titans are coming off a 7-9 regular season. After a 3-1 start, the team lost 8 of 10 games when Jake Locker suffered a hip and knee injury. Locker came back but suffered a season-ending foot injury against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Will the team improve from last season? The Titans have a young roster and they’re projected to have one of the NFL’s easiest schedules. They improved the coaching staff when they hired former 2008 NFC champion Arizona Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt. Locker shouldn’t miss any training camp.
Are they ready to compete for a playoff spot? Don’t count Rotoworld editor Evan Silva among the optimists. He has a favorite for the No. 1 pick of the 2015 NFL Draft:
I caught flak recently for calling #Titans NFL team with least hope in '14. Vegas has them bottom 3: http://t.co/njFMsk4j0r
— Evan Silva (@evansilva) May 12, 2014
2 teams Vegas has below #Titans -- JAX/OAK -- had significantly more productive drafts than TEN. Titans my bet for 2015 No. 1 overall pick.
— Evan Silva (@evansilva) May 12, 2014
A few responses from his second tweet:
@evansilva @titansfan4life Maybe if Locker goes down early and Whitehurst is quarterbacking. Otherwise, that's very, very unlikely.
— Titan Sized (@Titan_Sized) May 12, 2014
@zachfguest @evansilva They were 7-9. Schedule is easier, coaching staff better. Can't see it.
— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) May 12, 2014
The No. 1 overall pick would almost certainly require no more than three wins (x<=3). Basically, Silva predicts that in a division where three of the four teams finished with top-11 picks, the Titans will have, at best, a 3-13 record.
Silva was extremely critical of general manager Ruston Webster’s draft. Silva gave Tennessee a D in his final draft grades. His only positive comment was for defensive lineman DaQuan Jones.
I’m not guaranteeing a playoff berth, however, the No. 1 overall pick appears unlikely unless Jake Locker goes down very early. Defense alone should win them more than three games. There’s talent on that roster. Now they have a better coaching staff to get it out of them. They have a lot of second, third, and fourth-year players who’ve had more time to adjust to the professional game.
Locker stays healthy equals 0-percent chance of Silva’s prediction coming true. Locker staying healthy for just 10 games equals 0-percent chance of an accurate prediction. Locker goes down before November? There’s enough defensive talent to win games. At the very least, hopefully Charlie Whitehurst, Zach Mettenberger or Tyler Wilson don’t have that uncanny Ryan Fitzpatrick ability to throw away games in the fourth quarter or overtime.
Give us your takes in the comments or social media.