Oct 12, 2014; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Titans wide receiver Nate Washington (85) celebrates making a first down against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the first half at LP Field. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
Welcome to the first edition of my daily link dump, First Down And Tenn.
I typically spend my mornings reading Tennessee Titans news from around the internet and decided to write a daily post that includes links to those stories that caught my interest.
So get your coffee, and let me do the driving to Tennessee Titan news, by starting your day here!
Be sure to weigh in with your opinion of the current Titans brain-trust in the comment section
With less than a week until the 2015 NFL Draft, we are no closer to knowing what the Tennessee Titans are going to do with the second pick than we were two months. Head coach Ken Whisenhunt and General Manager, Ruston Webster have certainly done their due diligence, and continue to play their cards very close to the vest.
In an April 24th story at the Tennessean, Titans reporter, Jim Wyatt goes through the possible trade option for the Titans, but points out that NFL Channel draft expert Mike Mayock is very high on Oregon Quarterback, Marcus Mariota and has him ranked above Florida State’s Jameis Winston.
"In the first round on Thursday, however, he believes they will go off the board in reverse order, with the Buccaneers selecting Winston with the first pick.As for a draft-day trade involving the Titans — who have the No. 2 pick — Mayock is skeptical."
ESPN’s Tennessee Titans reporter, Paul Kuharsky had an interesting post on Friday that jumped head-long into the subject of Ken Whisenhunt, and the confidence, or lack of confidence the fan base has in the embattled head coach.
"The tone in Nashville is of minimal confidence in Whisenhunt. A better second year can certainly do a lot to change that."
Be sure to weigh in with your opinion of the current Titans brain-trust in the comment section.
There is always the possibility that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will take a flyer on Florida State quarterback, Jameis Winston, and select Marcus Mariota. What do the Tennessee Titans do then?
There was a story floating around the media yesterday that compared Jameis Winston to one of the NFL Draft’s biggest bust, Jamarcus Russell. Wow!!
FanSided’s NFL Spin Zone writer, Carl Cockerham covered the story in detail.
"He said, “Lack of focus by JaMarcus is what I see in Winston. They’re physically talented, but during the course of a game they kind of lose their focus and just put the ball up for grabs. I see the body. I see the lack of focus. I see the same coach and system. Only Winston’s not as good an athlete and his arm isn’t as strong as JaMarcus’.”"
I particularly liked his coverage of the racist remarks from the African-American sports writers.
"Then black sportscasters like Bomani Jones and Michael Smith hinted that there was some racism in the comments. So as a black sportswriter, I felt a certain responsibility so I went ahead and looked into it to see if there was any. And the conclusion is Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton can stay at home and relax on this one."
While we were napping yesterday afternoon, the Titans signed former New York Giants and Indianapolis Colts wide receiver, Hakeem Nicks, and Titan Sized co-editor Will Lomas covered the story.
I agree with Will that this signing won’t blow your doors off, but it does add another player to the roster who has “been there and done that”, and “that” means he has a Super Bowl ring in his safe deposit box.
Hakeem Nicks was a top player when he was with the Giants, and it wouldn’t be the first time that a washed-out former star has found his game in a new home. Why not in Music City?
"The Tennessee Titans aren’t expecting Hakeem Nicks to come in and blow anyone away, but he is a talented player who has caught 349 passes for over 5,000 yards and 31 touchdowns in his career. He also has a Super Bowl ring from his time with the New York Giants, and with the Tennessee Titans desperate for winners on their team they find another one here."
Next: Tennessee Titans 2015 Schedule Released