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Tennessee Titans: Five Reasons To Worry
Published: July 13, 2009
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1. Quarterback Isn’t a Given
Kerry Collins has had a quarterback rating over 80 three times in his career. None of them were back to back.
The key to being the quarterback of the Titans this year will be the ability to not turn over the football.
Kerry Collins has thrown less than 10 interceptions only twice when throwing over 200 passes. Each of those seasons he threw less than 15 touchdowns. He will have to manage the game.
The problem is, Kerry Collins doesn’t want to be labeled a game manager. He wants to be a top quarterback. If Collins tries too hard, the Titans will be hurt by it.
2. Is the New D Boss, Same As the Old D Boss?
Fans better hope so.
At the end of the 2006 NFL season, the Jacksonville Jaguars ranked fourth in total defense.
In 2007 they ranked 10th.
Mike Smith left the team to become head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. The team’s defense drops to 17th.
After 10 season’s with the Tennessee Titans, Jim Schwartz is now the head coach of the Detroit Lions.
The Titans ranked seventh in defense last season, and they can little afford the same kind of drop off that the Jaguars saw last season.
3. Can They Keep Up That Level?
The Titans have gone 13-3 and 10-6 the last two seasons.
The last time that the Titans had at least 10 wins for three consecutive seasons, they were the Houston Oilers. To win at least 10 games this year, the team would have to do something that hasn’t been done by the franchise since 1993.
Jeff Fisher has never coached the Titans to three consecutive 10 plus win seasons.
4. Defense and Special Team Free Agent Losses
Everyone know about Albert Haynesworth going to the Redskins, but that isn’t all.
The Titans lost four corners in free agency over the offseason.
None of the corners were starters, but with Nick Harper at 34 years old and only one other corner on the team with more that four years of experience, they could use all the depth they can get.
Chris Carr, the teams return specialist, had to start two games for the team because of injury last season.
Mentioning Chris Carr, the team also lost his 984 kick return and 323 punt return yards to the Baltimore Ravens. Carr piled up 36 total 20+ yard returns for the Titans last season, more than two per game.
5. Chris Johnson’s Ego
Johnson looked great last season rushing for 1,228 yards in 15 games last season.
Along with teammate Lendale White, Johnson become part of one of the best rushing duos in the league. With White’s size and bruiser style running and Johnson’s impressive speed, the duo was dubbed “Smash and Dash.”
Johnson, however, seems to be more of a one man show. Risking alienating his teammate by ditching the “Dash” for his own nickname, “Every Coach’s Dream.”
Jeff Fisher has only looked comically upon the situation, but with comments like that one and Johnson’s assurance that he could beat sprinter Usain Bolt in the 40-yard dash, it looks like the possible making of another Ocho Cinco.
The Titans do not have a favorable schedule this season as they will face the Chargers, Patriots, Bills, Dolphins, and Jets in the AFC. The NFC will give the team a break with the exception of the Cardinals and possibly the Seahawks in facing the NFC West.
They will need everything to go right this year. It’s very hard to expect more than an 8-8 season from Tennessee this coming season.
Matthew Stafford to Detroit Lions, But at What Cost?
Published: April 25, 2009
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The Detroit Lions have selected Matthew Stafford with their first overall pick of the 2009 NFL Draft. Stafford signed a six-year deal worth $41.7 million guaranteed. The deal could be worth as much as $78 million dollars.
This deal mean that Stafford will be making more money that Matt Ryan.
The question that should be asked right now is whether the Lions made another big draft day mistake.
Matt Ryan proved last season that he is a franchise quarterback that is worth a lot of money. The Lions have decided that Stafford is better than that.
This is a huge problem. Matthew Stafford hasn’t played a down in the NFL and could be the next Joey Harrington, David Carr, or Tim Couch for all we know.
The NFL needs to do something about this. Veteran players should be getting $41.7 million guaranteed, not these kids who may never be relevant in the league.
If the Lions honestly think that Stafford will be a better quarterback this season than Matt Ryan was last season fine, but I’m not buying that at all. This is meant in no offense to Matthew Stafford, but what Matt Ryan did last season just doesn’t happen. It was a freak occurrence that you can’t count on seeing again.
Since 1999 28 quarterbacks have been taken in the first round of the NFL draft, only 9 have been named to a pro-bowl. One of those nine was Vince Young. Another was Daunte Culpepper (not that Culpepper wasn’t good for a while, but he wasn’t long lasting at all).
If you are paying someone this much money, you expect him to be a pro-bowler.
If a player proves himself right away, renegotiating is not uncommon in professional sports. Why all this money up front? Why has the number one pick become such a burden? When did it all start?
I would love to be paid $41.7 million dollars to sign a contract.
NFL MOCK DRAFT 2009: SECOND ROUND
Published: April 21, 2009
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Second round picks can be just as valuable as first round picks. This is a chance for a team to add depth and find starters. There is value in the second round. Some first round projections fall and teams get steals. Here is my second round. If I was picking for the teams, this is who I would take.
