Titans at their peak but uncertainty still looms...

It's just the beginning of the off-season and there's already been a ton of twists and turns. Heading into 2011 there's some very unique hurdles and some very unique opportunities that the team is facing. All of our posts are just opinion, so here is what I see as the state of the team, and the directions we could head.

Going into the off-season I think we have the most talented Titans team we've had overall since the SB team. We went from a team known for its stingy defense and hard nosed running game, to a team of offensive finesse and a defense not suited for the changing offensive nature of the league. Here's my analysis of our individual units.

QB ~ Biggest question mark in the offseason. Rusty Smith is the only QB currently expected to return.

RB ~ CJ is deadly when used correctly. I expect him to return to full form in '11. Ringer isn't an addition to the RB position. In today's NFL you need a back who is not a drop off from your feature back. We need to bring in a power back who can also hit the corner.

WR ~ Deepest we've been in Titans franchise history. No worries as a unit our WR's can produce. Under a passing minded OC I expect big things.

TE ~ Cook and Stevens offer a dangerous duo. Together they cover all of the blocking and receiving duties that you'd ever need. While not their strengths, both can also do the other's role on occasion to through off the defense.

O-Line ~ Question mark. I expect our line to be better coached this year and for our plays to have better protection and running lanes than last. I'm thinking that if Amano isn't the center than the line is instantly better. Velasco might be his replacement.

DEFENSE

D-Line ~ Our Dline has a lot of potential but needs more depth. J Jones and Tony Brown are great at getting penetration, but we need replacements in case of injuries and to provide a different aspect to the line (run stopping). Nobody knows exactly how big Washburn's contribution to the D-line was but our core will still be his unit. I expect an instant improvement when Derrick Morgan is back in the lineup.

Linebackers ~ Great against the run but suspect against the pass. Curran seems promising but do to his height, might not add much to our pass defense. We need a OLB who cover TE's or we need to start using our SS to play up on TE's who are passing threats. Since it looks like Hope is on his way out, we should find a SS who is much better in coverage.

Defensive Backs ~ Griffin has proven his worth. When focused he is solid. Verner came on strong last year and McCourty looks like he is starter quality too. Finnegan might have needed last year so that he can refocus on his craft. I think if we draft a SS who can play right away and cover receivers then our defensive unit will instantly improve. If we have DB's skilled enough to play man coverage on certain blitz packages our defense could be deadly due to our Dline penetration.


I think that if we can make solid picks in the 1st 3 rounds we can have a good of a shot as anybody to run for the Super Bowl if our coaching is average to above average.

Run stopping DT, SS, and OLB are where I think we should go in the first 3 rounds. Those are our most immediate needs. QB, SS, DT is another pick combination I'd be good with seeing in the first 3 rounds.

If we can improve our defense in this draft we have an offense that can put up enough points to beat anybody. The big question mark hangs at the QB position.


Opinion, Analysis, Debate? What do you think of our team and what do you want to see done to help us improve?

No name calling or attacking the poster...just a good reasoning session if possible.

 

I'm not sure. All of the QB's appear to be question marks. I do know that Munch won't be keeping around anyone just because Fisher liked them though.

I'm not a Rusty Smith fan. Him being a nice guy doesn't mean I want him as my QB. I'd keep him on practice squad in case he can become a viable backup.

 

Our offensive weapons and some of the talent that we have on defense. I'd compare us to a Jets team with poorer scheming in the past.

Our secondary needs improving but I think the addition of a coverage SS would instantly improve the unit. Finnegan, Griffin, and Verner aren't bad. McCourty and Fuller add decent depth. All we need is a pro bowl caliber SS again. Chris Hope has been great for us over the years but he's past his prime.

Our WR's are very talented. Britt is a beast and D Williams and Washington are great #2's. Hawkins just needs more time and Cook throws a wild card into the offensive playbook. With the right QB we can move the ball in the air against anybody.

Our linebackers are great against the run. If we can either help them out in coverage with our scheming (having SS key on TE or having bracket coverage of the TE) or get a coverage specialist in free agency or the draft we'll be able to stop both the run and pass effectively.

IF we bring in a QB who is above average I'd say we are contenders.

In '08 we were really good. In '09 we were good after Vince started. And last year we were good until the team meltdown. I don't think our problems have always been due to talent.

 

Bring back Vince and you take QB out of the equation. Draft SS, LB, and D Lineman in the 1st 3 rounds.