Fantasy Football Draft Guide

Tennessee Titans 2006 Preview

July 14, 2006 @ 16:00:00

By Bryce McRae
Edited by Ryan Dodson

2005 Record: 4-12 (non-playoff team)

OVERVIEW

This was an offseason of change for the Tennessee Titans. The previous face of the franchise and former National Football League Most Valuable Player quarterback Steve McNair endured a nasty contract dispute with the team and departed to conference-rival Baltimore Ravens. McNair will be missed, however, the team addressed their future at the position by taking University of Texas quarterback Vince Young with the third overall pick in the draft.

They improved in other areas with the signing of linebacker David Thornton (Colts) and wide receiver David Givens (Patriots), and these players should complement the Titans young, up-and-coming players: defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch, linebacker Keith Bulluck, running back LenDale White and wide receiver Drew Bennett.

Part of the Titans lack of success in 2005 also came from playing in a division that featured the Indianapolis Colts, who had the best record in the league at 14-2, and the Jacksonville Jaguars, who had the fourth best record at 12-4.

One benefit of playing so many youngsters last season was that they gained valuable experience and the team should only improve this season. They also added experience and upgraded those positions which needed upgrading, specifically at linebacker and wide receiver. Now it is up to the coaches to help the players mesh together, something that they had trouble with last year with so many young players.

KEY ARRIVALS

Linebacker David Thornton (Colts) arrived from division rival, the Indianapolis Colts. Thornton should team with Bulluck to provide solid cover at one of the two outside linebacker positions.

Strong safety Chris Hope (Steelers) was signed from the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers and will provide stability in the back, allowing free safety Lamont Thompson more leeway to make plays.

Center Kevin Mawae (Jets) was brought over from the New York Jets, and will immediately move into a leadership role on the offensive line. He was an All-Pro

Running back LenDale White was drafted in the second round and many expect him to be the main running back for the Titans sooner rather than later. He also was part of offensive coordinator Norm Chow's offense at the University of South California and, thus, should find it easier to adapt to the offense.

University of Texas quarterback Vince Young will likely spend time learning from the sidelines and will not likely make an immediate impact but he will be in there eventually as the Titans' quarterback of the future.

KEY DEPARTURES

McNair was the biggest name to leave this offseason, although, the blow was softened somewhat by the drafting of Young, as well as having a solid backup in quarterback Billy Volek. McNair will still be missed, despite how bright the future looks with Young, as he had been the face of the franchise and a popular person in the community.

Safety Tank Williams was let go, but he has been replaced by Hope. This should not be too big of a loss as Hope should provide an immediate upgrade and bring experience to the young team.

Offensive tackle Brad Hopkins was let go, as was center Justin Hartwig, but Mawae is expected to fill-in ably for Hartwig.

Linebacker Rocky Boiman was signed by the Cowboys, and once again he will not be missed as much with the signing of speedy linebacker David Thornton.

WORTH KEEPING AN EYE ON...

Positional Duels

Quarterbacks Billy Volek and Vince Young for the No. 1 spot.
Wide receivers Tyrone Calico and Bobby Wade for the No. 3 spot.
Tight ends Erron Kinney and Ben Troupe for the No. 1 spot.
Running backs Chris Brown, Travis Henry and LenDale White for the No. 1 spot.
Linebackers Stephen Tulloch and Peter Sirmon for the No. 1 middle linebacker spot.

Fading Fast

Brown started 14 games last year, although he was again bothered by injuries. With the drafting of White, Brown could lose out on carries to the younger back, who some feel is the future at running back for the team.
Linebacker Peter Sirmon is due a $2.4 million salary this season and if linebacker Stephen Tulloch has a solid camp, the team has said they will consider parting ways with Sirmon.
Running back Travis Henry is two years removed from his last 1,000-yard season and with the competition at the position he could slowly be phased out. His 88 carries last year were the lowest of his career.

Coming on Strong

Defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch excelled in his first season away from Arizona. Even with defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth missing time to injury and no threat on the other side of the line, Vanden Bosch managed 12.5 sacks amidst constant double-teams. If Haynesworth is healthy for a full season, expect to see more of the same from him.

On the Rebound

Wide receiver Drew Bennett missed part of last season with a hand injury and saw his numbers take a hit because of it. The loss of wide receiver Derrick Mason to the Ravens during the previous offseason likely also played a bit of that. With a legitimate No. 2 wide receiver now, Bennett should be back to his 2004 form.

Injury Prone

Running back Chris Brown has missed time each of his two years as the Titans starting running back. He will have to prove he can remain on the field for a whole season as the Titans are high on running back LenDale White as their back of the future.

OFFENSIVE BREAKDOWN

QUARTERBACKS

Volek is expected to begin the season as the No. 1 quarterback, but he will feel pressure from many who want Young to start immediately. If the team does not get off to a good start, many will start calling for Young to be put in, although judging from past rookie quarterbacks, it might be best for his development if he took time to learn the game from the sideline (see Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer). Volek has been solid in filling in for departed quarterback McNair the past three seasons and in his 10 NFL starts (24 total appearances) he has thrown for 3,505 yards, with 26 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. His best season was in 2004, when he started eight games and threw for 2,468 yards, 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He has been taking most of the first-team snaps so far this offseason and expect him to be the starter come September.

Young is likely the future at quarterback for the Titans. This has all the potential to develop into a situation similar to that faced by the San Diego Chargers, when quarterback Drew Brees picked up his game after the team drafted Philip Rivers in the first round, only to see the team let him go to free agency and stick with Rivers. Young will likely start the season on the sideline and could see time if the team starts losing games, although, don't expect head coach Jeff Fisher or offensive coordinator Norm Chow to want to rush their first-round draft pick into live games.

Quarterbacks Matt Mauck and Cody Hodges will compete for the third spot on the depth chart, with Mauck having the best chance of winning the job.

RUNNING BACKS

The Titans have two former 1,000-yard rushers at running back and one who was expected to go in the first round this year before falling into the second. Brown is expected to be the No. 1 running back coming out of training camp, although, expect him to be pushed strongly by Henry and White.

Brown is a strong runner, tough to bring down, but he doesn't have the speed to be a home-run threat. He has only had two seasons as the No. 1 back for the Titans and despite starting more games last year (14 start, 15 total appearances), his yardage totals fell from 1,067 to 851. He did emerge as a decent receiving threat out of the backfield with 25 catches for 327 yards; showing versatility which head coach Jeff Fisher likes to have on the offensive side of the ball.

Travis Henry is listed as the No. 2 back on the team but he could find himself pushed further down the pecking order with the arrival of White. Henry has had success in the past, rushing for 1,438 yards in 2002 and 1,356 in 2003, but he managed just 335 yards last year and found carries hard to come by. He also hasn't scored a touchdown in two seasons, something which rookie White showed an ability to do at USC. It will be a tough battle between the two for the No. 2 spot, and don't be surprised to see White as the team's top back by the end of the season.

Running back Quinton Ganther may be a change-of-pace back for the Titans and could see time as a third-down back. The Titans lack a really quick back and this should work in Gather's favor.

FULLBACKS

Fullback Troy Fleming is a good fit for this offense and gives the Titans an option catching the ball out of the backfield, something head coach Jeff Fisher likes to have his fullbacks do. Fleming did not have a carry at all last season, but he did catch 10 passes in the two games he started (he appeared in 13 games in total).

Tight end Bo Scaife has been converted to a fullback and will likely be used a lot on third downs to give the quarterback somewhere to dump the ball off to. As a tight end last year, Scaife caught 37 passes for 273 yards, starting five games while appearing in all 16.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Bennett (hand, knee) should start the year as the team's No. 1 receiver, and he will be looking to bounce back after injuries plagued him last year. Last season he caught 58 passes for 738 yards, although he only started in 10 games. Just two seasons ago he started all 16 games and caught 80 passes for 1,247 yards, including 11 touchdowns. He proved that year he can be a legitimate No. 1 receiver and with the addition of Givens this offseason his numbers should increase, or at least be back to their 2004 level.

Givens brings his two Super Bowl championship rings from the New England Patriots and should provide a nice balance on the opposite side of the field. He had a bit of a down year last year and only started in 10 games, catching 59 passes for 738 yards. The catches were the most of his career, but he didn't gain as many yards as his previous season-high, 874 in the 2004 season. He will likely be the No. 2 wide receiver for the Titans.

Wide receivers Bobby Wade (14-120-0) and Tyrone Calico (22-191-0) appear to have the best shot at the No. 3 spot, with Wade being the favourite, of late, to get the spot. Wade is a shifty receiver who showed some good speed last season, and the Titans have pencilled him in to be the team's punt returner as well. He has also developed a good bond with expected No. 1 quarterback Volek in training camp, and the coaches have been impressed with his performances. Calico was a former second round draft pick who has failed to live up to expectations, and this figures to be a make-or-break season for him.

Wide receiver Brandon Jones is expected to be the No. 5 receiver on the team, after catching 22 passes for 299 yards last season. He will be pushed by fellow second-year receivers Roydell Williams (21-299-2) and Courtney Roby (21-289-1). Deep threat Jonathan Orr could tag along, although he will have to have an outstanding training camp to make the roster.

TIGHT ENDS

Tight ends Troupe and Kinney will continue to battle for the No. 1 tight end spot and they comprise one of the top tight end combos in the league. Troupe led the way last year and in starting 11 games, caught 55 passes for 530 yards and four touchdowns. Kinney put up similar numbers, catching 55 passes for 543 yards and two touchdowns. With a new starting quarterback this year, both Kinney and Troupe should be valuable safety outlets for whoever is starting behind center. Whatever order they are listed on the depth chart, both figure to see about the same amount of playing time.

Tight end Gregg Guenther is No. 3 on the team's depth chart. He caught only two passes last season, for a total of 13 yards.

DEFENSIVE/SPECIAL TEAMS BREAKDOWN

DEFENSIVE TEAM

Bulluck and Vanden Bosch give the Titans two marquee defensive players, who have yet to hit their primes. Vanden Bosch had a career year last year as he came over from the Arizona Cardinals, and with Haynesworth filling up the middle, he should continue to blossom in the Titans defense. Defensive end Travis LaBoy is expected to cover the other side of the line next season.

Bulluck had an off-year last year as he found it hard to shed blockers without a big presence in the middle of the line. With Thornton next to him, he should be able to make more plays and will not have to cover for mistakes by young and inexperienced players, as he did last season. Tulloch and Sirmon will both battle for the starting middle linebacker spot, with Tulloch being preferred as he is not due a roster bonus the size of Sirmon's this season.

In the defensive backfield, the addition of Hope should provide free safety Lamont Thompson with more freedom as he said last season he was constantly worried about the inexperience of the defense and having to cover for other players. It was part of the reason why he had a poor season. Cornerback Adam Jones will be relieved of part of his special teams duties so that he may focus on the defensive side of the ball and the team will have higher expectations after he showed too much immaturity last season. Cornerback Reynaldo Hill should line up on the other side of the ball.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Place kicker Rob Bironas had a decent first season in Tennessee and connected on 23 of 29 field goals, although he missed two extra points (30-for-32). He also was good on two of five field goals from over 50 yards. He will likely be back as the starting kicker, although, if he doesn't improve his kickoffs the team could start looking elsewhere.

Punter Craig Hentrich will begin his 14th season in the NFL and continues to provide solid special teams play. He increased his average punt from 42.7 yards in 2004 to 43.2 yards in 2005 and put 21 punts inside the 20-yard line. He is expected back for another season.

As noted above, Wade is expected to be the punt returner for the upcoming season, something he has done in past in Chicago.

Jones will likely make way for Wade as the punt returner, but he is expected to remain the team's primary kick return specialist.

BOTTOM LINE

The Titans could make some noise this season but look for them to really improve the following season. They are a year older and general manager Floyd Reese pulled off some savvy moves in upgrading at key positions with the signings of Mawae, Thornton, Hope and Givens.

The division they play in is too tough to give pencil them in as legitimate playoff contenders but they could surprise a few this year, especially if the Colts and Jaguars have a down year. When Young does finally get the starting job, he has been a winner at every level, including leading Texas to a stunning victory over Southern California in last year's Rose Bowl, and it would be foolish to discount him succeeding at this level. He just plain knows how to win and will do anything that it takes, a quality that was embodied by McNair. This is definitely a team to keep an eye on over the next year or two, and they could be back in the Super Bowl sooner rather than later.

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Author Bio

Bryce McRae
Bryce McRae is a Managing Editor with KFFL and has been involved in fantasy sports since 1999. He joined KFFL as a volunteer writer in March 2005 before becoming a Hot off the Wire Analyst in March 2006. He began working in his current capacity in September 2008. His work has appeared on fantasy sports sites such as Yahoo! and CBS Sportsline as well as in print. He graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2008 with a B.A. in History and U.S. Studies.