Jaguars select Luke Joeckel, Grade B

Joeckel was arguable the best player on the board, but was he the best for the Jaguars? The Jaguars have a dominant left tackle in Read more

Kansas City Chiefs select Eric Fisher, Grade: A-

It's tough to get too excited about Eric Fisher as the No. 1 pick, but it's a solid fit and fills a need. Fisher may Read more

Offseason Needs: Minnesota Vikings

1. Wide Receiver The Minnesota Vikings need to upgrade the talent around Christian Ponder. Michael Jenkins has already been cut, and to make matters worse, Read more

Offseason Needs: Cincinnati Bengals

1. Weak-side linebacker The Cincinnati Bengals have relatively few glaring holes to fill. As a result, their primary needs are fairly specific. Vontaze Burfict is Read more
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Team Needs

Offseason Needs: Tennessee Titans

1. Offensive Guard
The Tennessee Titans running game has stalled over the past few years, and while some of the blame should fall on Chris Johnson, he hasn’ t been supported by the offensive line. Steve Hutchinson is a Hall of Famer, but he’s 35 and doesn’t have much left in the tank. Chance Warmack could be an option in the first round.

2. Strong Safety
Jordan Babineaux has been a weak link in the secondary for the past few years and it’s time for the Titans to bring in some competition. Matt Elam would be an ideal replacement in the second round.

3. Tight End
Jared Cook is an unrestricted free agent and never really lived up to expectations in Tennessee. If the Titans are hoping for Jake Locker to take the next step, they need to upgrade the supporting cast around him.

Posted on February 6, 2013 by Ryan McCrystal in Team Needs, Titans Leave a comment

Are Titans using Kendall Wright effectively?

The Tennessee Titans presumably drafted Kendall Wright in the 1st round with the hope that he would add a new dimension to their offense.

However Wright is slightly undersized and didn’t play in a complex offense at Baylor. His route running skills definitely need some work, but one area where he could help immediately would be to stretch the field. Wright is likely the fastest receiver on the Titans roster, and was a serious deep threat during his days in college.

But through two games, Wright has been targeted beyond 10 yards just twice (both incompletions).

Instead the Titans have used Wright on quick routes, hoping to allow him to make plays after the catch. All seven of Wright’s catches have been less than 10 yards down the field and two have come behind the line of scrimmage.

Wright is definitely dangerous with the ball in his hands but it’s hard not to wonder if the Titans are limiting him by preventing him from stretching the field.

Posted on September 19, 2012 by Ryan McCrystal in Rookie Notes, Titans Leave a comment

Mike Martin inserted into starting role for Titans

Tennessee Titans 3rd-round pick Mike Martin came off the bench on opening weekend and was fairly impressive in 35 snaps, recording one hit and two hurries according to Pro Football Focus. The Titans coaching staff must have been impressed, as Martin was inserted into a starting role for Week 2.

Martin replaced Karl Klug, who saw his playing time decrease considerably on Sunday against the Chargers. Martin responded by recording his first career sack.

Pro Football Focus tracks a statistic called Pressure Percentage, which is actually a weighted percentage based on number of sacks, hits and hurries. Among qualifying defensive tackles, Martin currently ranks second. In 35 pass rush snaps Martin has recorded seven pressures (1 sack, 2 hits, 4 hurries).

Posted on September 19, 2012 by Ryan McCrystal in Rookie Notes, Titans Leave a comment

Taylor Thompson expected to make Titans roster

Tennessee Titans 5th-round pick Taylor Thompson is expected to make the 53-man roster, according to Matt Rybaltowski of CBS Sports.

The Titans gambled on Thompson, a collegiate defensive end who was transitioning to tight end. While he flashed the size and athleticism of Rob Gronkowski, he had no game footage to back up his work on the practice field. But apparently he’s a quick learner and has impressed the Titans coaching staff.

Thompson will likely be the third tight end behind Jared Cook and Craig Stevens, but could be a significant part of their red zone package due to his size. He’s definitely a guy to look out for this season and someone who could come on strong late in the year once he’s had a few games under his belt.

Posted on August 22, 2012 by Ryan McCrystal in Rookie Notes, Titans 1 Comment

Titans rookie takes a shot at Vanderbilt

Tennessee Titans rookie Brandon Barden, an undrafted free agent out of Vanderbilt seemingly took a shot at his alma mater during the team’s recent rookie camp.

Barden was speaking to The Tennessean about fellow rookie Taylor Thompson, who originally committed to Vanderbilt but backed out and enrolled at SMU. While discussing Thompson’s change of heart, Barden had this to say:

“Yeah, he decided to de-commit from us. I don’t know what’s up with that … I can’t really blame him, to be honest.”

I’m sure many of us would think the same thing of a player de-committing from Vandy, but it’s an odd comment coming from a former Commodore.

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Ryan McCrystal in Titans Leave a comment

Draft Grades: Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans are stuck in limbo. They’re not in full rebuilding mode, but they aren’t legitimate contenders. As a result, they had a tough decision to make in this draft: address immediate holes, or draft for the future. Based on their early selections it seems as though they chose the latter, which was probably the right decision.

The Titans shocked a lot of people with the selection of Kendall Wright. Receiver was not viewed as an immediate need, but the Titans apparently viewed him as one of the best values on the board. Wright is a perfect compliment to Kenny Britt, and the Titans now have two legitimate weapons in place which will ease Jake Locker’s transition whenever he takes over for Matt Hasselbeck.

Zach Brown is an elite athlete who fell down draft boards due to a lack of production in 2011 at North Carolina. He’s undersized and not very physical, but the Titans defense is one of the few units that tends to favor athleticism over size and Brown should fit right in.

Mike Martin could be a steal in the 3rd round. He’s limited athletically, but is a tough, physical player who can anchor a defensive line. He’ll have to fight for playing time on the Titans crowded defensive line, but he’ll force the coaching staff to find a role for him as part of the rotation.

If the Titans were drafting purely for need, cornerback is an area that should have been addressed earlier. Coty Sensabaugh adds depth, but he doesn’t even begin to replace Courtland Finnegan.

I love the selection of Taylor Thompson in the 5th round. He played defensive end at SMU, so we have no idea what lies ahead for him as a tight end, but he has all the physical attributes necessary to play the position at an elite level. He’s obviously a project, but his upside makes him well worth a 5th round selection.

Markelle Martin should provide some much needed depth in the secondary. He’ll likely backup Michael Griffin at free safety and play on special teams.

Scott Solomon will compete for a backup job at defensive end. While the starters are locked in, there’s very little depth at the position which should allow him to earn a spot on the roster.

This was a solid draft haul for the Titans, but don’t expect it to allow much improvement on their 9-7 record in 2011. This class was about putting the pieces in place to ensure a smooth transition from Hasselbeck to Locker. With the added weapons and offense and the depth added on the defensive side of the ball, the Titans should be able to avoid the typical dip in production when ushering in a new franchise quarterback.

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Ryan McCrystal in Draft Grades - 2012, Titans Leave a comment