With Fantasy Football season ready to kick in high gear, FanHouse is here to preview each and every team -- one per day until we've done them all.Meet the...
Team with lots of unhappy talent. After Vince Young's injury and subsequent meltdown, he's cried loudly that he wants the starting quarterback job again. The team signed Kerry Collins to a new deal, so that won't be happening any time soon. LenDale White wants more touches and shorter buffet lines. He solved the buffet problem by working out and dropping 20 pounds during the offseason, but the playing time issue won't be solved with Chris Johnson in the backfield. White and Johnson are great complements to each other. They each have distinctively different running styles and the "Smash and Dash" approach will do great things for the Titans offense, but limit both running backs to under 300 carries.
The Breakout
The Titans signed Nate Washington to a six-year deal worth $27 million. It's apparent that they feel he can become more then just a No. 3 receiver. Washington will start the season alongside Justin Gage in the first-string offense. His deep-threat abilities should do good things to help the Titans offense move downfield. Since the receiving corps will likely be in single coverage due to Tennessee's overpowering rushing attack, Washington could set career highs in every receiving category.
The Bust
Stepping in for Vince Young in September last season, Kerry Collins led the Titans to a 13-3 record and first-place finish in the AFC South. For those reasons, Collins will probably be taken higher on draft day then he should be. You need to remember that Collins hasn't thrown for 3,000 since the 2005 season. At age 36, he's not getting any younger. Sure the Titans added some new weapons in Washington and Kenny Britt, but the offensive philosophy will still be run-first. And did I mention that Vince Young wants his job back?
The Depth Chart
QB1 - Kerry Collins
QB2 - Vince Young
RB1 - Chris Johnson
RB2 - LenDale White
RB3 - Quinton Ganther
WR1 - Justin Gage
WR2 - Nate Washington
WR3 - Kenny Britt
WR4 - Lavelle Hawkins
TE1 - Bo Scaife
TE2 - Alge Crumpler
K - Rob Bironas
The D/ST
The Titans gave up a very stingy 14.6 points per game in 2008 -- good for second best in the NFL. But, it's going to be tough to replace Albert Haynesworth, who left for Washington. Keith Bulluck should still anchor this tough defense that ranked 6th against the run and 9th against the pass last season. He'll need Kyle Vanden Bosch to stay healthy and the backfield to remain dominant if the Titans want to remain a top-ten defense in 2009.
Mark Jones, who now handles the kick and punt return duties, will need to step up in 2009 if he plans to help the Titans get good field position. With 214 career kick returns under his belt, he doesn't have any touchdowns.
The Skinny
• Kenny Britt, the Titans' first-round pick, has been slowed by a hamstring injury in OTAs. But Jeff Fisher thinks he's going to be fine come training camp. If healthy, Britt could see considerable playing time as a rookie from day one.
• Speaking of rookies, none have been more impressive than Jared Cook. He ran a 4.5-second 40-yard dash at the combine. At 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, that's incredible. He's currently third on the tight end depth chart, but expect him to move up quickly. The Titans already plan to use Cook as a receiver too. His size and speed combination can cause mismatches that the Titans would love to exploit.
• Don't expect Justin Gage to repeat his 19.1 yards-per-catch average in 2009. But he will, most likely, surpass his 34 receptions and could set career highs in both yardage and number of receptions.
• Chris Johnson has a new nickname, and it's a nickname for him and him only. "Every Coach's Dream" should build upon his amazing rookie season. He could even approach 1,750 all-purpose yards this year. But he won't become a top-tier running back until he sheds the other member of the Titans backfield, LenDale White.
• Bo Scaife led the Titans last season with 58 receptions. That's sad. It's also sad that with the addition of Washington, Britt and Cook, Scaife may see his targets diminish. Scaife may be first on the depth chart, but he's no better than a third TE option on your fantasy team.
