 |
| The Titans have a big hole to fill with the departure of DJ Pau . . . er, Cortland Finnegan |
2009 AV + 2 * 2010 AV + 3 * 2010 AV
The Titans saw 7 players depart this offseason:
Pos.
|
Player
|
Value
|
2011
Games Started
|
New
Team
|
|
1
|
CB
|
Cortland Finnegan
|
41
|
16
|
Rams
|
2
|
LB
|
Barrett Ruud
|
37
|
9
|
Seahawks
|
3
|
DE
|
Jason Jones
|
33
|
13
|
Seahawks
|
4
|
SS
|
Chris Hope
|
23
|
2
|
Free Agent
|
5
|
DE
|
William Hayes
|
15
|
1
|
Rams
|
6
|
FB
|
Ahmard Hall
|
9
|
7
|
Free Agent
|
7
|
WR
|
Donnie Avery
|
4
|
0
|
Colts
|
8
|
CB
|
Corey Graham
|
15
|
0
|
Ravens
|
9
|
QB
|
Caleb Hanie
|
6
|
4
|
Broncos
|
10
|
FS
|
Winston Venable
|
3
|
0
|
Free Agent
|
11
|
WR
|
Max Komar
|
2
|
1
|
Free Agent
|
TOTAL
|
162
|
48
|
|||
They added 7 non-rookies with positive value:
Pos.
|
Player
|
Value
|
2011
Games Started
|
Old Team
|
|
1
|
DE
|
Kamerion Wimbley
|
42
|
16
|
Raiders
|
2
|
OG
|
Steve Hutcinson
|
40
|
14
|
Vikings
|
3
|
DT
|
Leger Douzable
|
15
|
6
|
Jaguars
|
4
|
LB
|
Zac Diles
|
14
|
0
|
Bucs
|
5
|
C
|
Kyle DeVan
|
11
|
4
|
Eagles
|
6
|
DE
|
Keyunta Dawson
|
6
|
0
|
Lions
|
7
|
DB
|
Al Afalaya
|
5
|
0
|
Colts
|
TOTAL
|
133
|
40
|
|||
Our observations:
1. Strictly by the numbers, the Titans got worse in the offseason. They lost 162 value points while gaining only 133 (minus 29) and lost 48 starts from 2011 while only gaining 40.
2. There is no heir apparent to Cortland Finnegan. Finnegan, when not fist-pumping, tanning, or doing laundry, was the 8th-most valuable player on the Titans' roster last year, and their second-most valuable DB (after S Michael Griffin). What's more, the cupboard is relatively bare for the Titans at CB. Here are their CBs from last year:
Pos.
|
Player
|
Value
|
2011
Games Started
|
2012
Team
|
|
1
|
CB
|
Cortland Finnegan
|
41
|
16
|
Rams
|
2
|
CB
|
Jason McCourty
|
31
|
15
|
Titans
|
3
|
CB
|
Alterraun Verner
|
19
|
3
|
Titans
|
4
|
CB
|
Tommie Campbell
|
3
|
0
|
Titans
|
5
|
CB
|
Chris Hawkins
|
3
|
0
|
Titans
|
6
|
CB
|
Ryan Mouton
|
2
|
0
|
Titans
|
7
|
CB
|
Terrence Wheatley
|
0
|
0
|
Titans
|
TOTAL,
ex-Finnegan
|
58
|
18
|
|||
TOTAL,
ex-Finnegan and McCourty
|
27
|
3
|
|||
Jason McCourty seems entrenched at one corner, but the other starter is anyone's guess. Head Coach Mike Munchak calls replacing Finnegan "the fun part," but until a legitimate starter emerges -- and until McCourty becomes a legitimate #1 corner like Finnegan, the Titans may take a step back in pass defense -- and they were only 20th in the NFL last year against the pass according to Football Outsiders.
3. The loss of MLB Barrett Ruud seems less significant. Ruud missed 7 games last year with a groin injury. The Titans allowed 21.3 points per game in games Ruud started and only 17.9 in games he didn't start. Rising second-year player Colin McCarthy replaced Ruud last year and his performance drew rave reviews. Barring a sophomore slump, the Titans shouldn't miss a beat at MLB.
4. Kamerion Wimbley should be an upgrade to Jason Jones. Though Wimbley hasn't been the dominant player many thought he might become, he has been a rock of consistency, with an AV of 7 or 8 in each of his 6 seasons and starting 94 of a possible 96 games. While Jones is 2 years younger, he just doesn't have the track record of Wimbley, who should be an upgrade in 2012.
5. Steve Hutchinson should still have some gas left in the tank, but we shouldn't expect an All-Pro season. Hutchinson is widely regarded as one of the best guards ever, but he's entering his 12th season. Using Greatest-players.com's list of the top best guards of all-time (Hutchinson was 8th on that list), we looked at how the best guards fared in their 12th season (for those that played 12 season):
Tennessee's starting guards last year, Jake Scott (total value of 36) and Leroy Harris (31), both had season AVs of 6, meaning Hutchinson should be an upgrade. But, at 34, he seems unlikely to repeat his 2009 season, when he had a season AV of 14.
Overall, the Titans seems to have gotten marginally worse in the offseason, with the draft and, perhaps most importantly, the quarterback situation determining whether the team can improve on its 9-7 campaign last year. Grantland's Bill Barnwell calls Titans' QB race between incumbent veteran Matt Hasselbeck and last year's first-rounder Jake Locker the closest of any QB competition this year. Barring injury, Hasselebeck seems to be a consistent known quantity, and last season was his best since '07. If a quantum leap is to come, though, it might need to come from the strong arm of Locker.
5. Steve Hutchinson should still have some gas left in the tank, but we shouldn't expect an All-Pro season. Hutchinson is widely regarded as one of the best guards ever, but he's entering his 12th season. Using Greatest-players.com's list of the top best guards of all-time (Hutchinson was 8th on that list), we looked at how the best guards fared in their 12th season (for those that played 12 season):
Rk
|
Pos.
|
Player
|
Season AV in 12th season
|
Team
/ Year in 12th season
|
1
|
OG
|
Steve Wisniewski
|
13
|
2000 Raiders
|
2
|
OG
|
Will Shields
|
12
|
2004 Chiefs
|
3
|
OG
|
John Hannah
|
10
|
1984 Patriots
|
4
|
OG
|
Mike Munchak
|
9
|
1993 Oilers
|
5
|
OG
|
Randall McDaniel
|
9
|
1999 Vikings
|
6
|
OG
|
Larry Allen
|
8
|
2005 Cowboys
|
7
|
OG
|
Alan Faneca
|
7
|
2009 Jets
|
8
|
OG
|
Bruce Matthews
|
6
|
1994 Oilers
|
9
|
OG
|
Joe DeLamiellure
|
5
|
1984 Browns
|
10
|
OG
|
Stan Jones
|
4
|
1965 Bears
|
AVERAGE
|
8.3
|
|||
MEDIAN
|
||||
 |
| Kid Rock and Lil Wayne are hoping for a big year from Steve Hutchinson |
Overall, the Titans seems to have gotten marginally worse in the offseason, with the draft and, perhaps most importantly, the quarterback situation determining whether the team can improve on its 9-7 campaign last year. Grantland's Bill Barnwell calls Titans' QB race between incumbent veteran Matt Hasselbeck and last year's first-rounder Jake Locker the closest of any QB competition this year. Barring injury, Hasselebeck seems to be a consistent known quantity, and last season was his best since '07. If a quantum leap is to come, though, it might need to come from the strong arm of Locker.
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