AZ @ TN

This game was a “Tale of 2 QBs.” Titan QB Young and Card QB Leinart both must have good seasons to stay on their respective teams.

Young looked better in replacing QB Collins last year than ever before. However, he has to take another major step forward to become an NFL quality starter. He has reportedly worked hard to learn the O. His footwork seems better than in previous years. But still when is pressured, his improved mechanics break down. But he is still a remarkable athlete. If he ever gets “it” he can become an outstanding QB. He did make better reads than he did even last year.

RB Johnson is the best back in the game. The O line is capable of opening small holes and Johnson squeezes through them. He has outstanding speed and can break any catch or run for 6 points.

The Titan D was blitz crazy despite being in the preseason. The LBs were getting to the QB and the coverage for the most part was good. Anderson hit on one long play vs the blitz.

Leinart’s problem has been accuracy. He is not a blitz killer like Warner was and as a result, will get blitzed a lot. He also does not process information as quickly as is necessary. He tends to throw a lot to his safety valve receiver short of the line to gain even on 3rd down. That tends to generate 3 and outs.

Ex-Brown QB Anderson looked much better this week than last. He drove the ball down the field after Leinart went 3 and out on every possession he had in the 1st quarter. But Anderson showed why he is not still in Cleveland. He fired a pass to a wide open WR in the end-zone on 2nd down too high and too hot. On 3rd down he threw behind the slanting WR and the team had to kick a field goal.

Neither Cards QB got much protection. They were under a blitz or heavy pressure almost every pass. The team’s best WR Fitzgerald was out of the game with an injury.

The Cards D lost a lot in the off season but will likely be called on to do more with less. The Cards had a lot of WRs running wide open in the D Backfield. They lost a S and CB in the off season.

MN @ SF

It was the debut of QB Farve. He threw 1 swing pass and 4 snaps and took a 1 sack. That’s all folks!

QB Jackson has a great arm but the touch of a cruise missile. The Vike running game died in the middle of last year despite having one of the best backs in the league. RB Peterson has great speed but not much ball security. He cost the team a Super Bowl spot with his fumbles in the playoffs. He also struggled due to below average play from the O line. The line has name brands but did not create much running room for AP. 3rd down RB Taylor is gone and that is hole to be filled. They will try rookie RB Gerhart in that role. The team is also missing 2 of their top 3 WRs. Rice is out with a hip and Harvin with migraines. They signed Javaun Walker to fill in for Rice who could be out half the year.

The Viking D will have the Williams’ boys despite the NFL’s desire to suspend them. The courts have enjoined the league from imposing the suspensions until the case is heard. The D will also have MLB Henderson. He has recovered from a broken leg last year and is a critical part of the zone coverage. He has the speed to cover the deep middle in the 2 deep zone.

The 49er O has some issues in the O line but former #1 pick overall in 05 QB Smith looks like he may make it. He has to have a good season or he will be gone next year. He has always had “potential” but it is time for him to show it. He has had a lot of changes in O systems because the team has fired several O Coordinators after just a year. The 9ers were in 3rd and 8+ more than any other O last year. They need Smith and RB Gore to be more effective on 1st and 2nd down. Against the Vikes, the O looked OK. Gore did not play. Replacement RB Dixon has looked good.

The 9ers took 2 O linemen with their 2 first round picks in the 2010 draft. Both will get a chance to start.

The 49er D got a lot of practice last year because they were on the field a lot. They were in the top 5 in most categories and held up as well as could be expected. The D has some stars and it is capable of taking a step up in 10.

MI @ JK

The Fish looked good on O, but they were in water so they should have. As in their first game, the rain was a factor in the first half. QB Henne has enough arm strength to stick the ball into tight coverage. He has shown better accuracy and has better receivers now that 2nd year Bess had developed into a reliable 3rd down back and with the addition of WR Marshall. TE Fasano is Henne’s favorite target in the red zone. QB Pennington is an outstanding backup.

The Dolphin D is a work in progress. It ranked in the 20′s in most ratings last year. If the Dolphins are going to challenge for the AFC East title, it will have to play better than that. The team focused on D in the draft and have a couple of rookies that can help but need to develop.

The Dolphins special teams are bad. They have allowed 2 punt blocks so far and have given up return yardage like Congress hands out cash–in bunches.

The Jags are a mess and things didn’t get any better when starting QB Garrard went down with an injury. The pressure is on both him and his HC Del Rio. Both will be gone in 2011 unless the Jags can turn the team around. Back up McCown is capable. WR Thomas is developing well and should have a good year. The O line has talent but other than LT Monroe and LG Manuwai have yet to develop. RT Britton has potential.

The Jag D looks soft as well. DEs Kampman and Harvey are solid but the DTs need to help with a pass rush. Thus far in the preseason that has not happened. The rest of the D are nothing special.

KC @ TB

TB QB Freeman continues to stare down his target. That is why he threw 10 TDs last year and 18 picks. He got hurt in the game. Freeman has broken the tip of his thumb on the passing hand. He was replaced by QB Johnson who played well but it was against the TB D.

TB needs RB Williams to stay healthy. He has had knee injuries in 07 and 08. There is very little behind him. FB Graham is a high effort guy with very little athleticism or speed.

TB WR Mike Williams looks really good so far. He has above-average hands and FBI (Football Intelligence).

The pressure in on KC QB Cassel and the O line in front of him. Cassel has developed some bad habits like the classic stare down of the WR. That happens in part because he doesn’t have enough confidence in his protection.

KC ex-Jet RB Jones will help the O but fumbled on his first carry in this game. Jones is still a RB Charles is exciting but is not a 300 carry back. One rookie to watch is RB/WR/KR McCluster from Mississippi St. He is very quick and very tough to tackle because of his size. Despite that, he was a starting RB in the Southeast Conference.

For other games check out my article on NFL News, notes and rumors on http://www.nfldraftdog.com/nfl-news-notes.html

NOTE: This list is the AFC only. I will have the list of NFC players Tuesday.

Sleepers

QB

Jason Campbell Raiders – The Raiders will be behind a lot and Campbell is going to throw a lot but I don’t like the WRs.

RB

Fred Taylor Pats – Dillon’s gone and Maroney averaged under 4 a carry.

Ben Tate Texans – Right now he is 3rd but Foster is average and Slaton fumbles.

WR

James Hardy Bills – He lost last season with an ACL but is the most likely to start opposite Evans

Brian Hartline Dolphins – He runs great patterns and that is what Henne needs.

Santonio Holmes Jets – He’s on the bench wk 1-4 but late in the draft he can help you win.

Donte’ Stallworth Ravens – This is a long shot but late he should be worth a look. He has a lot to prove and needs the money to pay off the family of the guy he hit.

Mike Wallace Steelers – Holmes is gone and Wallace looked good last year.

Brian Robiskie Browns – He has the best hands/route running combo on the team.

Kevin Walter Texans – Johnson gets doubled and Schaub throws to the open guy.

Legedu Naanee Chargers – There will be a lot of passes and Naanee has speed and decent hands.

TE

Dustin Keller Jets – He is the receiver option at TE with speed and hands. It looks like he got it last year.

Randy McMichael Chargers – The team will have to use 2 TEs a lot and want to reduce the load on Gates.

Handcuffs

QB

Trent Edwards and Brian Brohm Bills Edwards is the acclaimed starter but Brohm has looked good in practice.

RB

Jerome Harrison and Montario Hardesty Browns - These 2 are between handcuff and Avoid. They could be great but one will get hurt and open the spot for the other.

Darren McFadden and Michael Bush Raiders – McFadden is not capable of taking the beating of the starter and staying healthy. Bush is.

WR

Pierre Garcon and Anthony Gonzalez Colts – Gonzo was out last year and Garcon looked good. Beware of PG too early.

Avoids

QB

Jake Delhomme Browns – Until we see him throw to his guys and not the DBs, I don’t trust him.

David Garrard Jags – He and the Jags are under pressure and Garrard does not handle it well.

Vince Young Titans – Can we really trust he gets it? Not on my team.

RB

LaDainian Tomlinson Jets – Even though the Jets run a lot, don’t trust LT. I think he is done.

WR

Jags WRs – Garrard to WHO?

TE

Any Bengal TE – Palmer is going to have enough trouble keeping TO and OC happy. TE is a mess in Cincinnati right now.

That’s what I think. Tell me what you think.

Bill Smith is a former coach of several semi-pro teams, has officiated both football and basketball, done color on radio for college football and basketball and has scouted talent. He is a senior writer for http://NFLDraftDog.com and edits http://fryingpansports.com. He has also published several novels on

http://www.eBooks-Library.com/Contemporary/Author.cfm?AuthorID=1003

and edits http://fryingpanpolitics.blog.com.

Note: We will look at all the divisions of the NFL with this same point of view over the next few issues of Fryingpansports.com.

AFC South

Texans

1. Was last year the breakout season for QB Matt Schaub or will he go back to being just another guy under center? He had better be up to last year because there is nothing behind him. If he gets hurt or regresses, HC Gary Kubiak may want to tear up his new extension through 2012. His choices would be to start Dan Orlovsky or John David Booty.

2. How will the D survive the 4 game suspension for LB Brian Cushing? The team has spent top draft choices on the D line but got very little pass pressure from the front 4. Cushing won the D Rookie of the Year in 08 but was hit with the 4 game suspension.

3. Who will start at RB and can they hold onto the ball? Steve Slaton was the starter last year. He is very quick and fast but has fumbleitis. He is also coming off a season ending injury. The team drafted RB Ben Tate and expect him to get the majority of carries this year.

Colts

1. Can S Bob Sanders stay healthy this year? This D is not nearly as good without him. He is the combination of the enforcer on the line and the eraser of coverage mistakes in the backfield. I like both S Melvin Bullitt and Jamie Silva but they can not do what Sanders does for his buddies.

2. Will QB Payton Manning ever get his new deal? Face facts. This team is 8-8 without Manning. The D is suspect and the running game is invisible. Get the deal done in the uncapped year and be done with it.

3. Will the Colts ever be able to run the ball? “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” It has been a long time since the Colts had a running game that can run out the clock at the end of the game. Even the best QB in the league needs a little balance in the O.

Jaguars

1. Will it be QB David Garrard or HC Jack Del Rio to be the first to lose their jobs? There is no seat hotter than Del Rio’s in the league. He has not been given much in the draft and the team is broke. The y have been forced to allow good players to leave as FA. Garrard got a 60M deal after having a QB rating of 102 in 07. But he has been in the 80s in each of the last 2 seasons.

2. Will any of the WRs step up to the job? Last year Mike Sims-Walker had 63 catches but that is a minimum for a #1 WR. He has had just 1 good year since being drafted in 2007. Mike Thomas should be #2 but is really a 3 at best. The rest of the roster is filled with guys that never made it elsewhere including Troy Williamson, Nate Hughes, and Kassim Osgood.

3. Can vet UFA all star LDE Aaron Kampman get the kiddie corps that will start with him to produce a pass rush? The rest of the lineup includes LDT Tyson Alualu, RDT Terrance Knighton, and RDE Derrick Harvey. They are green as baby peas but all are athletic. If they don’t step up, Kampman will be quadruple teamed on every play.

Titans

1. Is the transformation of QB Vince Young real or is it Memorex? He looked good replacing Kerry Collins who seemed to get old over a single weekend. I still don’t trust Young’s commitment to the game and willingness to spend the time in the film room to become a top QB. He has the physical ability but does not seem to process information quickly enough to succeed.

2. Will the WRs do the job? None of the Titan WRs scare defenses. They don’t catch the ball consistently and are not yard after the catch guys. RB Charles Johnson is a deep threat as a receiver but the team tends to over use him as a runner.

3. Will the losses of UFAs on D finally bring the D down? The latest losses were DL Kyle Vanden Bosch, LB Keith Bulluck and DB Nick Harper. It is hard to lose that kind of veteran leadership let alone the talent on the D. Can the new guys get the Titans’ opponents off the field on 3rd down? I doubt it.

AFC Weak–West.

Broncos

1. Which all star will HC Josh McDaniels run out of town this season? McDaniels seems to want to try to win with a bunch of guys not stars. Mac, that doesn’t work. He ran pro bowlers QB Jay Cutler out of town in 2009. This year he sent WR Brandon Marshall and TE Tony Scheffler out as well. The only real star they have on the team is OB Elvis Dumervil who Mac irritated by moving him from a 4-3 DE to a 3-4 OB.

2. Can the Broncos get QB Tim Tebow the coaching he needs to become a quality NFL QB? As I have said before, I think Tebow can become a very good QB but he needs quality coaching. I don’t see that in Denver.

3. Can the Bronco O survive the loss of their 2 best receivers? No. WR Jabar Gaffney doesn’t run accurate patterns. QB Kyle Orton needs the WRs to be there on time at the right spot. Orton has a below average arm but that is not a problem because the speed WR is gone. Despite losing Marshall’s 100 catches a year, the biggest lost may be TE Scheffler. Sheff was Orton’s safety net. When the blocking broke down Sheff was the guy he went to bail out the O.

Chiefs

1. Will the New England West coaching staff ever get QB Matt Cassel to look as good as he did replacing Brady? No. GM Scott Pioli needed to bring in quality coaches because HC Todd Haley has no idea what he is doing. Pioli hired Charlie Weis on offense and Romeo Crennel on defense. Weis has the challenge of turning Cassel into a NFL QB.

2. Can the WRs get the job done? This seems to be a problem around the league because the drafts for WRs have been spotty at best over the last few years. Chris Chambers and Dwayne Bowe enter camp as the starters but don’t overlook RB/WR/Parking attendant Dexter McCluster. Little Mac has the quicks and elusiveness to become a real factor in the O.

3. Will the high draft choices on the D ever produce? DEs Glenn Dorsey and Tyson Jackson were both high 1st round picks. Neither has produced like expected. Dorsey looked lost last year at DT and DE. Jackson needs to get his motor going. The DBs will have to cover a long time if the front 7 can’t do a better job putting pressure on the opponent’s QB.

Raiders

1. How much will new QB Jason Campbell help the O? Quite a bit. Al Davis blew the pick of JaMarcus Russell and threw away 2 extra seasons waiting for him to learn the O. Campbell want to prove that Washington made a mistake in letting him go.

2. When will the Raiders realize that former 1st round pick (4th overall) RB Darren McFadden is only a 3rd down back? McFadden can not be a 300 carry a year guy. He will break down. Look for RB Michael Bush to become a major factor in the running game. If not Campbell will be throwing a lot.

3. Can anyone on this team catch the ball? 2009 1st round pick Darrius Heyward-Bey is the #1 guy but he caught just 9 passes last year. Chaz Schilens is the other starter going into training camp. Enough said.

Chargers

1. Can QB Philip Rivers survive without LT Marcus McNeill and WR Vincent Jackson? McNeill protected his blind side. Tre Thomas takes over but how much does Thomas have left?

2. Without Jackson, who will catch the ball for Rivers? TE Gates is solid but the WR corps consists of Malcom Floyd, Legedu Naanee, Buster Davis, and Josh Reed. Floyd is no #1 and Naanee is unproven at best. Davis, a former 1st round pick, has been a total bust up to now. This is his last chance in SD. FA Reed is a possession receiver at best.

3. Can OLB Shawne Merriman regain his speed pass rush? Merriman is 2 years removed from his injury and this should be the year he regains his pro bowl status. If not, he won’t be back.

4. Can this team ever get over the hump and get to the Super Bowl? No and the coaching staff will be gone in 2011 with or without a new CBA.

That’s what I think. Tell me what you think.

Bill Smith is a former coach of several semi-pro teams, has officiated both football and basketball, done color on radio for college football and basketball and has scouted talent. He is a senior writer for http://NFLDraftDog.com and edits http://fryingpansports.com. He has also published several novels on

http://www.eBooks-Library.com/Contemporary/Author.cfm?AuthorID=1003

and edits http://fryingpanpolitics.blog.com.

Best comment of the month:

From Teeth whitening on Analysis: the NFL proposal for the “enhanced season” “If the NFL wants more marquee matchups then change the scheduling. Who wants to see a division winner play against a 4th place team in the other conference. Let division winners play the other conference’s 4 winners.”

That is an excellent point. The schedule is based on a formula and that has not changed since the league went to 6 divisions. The NFL should revise the formula to allow more key games particularly if it does go to an 18 game season.

Updates on previous columns:

Previewing the NBA Draft

I got 7 of the 20 I projected. In addition a couple of teams traded up to get guys in front of other teams that were targeting them.

B I G News in football!

The musical chairs in college football conference switches has not stopped yet. There will be another couple of changes announced before the end of the 2010 college season. However, don’t for a minute believe that the increased power of the Big 10+2 or the PAC 10+2 will bring us closer to a playoff. Those two conferences were the leaders in resisting the move toward a playoff.

Is there a teeny tiny silver lining on the Dark Cloud over the Cavs?

LeBron is deep into his national grand tour. However, there is another issue that has come up. In Cleveland, a lot of his posse has been employed by the Cavs. It is very doubtful that any other team would find jobs (and money) for those that shine in the reflected light of his star. In addition, two of the most likely landing spots are Chicago and Miami. In Chicago LeBron will never be able to overtake the icon that is Michael Jordan. In Miami he would be the “new guy” on the block. Even if he wins a couple of titles, it will be for Wade’s team not his own. Only in Cleveland can he be “the” guy who leads “his” team to a title.

Niblets fresh from the cob:

UFA DT Hollis Thomas (Panthers) has been suspended for 8 games in the 2010 season for a second violation of the NFL drug policy. That has been suspected by the NFL GMs and is one of the reasons that Thomas has not gotten a contract.

RB LenDale White (Seahawks) has been suspended for 4 games for the same thing. The Seahawks say that they knew that when they traded for him but that to me seems that is just the new regime trying to cover their posteriors.

Titans QB Chris Simms was arrested for operating a motorcycle under the influence of pot. Simms was on the bubble for making the 53 as it was. This will almost insure his release if he is convicted or suspended bu the Commissioner for being charged.

Chargers WR Vincent Jackson has received a 3 game suspension for a violation of the personal conduct policy of the league. That could be reduced by his appeal. But any suspension will reduce Jackson’s value in a trade. At this point, the best the Chargers could hope to get would be a 4th round pick in 2011.

That’s what I think. Tell me what you think.

Bill Smith is a former coach of several semi-pro teams, has officiated both football and basketball, done color on radio for college football and basketball and has scouted talent. He is a senior writer for http://NFLDraftDog.com and edits http://fryingpansports.com. He has also published several novels on

http://www.eBooks-Library.com/Contemporary/Author.cfm?AuthorID=1003 and edits http://fryingpanpolitics.blog.com.

Best comment of the month: A Tale of two NCAA Violations

From justbuster

Good job on listing just a few of the violations at USC. Reading the blogs and comments that USC fans have left on other sites, I hope you’re prepared for the avalanche of infantile and just plain dumb invective that the minions of Troy are about to hit you with. They talk among themselves about ‘losing a few scolies’ and/or ‘minor probation’ but they just don’t seem to get it. They’re four square against ‘punishing the kids of today for the sins of yesterday’. Keep telling it like it is.

Having the political site Fryingpanpolitics.blog.com, I am used to people taking shots at me verbally. So far no shots from a gun. I do my best to let my readers know exactly what I think and really appreciate you and everyone else that has taken the time to leave a comment.

Updates on previous columns:

First round QBs in the NFL Draft may disappear.

The Raiders have filed a grievance against former QB and top overall pick JaMarcus Russell. The team claims in the filing that he owes 9+M of the money he was paid because his contract was changed and that money was intended to be advances on his salary for 2010-2012. Davis better sue Burger King because chances are they have more of Russell’s money than he does. One of the reasons he looks more like a NT than a QB is that he has 2 double Woopers as a snack between meals.

The Steelers are having off field problems with their players.

QB Ben Roethlisberger has been cleared by the league to rejoin the Steelers and participate in preseason activities. However, he must be away from the team from the end of the last preseason game until his suspension is over or Commissioner Goodell reduces it and again allows him to return.

Niblets fresh from the cob:

It looks like the NBA Western Conference Finals will go 7 games.

Both teams have held in home games. But Los Suns almost stole game 5 in LA coming back from 20+ down to take the game to OT. The Lakers will lose tonight at Phoenix then we will see who is the tough guy in game 7. I think the Lakers will win but I wouldn’t bet the farm on it.

Look for the Magic to make some changes in 2010-2011.

The Magic looked bad, horrible, OK then bad again in losing to the Celtics. The Magic just had no answer for PG Rondo but neither does anyone else. Right now he is playing the best ball in the post season. But the Magic need to get some help for Howard or look to lose again next season.

The Black Hawks look like the favorite in the NHL final series.

While the Flyers have been magic this playoff season, the Black Hawks just have too much talent to be denied. IF they can keep this team together financially, they could be a favorite for the next couple of championships.

Political Correctness strikes the NFL again.

The owners voted to give the 2014 Super Bowl to New Jersey. Enjoy the city of New York but they had better hope that Obama is right about global warming. They will need a lot of it to have a reasonable day in February.

Cowboy WR Patrick Crayton is in limbo. The Cowboys don’t really want him because he at best figures to be the 5th WR but is making 2M. But the Boys don’t want to trade him either even though he has asked to be dealt. They are waiting to see if they get a really good trade offer if a team loses a player.

Reports from Raider land say the O looks much improved.

The replacement of Russell with QB Jason Campbell has to have improved things. I could be more accurate than Russell and I am 62 years old.

RB LenDale White is cut by his college coach.

Former USC Coach Carroll traded for his college RB White during the 2010 draft. But despite losing 45 pounds, White was not in football shape and was cut. White is also facing a 4 game suspension for violating the NFL’s drug policy. If the guy that recruited you out of high school doesn’t think you can do the job, good luck getting another contract.

NFL RBs are struggling with injuries.

Titan RB Javon Ringer and Texan RB Ben Tate are both suffering with hamstring injuries. Dolphin Ronnie Brown is recovering from foot surgery. He will take part in the team’s minicamp even though he is a RFA. The problem is greater for Tennessee because star RB Chris Johnson is holding out and RB LeGarrette Blount may not be there for minicamp.

That’s what I think. Tell me what you think.

Bill Smith is a former coach of several semi-pro teams, has officiated both football and basketball, done color on radio for college football and basketball and has scouted talent. He is a senior writer for http://NFLDraftDog.com and edits http://fryingpansports.com. He has also published several novels on

http://www.eBooks-Library.com/Contemporary/Author.cfm?AuthorID=1003 and edits http://fryingpanpolitics.blog.com.

When the Titans were the Houston Oilers, then head coach Buddy Ryan said that they had knocked on the door of the AFC Championship a couple of times and promised to kick it down next year. They didn’t and he was gone a season later.

For most of last year, the Titans were considered by nearly everyone the best team in the AFC if not the NFL. Then they lost to the Jets and that seemed to take the heart out of the team. They ended up doing what they have for all the Super Bowls but 2000—watching from the sidelines. This year could be different, but don’t bet the house on it unless you have a balloon payment due on it soon. Chances are 4-1 they will be the second or third best team in the conference. It will take luck and avoiding injuries to get the Titans to big game.

Former starting quarterback Vince Young will be fighting a possibly terminal case of splinters from carrying the clip board all year. Kerry Collins is the starter and Young has done absolutely nothing to win over the coaching staff or the team other than run his mouth. Collins is calm, accurate, very instinctive and has an above average arm. Young has an above average mouth and arm but has yet to put in the time to learn the playbook or read defenses on the fly.

The Titans have an outstanding running game. The Titans knew that rookie Chris Johnson was fast but they had no idea that he could run inside the way he does. He is establishing himself as one of the top half dozen runners in the league and can take a simple plunge or wheel route to the endzone. USC second banana LenDale White will have the same role this year in Tennessee. White has slimmed down to 229 and looks faster while not losing his power. He is in a contract year and won’t be back in 2010. FB Ahmard Hall is vastly underrated.

The Titans got Steeler UFA WR Nate Washington to sign and he will start opposite last year wideout Justin Gage. Washington was the 3^rd WR last year in Pittsburgh but is expected to be the deep threat and top option in 09. He is not a top 15 WR. Gage will be the possession pass catcher and is good at that role. The reserves are thin with that group including the talented but baby bean green Kenny Britt and a bunch of stiffs.

The team will use 2 TEs a lot again and have a couple of the best in the league. Bo Scaife and Alge Crumpler can both block and catch. Neither will get deep but can control the short middle of the field.

The O line isn’t full of brand names but the line works well together and is rock solid. LT Michael Roos, C Kevin Mawae and RG Jake Scott are all pro bowl quality and starters LG Eugene Amano RT David Stewart are good in this system and getting better. Backup C/G Leroy Harris is capable of filling in any of the inside spots.

The one question mark on the team is the D line’s ability to continue to play at a high level without the traded DT Albert Haynesworth. Tony Brown who played LDT will probably get that job with Jason Jones replacing Brown unless either Jovan Haye or Sen’Derrick Marks take his place. RDE Kyle Vanden Bosch is going to have to return to top form after a groin problem last year and Dave Ball will play opposite him on first and second down. The freak Jevon Kearse returns to the Titans this season and should be a force again in passing situations.

RLB Keith Bulluck leads the backers and is outstanding. LLB David Thornton, MLB Stephen Tulloch are both fine but there is no quality depth so all three will have to stay healthy. Their success will in large part be determined by how well the D line makes up for Hayesworth’s absence.

The Titans have one of the very best D back groups in the league. CBs Nick Harper and Cortland Finnegan join FS Michael Griffin and SS Chris Hope to form a group all playing at a pro bowl level. Backups FS/Nickel back Vincent Fuller and SS Donnie Nickey provide both experience and ability.

OVERALL: The Titans are among the top 5 teams in the league in terms of talent. They have to stay healthy as do their competitors to get to the big game. But the Titans also have to overcome their tendency of losing to the Steelers, Pats and Colts in big games. Each of those teams seem to have the mental edge against Tennessee. This year they could well overcome their past losses and get to the Super Bowl but I doubt it. But at the very least, they should make the playoffs and be among the last 4 AFC teams on the board.

That’s what I think. Tell me what you think.

Bill Smith is a former coach of several semi-pro teams, has officiated both football and basketball, done color on radio for college football and basketball and has scouted talent. He is a senior writer for http://NFLDraftDog.com and edits http://fryingpansports.com. He has also published several novels on http://www.eBooks-Library/Contemporary/Author.cfm?AuthorID=1003 and edits http://fryingpanpolitics.blog.com.