Must. . . Review. . . Titans . . . Draft

Photo caption: The Titans have an All-Pro QB and mascot. But in today's modern National Football League, you need more.

I want to give my opinion on the Titans' draft. Here's the rub. I'll admit beforehand that I have almost zero basis for rating each player. In most cases I have never heard of the players they took.

Here's the problem with reviewing drafts right after they happen. No one knows anything. People pretend that they know things and certainly the folks who have attended the all-star games, watched films and talked to the players and the scouts have a leg up on the rest of us.

It's still not enough.

That's the dirty secret of draft grading. People have wised up to the fact that draft grades are practically worthless, but they must have them. You can't be called a draft expert without them.

The Titans got a middle of the road grade from most graders. The main reason for that was they did not take any "name" players and they traded their second-round pick to the Patriots. The amazing thing about the draft is that the Patriots traded the exact same spot in the third round, the 89th pick, to the Panthers for a 2011 second-round pick. They did it again! Someone stop them.

I was happy that Jason Paul-Pierre, the athletic freak with no stats to back his lofty draft stock, went in the pick before the Titans. I think the Giants are heading toward a seven-man defensive line since they seem to only draft guys from that position. Paul-Pierre can do backflips on the field. That's so useful in a game situation. He could be a perennial all-pro. He did take Jevon Kearse's number so there's some wishful thinking involved. The Titans took Derrick Morgan with their pick. The first issue with him is that he has a boring name. It's no Paul-Pierre. He is a junior from Georgia Tech so it's possible that he will develop slowly. It was a need position and he did produce in college. That's really all you can say.

Oh yeah, every team acts like they are shocked when a player falls to them and that the other 31 scouting departments are filled with people who want to invite Justin Bieber to their birthday party. Damian Williams was the third-round pick. He was a highly decorated high school player who couldn't make up his mind. He originally committed to Florida, then went to Arkansas for a year and finally transferred to USC with Mitch Mustain. It worked out for Williams. He's another junior. Not a burner and struggles with press coverage, as probably 99% of college players do. He feels like a good player.

The Albert Haynesworth memorial compensatory pick was Rennie Curran, outside linebacker from Georgia. One of my pet peeves about draft coverage was that when a player was selected in the first round the NFL Network showed a combine workout. How about showing the player actually playing football? Curran was shown playing football, which I say is a good thing. He's short. I noticed that. Since I live in Georgia I have plenty of biased opinions on Curran. He's a tackling machine, fast, and the only defensive player worth a damn from that horrible 2009 team that went 8-5. It's interesting how the Dawgs went 8-5 and the season was a disaster, whereas the Vols went 7-6 and that was good enough to get the head coach promoted to USC.

Yes, the Titans drafted a Georgia Tech and a Georgia player. Dogs and cats living together. Mass hysteria.

The trade of LenDale White and Kevin Vickerson was curious at best. White scored 15 touchdowns in 2008 and followed that up with two in 2009. He wanted to be the man, as he was in a 1,000-yard campaign in 2007. He was not going to be the man anymore and didn’t want to continue to play the dust-gathering backup to Chris Johnson.

Seattle was a logical destination, what with their ex-USC coach and absolute lack of an NFL-caliber starting running back. The throwing in of Vickerson in the deal tells me a few things. Seattle wasn’t that interested in White. The Titans thought they would save a few bucks by having Jim Washburn work with a rookie rather than Vickerson, who is a rotation guy and a fine veteran but not a difference-maker. That’s what the draft taught us. If you’re not a difference-maker, you will be traded for a bag of balls.

Fourth-round pick Alterraun Verner sounds like a name that George Lucas let his sons make up. He’s a cornerback, and if he’s starting that means that last year’s two cornerback selections were bad. Rod Hood may start.

Since neither Chris Hope nor Michael Griffin played worth a crap last year, it makes sense that the Titans used late picks on Robert Johnson, a FS type from Utah and Myron Rolle, a SS type who famously spent a year at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. Tebow ain’t no Rhodes Scholar, he’s a football player. Sorry.

I didn’t like the Rusty Smith pick. Here’s why. Wouldn’t it make sense for the Titans to have a backup QB with a similar skill set as its starter? I am not a draft expert and would not be caught dead watching game film unless it’s a replay of a Titans game on the NFL Network. Dan LeFevour at CMU was a four-year starter with some skills as a runner. Rusty Smith was fine at Florida Atlantic, leading them to two bowl games, but he’s a pocket passer. He’s Kerry Collins, minus a lot of talent. The Bears picked LeFevour. Sorry, dude.

Marc Mariani and David Howard, the two seventh round picks, have a better shot of making the team after the Vickerson/White garage sale trade. Mariani has return skills and must be oodles better than Freddy Barnes and Danario Alexander, who combined for 268 catches, 3551 yards, and 33 TDs last year as college seniors. I suppose he can return kicks. Howard is a DT out of Brown and will replace Vickerson if he makes the team.

Lacking a third RB on the roster, the Titans signed LaGarrette “punchy” Blount and Stafon Johnson as rookie free agents. Unless some veteran chum like Julius Jones signs, one of these guys will be make the roster. Otherwise, if it’s not a skill position player, I’m kind of lost.

The team seemed to address their biggest positional needs. The defense got a lot of attention as was deserved. Zero offensive linemen were selected. I didn’t necessarily like the guy, but the Titans like lots of teams in the league decided that a late-round QB flier was a good idea. And in a major shocker, no blocking tight ends were picked.

Titans and the draft

Zach’s quick state of the Titans’ franchise and who they will draft. Yes, I’m that good.

QB: The Titans have three quarterbacks under contract. One is excellent at holding a clipboard and looking really interested while Mike Heimerdinger talks to the starter. Two are not. I would love the Titans to draft a developmental guy in the VY mold but they already have three guys and usually two’s the limit when the season starts. Is Alex Mortensen still available?

RB: You have CJ. You have LenDale. That Ringer guy might be OK. Maybe they take an UDFA but this team always seems to draft a RB at some point.

FB: You have The Marine. Who else do you need?

OL: Yes, I prefer to write about skill-position guys. The starters are set and Kevin Mawae might return. Heck, Daniel Loper might return. I wish some of these guys could play corner or DE. I could see a developmental OT or guard at some point.

TE: The team has three guys under contract, which is never enough. Watch them draft some obscure blocking TE that no one’s heard of in the third round.

WR: The position is stronger than it has been since the Derek Mason/Drew Bennett days. Which means they are only mediocre now. I’d love to see them draft a guy who could catch a punt and run forward. Guys like Chris Davis don’t grow on trees.

K/P: yeah, right

DT: Unless there’s a draft-day deal for Haynesworth, I feel like this position is set. We shall see.

DE: Please? Pretty please? Except for Jevon Kearse, this is a position that doesn’t produce immediate dividends. I could see two defensive ends drafted at least.

LB: Witherspoon’s here. Keith Bulluck may get re-signed. Gerald McGrath is the most bad-ass Gerald on the planet. Stephen Tulluch is pretty good. Is David Thornton still alive? I suppose they could take an OLB.

CB: Unless last year’s draftees have really improved, this is a huge need. The team concentrated on signing backup-caliber guys in free agency.

S: This didn’t seem like a need before last year. It would be nice to get a replacement for Chris Hope who could start in a year or two.

The curse of number ten

What happened? Two Mondays in a row I woke up to crazy trades. It wasn't a surprise that McNabb was traded. It was surprising to find out who was the other team in the deal. The Redskins? Really? This isn't going to potentially bite the Eagles in the butt how? Other than the Redskins having no offensive line, a stable of past their prime running backs and highly suspect wide receivers, that is.

The Steelers traded Santonio Holmes this morning. That they traded him would not surprise Steeler fans. That they traded him for a fifth-rounder in this year's draft AND NOTHING ELSE was the headline. The trade started to make sense when we found out that Holmes has been suspended four games for violating the substance-abuse policy.

It's still a fifth round pick for a guy who caught the game-winning TD in the Super Bowl. Fantasy owners masquerading as sports fans ask how a deal like this could work out. It's complicated and simple. Holmes is a wide receiver. On the best of days a wideout will touch the ball ten times. That's not a lot for a player who often thinks of himself as supremely talented. Thus, there's some friction and the occasional shot at ownership. Holmes was entering the last year of his rookie contact. Friction was due to occur.

The Steelers were ready for this. OK, you are never ready to say good-bye to a receiver who had Pro Bowl talent, caught nearly 80 balls and had good timing with another Good Samaritan in Ben Roethlisberger. They drafted Limas Sweed two years ago. That has not panned out well. Not to be deterred, they drafted Mike Wallace last year. This is a move that's worked out. Hines Ward may be nearing the end of his career, although 2009's 95 catches says otherwise. I thought the Steelers were loading up a bit when they picked up Antwaan Randle-El and Arnaz Battle. That's right; the Steelers could put four guys on the field who played quarterback in college. Randle El and Battle seem like slot guys at best but they're both veterans and will contribute. Heath Miller even bumped up his production with 28 more catches in 2009.

Besides, isn't number ten cursed for the Steelers? My mom still owns a Kordell Stewart jersey. I know that Holmes wanted to be his own man, but selecting that number was just asking for it. I bet he changes it in Jersey.

This trade highlights one truth about the league that we like to forget. NFL really stands for not for long. If a city's in love with a player, it's not going to last. Make one bad decision, or a series of bad decisions, and it's just like you dropped the game-winning pass. Holmes caught the big one, but he forgot that in addition to no guaranteed contracts, the love of the locals tends to expire as well.

I like how the Jets are making moves this offseason like a drunk guy on a roll at the blackjack table. He's hitting on 15s when the dealer's showing a six all night and it's working. Pick up as many has-beens and troubled players. We're going to the Super Bowl! Just ignore that the only reason why they made such a deep playoff run is that the Colts quit in Week 16. Don't let that deter you in the least.

The Haynesworth rumors proved to be fruitless. Let me speak for all Titan fans when I say "whew!" I'm going to sweat enough thinking about Chris Johnson taking a knee at the one-yard line to protest his lack of a contract extension. Next year, Chris, next year.

I don't like hearing how most highly drafted defensive ends fail to pan out. Jevon Kearse was transcendent as a rookie but that's rare. Then I remember that the Titans rarely draft the way that the experts expect. The team has cornered the market on backup cornerbacks. They need a starter. Can a rookie start opposite Finnegan and succeed? He'll be fantasy gold in IDP leagues since the pass rush will be as underwhelming as last year.

And how could I forget the latest thrilling offseason signing. Chris Simms is back. America's favorite clipboard holder is living large in Nashville! Patrick Ramsey has to be so pissed. Simms reminds us that if you look like an NFL quarterback and play like Ryan Leaf, but lack Leaf's attitude, you can be a backup for a long time.

Only in the NFL

Could it really happen? The Titans either made a major strategic blunder or did the best that they could with a bad hand when they gave Albert Haynesworth an out to being franchised again after the 2008 season. He was gunning for a big free agent deal and the Titans weren’t going to pay the price. I contend that if they could have franchised him again in 2009, the season could have been really different.

One year later, after the Redskins paid him and paid him and paid him like an executive from a “too big to fail” bank, he might be on the market. And the leading suitor could be the Titans. Confused yet?

The Redskins signed Haynesworth to a funny-money deal that on paper was the biggest deal for a defensive player in history. They paid him one giant bonus last year and another one this year. It’s the kind of deal that makes you think that he’s a centerpiece of the defense. Except that they’re changing the defense. Instead of playing 4-3 tackle he would be a 3-4 nose tackle. 3-4 nose tackles are lunch-pail guys who absorb double teams all day and usually are invisible on the stat line. That’s not Haynesworth’s game.

Don’t these crazy free agent deals show in a strange way why the divorce rate is so high in this country? I know it’s a stretch, but stick with me. Team signs high-caliber free agent. Jerseys get sold, fake money gets put on the contract to wow the shallow-digging press, player does commercials instead of working out in the offseason, player disappoints, team changes scheme, player is released/traded 12 months later, fans still complain that their team didn’t sign the big free agent. It’s a fun ride if you’re a masochist.

I don’t see how Haynesworth could do anything other than help the Titans on defense. Getting a trade deal done, especially when the team is already minus a second round pick, would be tough. Still, it would be ironic if the Titans ended up pulling a Randy Moss and trading a fourth-round pick to the Redskins for Haynesworth in the same draft in which they have a third-round compensatory pick for letting Haynesworth go last year.

According to Pro Football Talk, Haynesworth’s remaining deal is three years, $16 million with $9 million guaranteed. The top two DTs in the draft, Suh and McCoy, are going to get upwards of $40 million guaranteed. What a comparison. I assume that getting another monster deal, because if anything, football front offices have short memories, might be a motivating factor for Haynesworth and he might learn how to try again.

Until I read another story about Tim Tebow's extraordinary leadership, this offseason just got less boring.

I'm a quitter

“Restlessness and discontent are the first necessities of progress.” Thomas Edison

“One-half of knowing what you want is knowing what you must give up before you get it.” Sidney Howard

I’m not playing fantasy baseball this year. Yes, my comment doesn’t match up with the above quotes. It’s the best that I can do. I have played fantasy baseball for at least a decade, and ran my own league for seven. It was a lot of fun. I enjoyed competing and I particularly enjoyed that my leaguemates would pay attention less and less as the season progressed, allowing me to be a playoff team every year but one.

The lack of participation led to restlessness. If I was in a league of zealots, that would be more competitive and I would need to spend more of my time researching stats. I would have to treat baseball the way the NFL is these days. It would become a year-round endeavor.

It requires a lot of work to maintain a fantasy baseball team. If you’re allowed to make changes on a daily basis, you’re looking at it every day. You’re reading articles on players and listening to podcasts. It’s an underrated resource drain.
That’s one reason why I’m quitting. Over the next few months I’m going to become more literate about my finances. That’s the main goal. It’s a scary time to invest, but it’s also a time of great opportunity. Just because the country’s struggling and we have less cash to spend doesn’t mean that people have forgotten how to innovate and take risks. I’m going to see if some of my fantasy researching skills might help me in the investment game.

If I win this one, I get more than a virtual trophy.

Oh yeah, I’m not quitting fantasy football. A man has his limits.