Having to watch the former Houston Oilers move to Tennessee and become a perennial contender for most of the past 15 years was painful for this Houston native. The Jeff Fisher Era began in Texas, only to go on to rousing (and near-championship) success in Tennessee. This year, the Titans start their first post-Fisher year with a new coach and an old quarterback. Kerry Collins is the incumbent starter after headcase Vince Young was run out of town.
Like any team picking in the top ten, Tennessee has a number of holes all over the field: offensive line, defensive line, safety and, of course, quarterback. TCU QB product Andy Dalton has rocketed up draft boards over the last few weeks, peaking this week with him possibly going to the Titans at No. 8.
In a QB class loaded with question marks, the Titans could indeed roll the dice with Dalton. No one likes to pass on the next superstar at the most important position on the field. New coaching regimes have been known to hitch their wagon to a single sink-or-swim QB, and it’s unknown what new coach Mike Munchak’s tendencies are. Nonetheless, if they really want a QB, they could trade down and grab another second-tier QB prospect and extra draft picks. It’ll be a battle between Tennessee’s obvious recent history with a high-pick QB bust and owner Bud Adams’ love of glitz, glamor, and media attention.
It’s rumored that the coaching staff has been infatuated with both Auburn DT Nick Fairley and North Carolina DE Robert Quinn. Look for those players at No. 8.
Throughout the rest of the draft, they’ll need to restock their offensive line, as inconsistent play and free agency last year resulted in a weak line that hurt star tailback Chris Johnson’s performance. They’re also worried about the safety position, as in-house question marks mean they’ll need some insurance and competition.
— Kevin Glass is a writer and editor at Townhall.com.