Teams Tennessee Titans - The Music City Oilers ™

[Exe Gesis]

Gregg Williams close to joining Titans’ staff

Before Gregg Williams can return to the NFL, he needs a team to hire him, and then he needs the NFL to end his suspension. He’s close to taking the first of those two steps, and the second may not be far behind.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Williams, who is currently serving an indefinite suspension for orchestrating the Saints’ bounty program, has already met with the Titans and is close to accepting a deal to become their assistant head coach.

According to Schefter, Williams could be reinstated by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell before the Super Bowl, which would allow him to get to work once his contract with the Titans is finalized.

If the deal gets done and Goodell gives his OK, Williams would be reunited with Titans head coach Mike Munchak, whom he worked with on the Titans’ staff from 1997 to 2000. And if Goodell reinstates Williams within the next week, all of the punishments for the Saints’ bounty case will have been completed before New Orleans hosts the Super Bowl.

 

[Exe Gesis]

Titans players say Gregg Williams is changing the culture of the defense

What a difference a year makes.

In 2012, Gregg Williams was suspended by the NFL for the culture the league said he helped create while he was the defensive coordinator in New Orleans. In 2013, he’s getting praised for changing the culture of the Titans defense since joining Tennessee as a senior defensive assistant this offseason.

David Climer of the Tennessean spoke to members of the Titans defense about the impact Williams has had since coming on board and the topic of a change in culture came up more than once. Safety Bernard Pollard, who is also new to the team, said that the culture needed to be changed after last year’s defensive struggles and cornerback Jason McCourty, who was around as the Titans allowed 471 points, said the defense is following the aggressive tone Williams has sounded since he was hired.

“The scheme is different but the real difference is the attitude,” McCourty said. “We could tell that from the first day coach Williams was here. He told us he was coming here to change the culture.”

Improved attitude, schemes and enthusiasm are great for a defense, but they weren’t the only reasons why the Titans were strafed so often in 2012. One need only remember the defensive breakdowns that crushed the Saints in the playoffs during each of Williams’ last two years with the team to know that.

Talent matters and the Titans were short on it all over the field. They’ve acquired Pollard, defensive tackle Sammie Hill and others to go with Williams’ attitude adjustment, but the amount of improvement on that front will remain unknown until September.

 

[Woodson]

Beware the underrated Titans... they are a complete [crude word for female groin] team to try predict to win... ask Chism.

Emory HUNT << yes, I said HUNT.. likes what the Titans did with their 2013 Draft.. in racing terms... tread wearily (nothing over 6CR esp on the road)

 

[Chism]

Beware the underrated Titans... they are a complete [crude word for female groin] team to try predict to win... ask Chism.

Emory HUNT << yes, I said HUNT.. likes what the Titans did with their 2013 Draft.. in racing terms... tread wearily (nothing over 6CR esp on the road)

I love the Titans and they are close to a second team for me but gee they are hard to tip like you said!!! They burnt me so many times in AE over the years and whenever i am confident they can win and tip them high they lose in the most wild of games while in winning positions! Then when you think they will get rolled you tip against them and they play lights out and destroy you!! Sheeesh!!

 

[Dirty Bird]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-s...titans-fan-lines-buy-ticket-tv-172015310.html

Only one Tennessee Titans fan camps out to buy ticket, TV reporter wakes him for sleepy interview

David Cline lines up every year when the Tennessee Titans put single-game tickets on sale. Hopefully for the Titans, most people buy tickets online, because Cline was the only person in line for the sale at the ticket office.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-s...titans-fan-lines-buy-ticket-tv-172015310.html

I take it fan confidence is low?

 

[Woodson]

Hard core fan without a computer.

 

[blktreacle]

Texans owner, K.S. 'Bud' Adams Jnr passed away overnight. does anyone know who has taken over from him?
Do you think the NFL will push them to relocate to somewhere like LA?

 

[Broken]

He owned the Titans

I hope for the Titans he has looked after them in the case he did pass away.

 

[blktreacle]

s**t I screwed that up

 

[MarcusP2]

Probably because the Titans used to be the Houston Oilers.

 

[Oscarman]

Bad week for the Oilers with Bum Phillips also heading upstairs.

 

[Shermy]

Just checking if there are any Thumbtack fans about?

 

[beez]

I don't like your tone young whipper snapper

Happy that Munchak left given he never really got us going, he never really endeared himself to me and the fact that apparently Whisenhunt will be a great fit for us.

 

[Shermy]

This is super convenient then

 

[Woodson]

Happy that Munchak left given he never really got us going, he never really endeared himself to me and the fact that apparently Whisenhunt will be a great fit for us.

I'm glad Whiz has been given another HC job and Munchak is only gonna benefit the Steelers O-line for the better. Win/win situation.

 

[BeinPurplenGreen]

Sadly Rob Bironas was killed in a car crash overnight - he was cut by the Titans in March, and had married Terry Bradshaw's daughter in June this year.

http://www.tennessean.com/story/tit...titans-rob-bironas-nfl-metro-police/16001413/

He was the second highest points scoring kicker in the history of the Oilers/Titans, and his 85.7% accuracy is the fourth highest in NFL history.

He was not yet 40 years old.

 

[Exe Gesis]

Titans have become the NFL’s biggest slump-busters
Posted by Darin Gantt on December 22, 2014, 1:26 PM EST

Getty Images
Maybe it’s their Southern address, but the Tennessee Titans are the most hospitable team in the league, perhaps in league history.

Bless their hearts.

As first mentioned by Peter King of MMQB.com, and extrapolated by Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com, the Titans have done something unprecedented this season.

It’s not that they’ve they lost nine in a row (that’s been done before), it’s who they’ve done it against.

Every team that has beaten the Titans during this streak was coming off at least one loss, and collectively, those opponents had lost 24 straight games prior to welcoming the Titans to their worlds.

The longest previous streak of teams losing to teams coming off a loss was six, achieved most recently in 2010 by the Bengals and the Titans.

They’re likely to extend their record this week, since the Colts are coming off a beating by the Cowboys, and the Titans don’t have much of a chance against anyone.

But at least they’re generous.

 

[Exe Gesis]

Peyton Manning will be the next Titans owner imo

------

Tommy Smith announced he was stepping down as President and CEO of the Titans.

Smith plans to focus on Adams Resources and Engery, Inc., where he serves as president and chairman. "I have given this decision very careful thought, and while I dearly love the Titans and am proud of my active role with the franchise over many decades, I can’t serve two big roles as effectively as I had hoped," Smith said. "My family, my long-term personal health and the ability to make sound daily decisions for two fine companies all came into play." Smith's retirement adds credence to the rumors the Titans will be sold in 2015.

 

[Exe Gesis]

Titans and the NFL draft in 10 questions


Jim Wyatt, jwyatt@tennessean.com
April 4, 2015

Seven picks over three days could alter the course for 2015

(Photo: File / Craig Ruttle / AP)

The countdown to the NFL draft is on.

Many Titans fans probably began looking ahead around the bye week last season, when the slide to a 2-14 finish was accelerating. This year the draft will be held in Chicago from April 30-May 2. While we wait, here are 10 draft questions (and answers) about the Titans:

How many picks are they scheduled to make?
Seven. The Titans have the second overall pick, along with picks 33 (second round), 66 (third), 100 (fourth), 138 (fifth), 186 (sixth) and 207 (sixth). With four picks in the top 100, they have a good chance to select some impact players.

Will they make a trade on draft day?
They certainly aren't opposed to it, and I believe they'd love to move out of the No. 2 spot and acquire more picks. This is a team with plenty of needs, so the more early-round picks the better. Moving out would likely cost them a shot at quarterback Marcus Mariota and defensive lineman Leonard Williams, but the Titans wouldn't make a trade if they loved either player.

What are their biggest needs?
After signing free agents Brian Orakpo and Derrick Morgan, the Titans are no longer desperate at outside linebacker — they're also pretty excited about claiming former Falcons linebacker Jonathan Massaquoi — but don't scratch a dynamic edge rusher like Florida's Dante Fowler off the board. Other needs: starting right tackle, running back, wide receiver, offensive line depth, secondary depth. Free agents could fill some of those roles, but the draft is key. The Titans are still trying to decide how big a need they have at quarterback.

Who would be some good outside-the-box picks?
Most mock drafts have the Titans taking Mariota or Williams with the No. 2 pick. But if they move back in the first round they could land a game-changing wideout such as Alabama's Amari Cooper, West Virginia's Kevin White or Louisville's DeVante Parker. With the first pick of the second round, they could grab a top running back — Georgia's Todd Gurley or Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon — if either is available. This team needs some pop.

Who's making the call at Saint Thomas Sports Park?
General manager Ruston Webster is the chief decision maker on draft day, but he gets input from a big group including coach Ken Whisenhunt. Back in the day, GM Floyd Reese and coach Jeff Fisher butted heads over some picks. More recently, coach Mike Munchak regularly deferred to Webster. Webster and Whisenhunt seem to have good dialogue, but they don't agree on everything. Webster gets the final say.

When was the last time the Titans had the No. 2 pick?
It's happened once — 1984, when the team was still in Houston. The Oilers selected Nebraska tackle Dean Steinkuhler, who played in 100 games over nine seasons. The earliest the Tennessee Titans have ever picked was third in 2006, when they selected quarterback Vince Young.

Which position has been most popular in the first round?
In Oilers-Titans history, it's running back (eight times), followed by linebacker (seven) and defensive end (six). Quarterback, guard and tackle are tied at five times each. They've taken a wide receiver and defensive tackle four times each, a cornerback three times, a tight end twice and a safety once. They've never used a first-round pick on a kicker or punter.

Which college has produced the most picks for the Oilers/Titans?
The fact that the franchise was in Houston until 1997 explains why the Oilers/Titans have selected more players from the University of Texas (20) than any other school. Then it's Baylor and Oklahoma with 14 each, followed by Auburn and Rice with 13 each. The franchise has selected 11 players from the University of Tennessee, four from Tennessee State and one each from Vanderbilt, MTSU and Austin Peay.
Which conference has produced the most picks for the Oilers/Titans?
In the seven-round era (1994-2014), the SEC leads the way with 34, followed by the Big Ten (29), Pac-12 (22), ACC (18), Big 12 (17) and Big East (12).

How is last year's draft shaping up?
So far it looks good. At the time, first-round pick Taylor Lewan was a head-scratcher because veterans Michael Roos and Michael Oher were the starters. Now they're gone, leaving Lewan as the left tackle of the future. Linebacker Avery Williamson is shaping up as a home run pick in the fifth round, and quarterback Zach Mettenberger has already proved he was worth the risk in the sixth. Defensive back Marqueston Huff (fourth) has shown promise, and the Titans like defensive lineman DaQuan Jones (third) despite his limited playing time in 2014. As for running back Bishop Sankey, I'm skeptical. The second-round pick had an underwhelming rookie year.

 

[Exe Gesis]

Eddie George thinks Titans are in “disarray”
Posted by Josh Alper on April 10, 2015, 8:52 AM EDT

AP
Tommy Smith announced that he was stepping down from his role as Titans president and CEO last month, leading to further changes at the top of an organization that underwent a shakeup in 2013 when founder Bud Adams died.

The organization is adamant that the team won’t be put up for sale as they sort things out at the top, but one former member of the team wishes that he had the money and opportunity to become Adams’s successor as owner. Eddie George, who ran for at least 1,000 yards in seven of his eight years with the club, said that he wished he had $2 billion to buy the team because the current group is “putting out a bad product” and that ownership and management need to do a better job of putting the pieces in place to build a winner.

“[Titans management] been in such dysfunction and disarray,” George said, via 247Sports.com. “I think once they get their house in order, decide on a mission statement of who they want to be, then you can find the right leaders from your coaches on down to extend that culture. After that, championships can happen.”

George added that the team has a chance to draft a “pillar” to build around in this year’s draft, although he declined to say who he thought that pillar should be. Whether or not the Titans hit the market, a failure to find that kind of cornerstone this year would probably lead to more upheaval and disarray in the front office although George’s comments suggest that may be necessary to move forward in the long term.

 

[Exe Gesis]

And this one too. Hands off!

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Are there actually any Titans fans out there?

 

[Blacky]

is beez one?

 

[beez]

 

[Exe Gesis]

Dick LeBeau wants to put some pressure on Marcus Mariota
Posted by Darin Gantt on May 13, 2015, 6:15 AM EDT

AP
Of the many tests Titans rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota has in front on him, the first one is going to be in practice.

Veteran NFL coach Dick LeBeau said part of his job as the new Titans defensive coordinator is going to be showing Mariota what’s in store for him.

“I am going to do my best to show him what an NFL defense is going to look like,” LeBeau said, via Jim Wyatt of the Tennesseean. “I was glad we drafted him where I won’t have to face him. I hope we can’t stop him on the practice field. But we’re going to try to.”

Mariota showed up for work Monday, and will take the field for the first time this weekend in a rookie minicamp. Next week, the veterans will show up, and that first mandatory minicamp will be Mariota’s first real taste of the kind of pressure LeBeau can dial up.

“You have to break him in, but you don’t want to steal all of his confidence,” linebacker Derrick Morgan said. “I think it is a great defense for him to go against, being our defense is pretty complicated in the looks and the schemes that we give.”

Of course, the longtime Steelers assistant has some work to do fixing his own side of the ball, but the Titans are closer to competent there. And if Mariota can learn to handle what LeBeau’s throwing his way, it’ll be a good start toward anything else he might see.