In 1998, the Packers utilized a sixth round draft pick to select Matt Hasselbeck. He then spent his first two seasons watching iconic incumbent Brett Favre perform. 13 years later, he is the seasoned veteran, with a high profile rookie looming just behind him on the depth chart. More importantly, he is being asked to resurrect a floundering Tennessee offense that experienced an undeniable decline in 2010. The unit averaged just 302.1 YPG, and ranked 27th, which was a precipitous drop of 15 spots from the previous year.

A woeful passing game was the primary culprit, ranking just 25th. Vince Young started eight of the first 10 games, and threw 10 TDs with three INTs. But he clashed with then HC Jeff Fisher, and never played after November 21. Kerry Collins once again was asked to take over for Young, and finished with 14 TDs, eight INTs. and a rating of 82.2. Ultimately, Tennessee averaged a modest 194.2 YPG through the air, and only managed eight throws that exceeded 40 yards all season.

Even with those shortcomings, it is still somewhat mind-boggling that a unit which included the unique explosiveness of Chris Johnson, could finish with such poor production overall. But despite the presence of the three-time Pro Bowler, Tennessee’s ground attack was unable to generate enough success to compensate for the limitations of their passing game. The team only ran for 107.9 YPG, which was 54 yards less than their 2009 average.

The process of revamping this unit began when the Tennessee Titans secured Jake Locker with the eighth overall pick in this year’s draft. The former Washington Husky departed with the school’s second most career passing yards (7,639), and TDs (53), and established rushing records by a QB for both one season (986), and a career (1,939). Despite concerns regarding his accuracy, the Titans chose him second among all QBs, ahead of fellow first-round selections Blaine Gabbert, and Christian Ponder among others.

As with all rookie signal callers this season, he not only must overcome the normal hurdles that are involved with becoming an NFL QB, but must attempt to do so without the benefit of extensive offseason practices and  coaching instruction. All due to the extended lockout.

The Titans also signed Hasselbeck to a multi-year deal on July 27, and he enters the year as their starter. The hope is that he can replicate the success that he attained during his best years with Seattle, where he started 131 games over a 10-year period. His best season came in 2007, when he threw a career high 28 TDs, and narrowly missed generating 4,000 yards (3,966). He also became a three-time Pro Bowler, tossed at least 22 TDs in four of five seasons, and averaged 24 from 2003-2005. Unfortunately, he has only averaged 11 TDs in the past three years, and has missed a total of 13 games due to injury. Hasselbeck managed to throw just 12 TDs in 2010, with 17 INTs, and a rating of just 73.2.

Matt Hasselbeck’s Career

If Hasselbeck can reverse the three-year trend, and remain injury free, there is an excellent chance that Locker can spend this season as a highly paid observer. Then, he will become a stronger candidate for playing time next season. But if health issues force Hasselbeck to the sidelines yet again, Locker could find himself under center. Without the benefit of a stellar receiving unit, there will be an automatic ceiling placed upon his success, should he suddenly be thrust into the lineup.

Any improvement at the QB position, would help Johnson, who delivered excellent production last season,
but not enough to counteract the struggling passing game. He amassed 1,609 total yards, scored 12 times, and finished third in rushing with 1,364 yards. However, when that is compared to his 2009 numbers – 2,509 total yards, 2,006  rushing yards and 16 TDs – it tends to alter your impression of what he accomplished. And it certainly created disappointment among many fantasy owners.

However, CJ2K’s achievements season should not be dismissed. He was a victim of his team’s inability to develop a consistent passing attack, and fell short of his previous numbers. The fact that he led the team in receptions with 44, reveals how limited the Titan’s passing game was in comparison to the NFL’s elite units, and just how well Johnson was able to produce despite that fact. He will remain the focal point of Tennessee’s offensive strategy, and is undoubtedly an elite fantasy option.

But there are several concerns. First, he has carried the ball 674 times in the past two seasons alone. And while he has managed to avoid injuries despite the extensive workload, there is no guarantee that he can remain healthy while once again being exposed to a sizable amount of punishment.

Then, there is that little matter of his unhappiness concerning his contract. He is scheduled to make $800,000 entering the fourth year of a five-year deal, and is not practicing with the team due to his disenchantment with that figure. Meanwhile, the Titans will not negotiate while he is away from training camp. While it is reasonable to expect a resolution at some point, an extended absence that stretches close to September, immediately followed by a sizable amount of touches, could make him even more susceptible to injury.

Chris Johnson’s Career

The one bright spot among Tennessee receivers even contains his own asterisk to temper optimism even further.  Kenny Britt has established himself as the Titans’ most productive wideout, and will once again be the focus of opposing pass defenses. But, he must avoid additional injuries and further off-field problems. Last year, he tripled his TD total from three as a rookie to nine in just 12 games. Plus, he burst into fantasy prominence by amassing seven in a five-game stretch that was punctuated by a three-score effort against the Eagles in late October. However, he then failed to record any stats for the next five weeks, due to a hamstring issue. He is currently sidelined with yet another hamstring injury, and could also face disciplinary action, after being arrested twice during the off-season. Still, he will not even turn 23 until September, and is now a proven point producer when he is in the lineup.

Beyond Britt? There is little reason for potential owners to become excited as the trio of Nate Washington, Damian Williams, and Justin Gage are as good as the Titans can offer. They will battle for targets behind Britt, and must step up significantly if his off-season transgressions suddenly make him unavailable.

Tennessee did not select Locker to be a long-term spectator as Hasselbeck secures the snaps. But for this season, the rookie should remain a bystander. Although, that is partially dependent upon how long Hasselbeck performs effectively, and if he can avoid injuries that keep him on the sidelines. Hasselbeck will turn 36 in September, and should not be expected to launch an aerial assault that propels Tennessee into the upper echelon among passing attacks. Locker cannot accomplish that either, which results in Johnson being by far the most critical weapon that the team will have at its disposal this year. CJ2K remains a top three pick for owners in their drafts, while the only other Titan worth targeting is the troubled yet talented Britt, in round seven.

Fantasy Football:

Should Chris Johnson be considered an elite fantasy prospect worthy of a top pick, or does he fall a bit on most fantasy draft charts because of his circumstances?

In 2010, Johnson finished fourth in the NFL with 1,364 rushing yards and added 11 touchdowns on the ground. A solid season by most standards, but those who spent a #1 or #2 overall pick on him weren’t overly satisfied with the output. Most expected a repeat performance of his record breaking ’09 campaign where he became only the sixth man in NFL history to surpass the 2,000 yard rushing mark while setting the record for yards-from-scrimmage at 2,509. Johnson immediately shot to fantasy football stardom as he carried owners across the globe to championship gold. CJ2K was born.

During the off-season last year, Johnson boasted that he was going to rush for 2,500 yards in 2010. Most people agreed that if anyone was capable of accomplishing that milestone, it was Johnson. Those who spent a top pick on C.J. were confident they made the right choice after his 27 carries for 142 yards and 2 touchdowns in Week 1 against Oakland. Little did they know that this would be Johnson’s best performance of the season. Owners watched all year long as Johnson put up inconsistent numbers from week to week. His Week 1 outburst was followed up by a 34 yard, zero TD dud against Pittsburgh in Week 2, then he exploded the following week for 125 yards and 2 touchdowns against the Giants. A sign of things to come.

Chris Johnson rushed for over one hundred yards in back to back games three times in 2010, but could never get the motor fully running as he did in 2009.

2010 is a season that the Tennessee Titans as an organization would much rather forget. Along with Chris Johnson’s inconsistency at running the ball, the Titans struggled overall as a team on their way to a 6-10 record. They finished 27th overall on offense and were dead last in time of possession. Vince Young will remember 2010 as the year of the “meltdown”. After his well publicized outburst and war of words with Head Coach Jeff Fisher and eventual dismissal from the team, Young missed the final six games of the season. V.Y. has most likely seen his last days as quarterback for the Titans.

To make matters worse, for the first time in 16 years someone different will be calling the shots for Tennessee. Jeff Fisher, the NFL’s longest tenured coach, stepped down this off-season and the Titans hired offensive line coach Mike Munchak. Munchak is a Hall of Fame guard who played for the franchise when they were the Houston Oilers. In his 14 seasons as offensive line coach, Munchak has helped 5 different running backs to total 11 1,000 yard rushing seasons. The transition from Fisher to Munchak should be a smooth one and Johnson could be the guy to benefit most.

The question mark for the Titans will be at the quarterback position. If teams are able to stack the box because there is no threat of the QB beating them, Johnson will see just as many eight man fronts as he did a season ago. We all know C.J. is capable of breaking off big runs against any defense and most fantasy owners put high value in the fact that he will definitely get the opportunity as a true #1 back. Javon Ringer showed he has some talent and might see an expanded role, but C.J. should still see up to 350 touches this season. Another factor to consider when evaluating a player’s rank is schedule. The official schedule hasn’t come out as of this writing, but the ’11 opponents were released earlier this year. Take a look at some of the run defenses and their ranks from last season that Johnson will face this upcoming season:

“Matchups win Championships” is the sign a good friend of mine gave me a few years back that now hangs in the office I write from.

If I’m looking at the defenses that C.J. has to face week to week I’m thrilled. Obviously you throw out the 2 games against BAL and PIT because NOBODY runs on those teams, but the remaining 14 games look like great matchups. Michael Roos and David Stewart are two outstanding tackles; yet the interior line has question marks at the left guard and the center position. Jake Scott is a veteran who should return and bring stability and Leroy Harris looked decent at times but the Titans might want to try and land a solid lineman in the draft. They currently hold the #8 pick and they don’t seem to have a chance to get Cam Newton or Blaine Gabbert. Defense is a major concern for the Titans as well. Von Miller would be a great fit for that Titan defense who just brought in new defensive coordinator Gary Gray from Buffalo. Whichever direction the Titans go we should consider this upcoming season a “rebuilding” year. With so many changes going on within an organization it makes it that much more difficult to put a value on a player, even if it is Chris Johnson.
So to answer the question first posed in the beginning of this article, “Should Chris Johnson be considered an elite fantasy prospect worthy of a top pick, or does he fall a bit on most draft charts because of his circumstances?”
The answer is: Yes and Yes. Chris Johnson should be considered an elite fantasy back right up there with A.P., Jamaal Charles, Arian Foster, and Lesean McCoy, and he will fall in some drafts because owners will feel more confident going with a safer pick such as a top tier QB or an elite WR. Regardless of where he is taken, Johnson is still a fantasy difference maker who you can build a championship team around.

Fantasy Football:

RB Chris Johnson said Wednesday while practicing in Hawaii for the Pro Bowl that he didn’t think Jeff Fisher and Vince Young could work together after “It hit the fan.” As it turns out, the Titans organization agrees, and will let Fisher walk. Rumor has it, the departure was mutual.

Fisher, 52, had been dubbed locally as “Coach .500″ or “Coacho Ocho,” with two sub-par seasons after the impressive 13-3, 2008 season.

Jeff Fisher and VY never really jelled in the five seasons together after the Titans drafted the former Longhorn QB with the 3rd overall pick in 2006.

The Titans released a statement about the change of plans Thursday.

“After the season was complete, we had numerous discussions on the direction of the team and were pleased that we were moving forward with Jeff at the helm,” the statement read. “Since that time, it became evident that consensus was increasingly hard to find and reality wasn’t matching the vision we discussed. It is unfortunate that this decision is coming at this juncture, but we believe that we have reached the point where change is in the best interest of both parties.”

Despite the long tenure, Fisher is only 5-6 in the postseason and hadn’t won a playoff game since beating Baltimore in a wild-card matchup in January 2004. Tennessee lost a wild-card game in San Diego in 2007 and wasted the AFC’s top seed in 2008 with a loss to Baltimore.

Fantasy Football:

Will Moss Look Good In Blue?

The Randy Moss saga made its third stop of the year when the Tennessee Titans picked him up off of wavers last week.  The questions that have followed Moss his entire career will continue with his latest stop.  Will he only ‘play when he wants to play’?  Will he be a cancer in the locker room?  Will he battle with coaches or teammates?  The more important question is why did the Titans take the risk and will the risk pay off?

From all accounts, early in his career he had a solid work ethic – working with Cris Carter in the off-season he seemed to know what it took to be an elite player in the NFL.  As time went on and Moss had more and more success and it seems his ego got bigger and his work ethic got smaller.

Moss is clearly not the athlete he was earlier in his career.  Sadly there was a time his antics with teammates, coaches, referees and in the public were actually tolerable because he was just that good.  As age has caught up with him his skills have come back to the pack and the baggage he takes with him now is more likely to carry more weight than his skills.  Because of his baggage, he is now in Tennessee.  At this point in his career will Moss’ latest stop stick or will it blow up like every other place he has been?  A better question is will the Titans’ risk be worth it?  What can the Titans do that the Patriots and the Vikings could not and get the talented receiver to play to anywhere near his full potential?

Money should be a motivating factor for Moss.  After this season he is a free agent and IF there is a season next year he is going to be looking for what might be his last long-term contract.  If Moss has any motivation to play for Tennessee, one reason would be to show the league he is worth another contract.  If the rest of the season plays out like the first half of the season – Moss will be limiting the number of interested clubs if he doesn’t show he still can be a productive member of a team.

When Minnesota acquired Moss it looked like on paper it would be a good fit.  Minnesota felt it was a Super Bowl contender and needed to upgrade its talent at the wide receiver position.  They already had a strong running game and talent on the defensive side of the ball.  Tennessee is in a similar position.  When Kenny Britt went down with a season ending injury, the Titans had an obvious need.  They too have championship aspirations, a strong running game and talent on the defensive side of the ball.  On paper both Minnesota and Tennessee look like good spots for Moss.

One big thing might be the difference in this case.  Where Minnesota failed, Tennessee might succeed because of one man – Jeff Fisher.

With as long as Fisher has been the head coach with the Titan franchise, he has more room for error than most coaches.  Fisher has been through both great and terrible seasons with the team, yet the ownership has never made an indication they want to replace the veteran coach.  They even hung with him early on as an assistant coach when fellow assistant coach Buddy Ryan took a swing at him on the sidelines during a game.  Fisher has no reason to fear for his job if Moss doesn’t work out.

Fisher is one of the most respected coaches around the league.  Patriots’ coach Bill Belichick is as well and for a few years the master of the two-word answer and Moss seemed to work.  History has shown Moss does well in his first year or two with a team.  Then he starts to get disinterested.  You can’t always believe what you hear or read, but with all the stories coming out in Minnesota now about how Vikings coach Brad Childress doesn’t have the respect of his players – you have to wonder.  Where there is smoke there is usually fire and the honeymoon was over after a month in Minnesota.  Fisher is obviously one of the top coaches in the league and if he can’t get the respect of Moss, Fisher should have enough built up with his current players to head off any possible Moss mutiny for this season.

Finally, at least for the short-term Fisher and his staff have been able to get run out of some guys with issues.  The team drafted Adam Jones and although he didn’t last long as a Titan most of his time on the field was productive.  On the team now is Vince Young who has had his share of off the field problems and has had to battle Kerry Collins for the starting position most of his career. Fisher has made that work at least to the point of not allowing anything to spill out of the locker room.

Will Randy Moss work in Tennessee?  Only getting inside of Moss’ head will give any insight on that.  Trying to figure out the quirks of one of the most talented players of the last dozen years is a job the most seasoned psychologist might think twice about trying to take on.  At this point Moss is not going to work out for any team long-term, but for half a season it is possible.  The next two months will give the sports world its answer.  If Moss is to salvage this season, Tennessee is set up to be an ideal place to do it.

Fantasy Football:

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Tennessee Titans

This matchup is poised to be a great one. The Eagles have one of the leagues hottest offenses (even without Desean Jackson) and they look to continue their success against a defense that is only allowing 16.3 points per game. Tennessee will look to exploit the Eagles while keeping the CJ train rolling; the Eagles are giving up 115.7 yards per game on the ground this season.

Kevin Kolb should be playing come Sunday, Vick has the potential to see some snaps however the Eagles would ideally like to keep him from taking a hit until at least after the bye week. Lesean McCoy is evolving into a star in this league; he and Frank Gore are the only two players to have 400+ rushing yards and 200+ receiving this season. In the absence of Desean Jackson many of us witnessed the true capability of Jeremy Maclin, he is Kolb’s deep threat and will have a nice day against a Titans pass D giving up 231-pass yards/game. Brent Celek should be the fantasy benefactor of Desean’s injury and see some added looks, while Jason Avant and Riley Cooper need to be observed in more depth before they can crack any lineup.

The Philadelphia Eagles have had an impressive history going up against some of the leagues best backs; Chris Johnson however should be able to snap this trend and rush for some decent yardage on the day. Vince Young simply cannot merit a start on most days let alone going up against the 9th ranked pass defense, however he should connect with Kenny Britt in the end zone for his 5th TD in as many games.

Fantasy Football:

Denver Broncos 1-2 vs. Tennessee Titans 2-1

Peeking into this matchup Titans RB Chris Johnson is my pick to be the star of the game (surprise, surprise) Denver defense is allowing 94.3 yards per game on the ground, look for your first overall pick to have a day worthy of his draft position. Vince Young is at best a number two QB option for this week as he still is not finding any rhythm with his wide receivers.

On the Denver side of the ball QB Kyle Orton shouldn’t see an absolutely awful game, however if you’re lucky enough to have another option you may want to avoid starting him on Sunday. The receiver corps in Denver is starting to become almost as much of a confusion as their traditional backfield for fantasy owners. Brandon Lloyd, Eddie Royal, Jabbar Gaffney and now Demayrius Thomas have been quite productive, however difficult to predict in terms of fantasy.  Look for Lloyd and Royal to be your more consistent options week to week although Thomas and Gaffney should be considered WR3 in deeper leagues.

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Fantasy Football:

The punch heard round the world….at least that is how we think of Legarrette Blount in the football world.  But what if that punch never occurred?  What if Blount played and finished his last season with the Oregon Ducks?  Would he have been a top running back coming out of the draft? Blount is a 6’2″, 240 pound mirror image of Brandon Jacobs (and we all know what a bulldozer HE is).  Blount had 19 TD’s on 159 career collegiate touches, calculating out at just over 1 touchdown scored per 8 touches; numbers that any NFL run game would die for.  So again I ask the question, what if he didn’t throw that punch?

I’ll tell you what would have happened.  Blount would have been a highly sought after goal line and short yardage specialist.  He has a nose for the end zone and a love for contact.  He would have been drafted within the first 3 rounds as a perfect compliment to any shifty non-contact track star scat back.  However, he did throw that punch and was suspended for all but one game during his senior year at Oregon.  It cost him any chance he had of being drafted, resulting in the loss of millions of dollars.  But the Lord works in mysterious ways, and that punch might have been the best thing that ever happened to young Legarrette Blount.  He wasn’t drafted, but he has been signed by the Tennessee Titans, maybe the best place in the world for the former Duck to do what he does: fly under the radar, move the chains, and score touchdowns.

Every NFL enthusiast knows the Titans struggle with the pass.  But, with the addition of this bruising RB, it doesn’t matter. Tennessee can rely much more heavily on their run game and implement an unstoppable play action pass game that even Vince Young can’t mess up.  I can easily see Blount getting 10 rushing touchdowns this year. If overrated and overweight Lendale White can do it, Blount should have no problem at all finding the end zone on a regular basis.

It’s all about the touchdowns, a lot like in one of Gridiron Experts other fantasy strategy articles “The Gambler”… 1 TD equals 60 yards rushing (or close depending on your scoring system), so while your 1^st round running back is grinding away for 120 yards but gets no scores, your opponent has started the sleeper goal line monster that comes in and grabs two 1 yard TD’s and now ties the score at 12 points each… not to mention you can get Blount late in your fantasy draft and I mean late, like 10^th round.

5 foot 10, 200 pound running backs are a dime a dozen; I could walk to the grocery store and find an average sized, average skilled running back.  But big, athletic, hardnosed, smack you in the mouth running backs like Blount are hard to find.  Which is why Tennessee had the steal of the draft and he wasn’t even drafted.

Chris Johnson’s elusiveness and Blount’s power is like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich; it’s just meant to go together… If Legarette can put in the work on the practice field and in the film room while checking his attitude and ego at the door, I can see him carving out a perfect role for himself in this run happy Titans offense… that is, of course, if Blount can keep his hands in his pockets during post game.

Fantasy Football:

Vince Young’s Amazing 99 yard Drive
Week 12 had more than a few games come down to the wire, but none more impressive than Vince Young’s amazing comeback against the Cardinals. Young improved to 23-11 in his career by driving the Titans 99 yards on 18 plays in the final 2:37.

Pack your bags Kerry Collins, Vince Young looks like he has given the Titans season hope while growing into the quarterback that can lead this team to more than an early playoff exit. With help from other Wildcard teams losing on Sunday, the Titans find themselves back in the race and actually have a  shot to go to the playoffs.

Vince Young’s career-high 387 passing yards were the most by a Titans QB since Billy Volek had 492 on Dec. 19, 2004 vs. the Raiders.

Fantasy Football:

Fantasy Football: