Monday Links: Odds and Ends

• Gamecocks' thin secondary suffers a blow
• Special uniforms not necessary
• Five players in the SEC East with the most to prove
• Georgia beats out Stanford and Memphis for three star
• Georgia OL decommits from UF
• Vols give Greg King TE trial
• Titans pick Jake Locker as the starting QB
• Three Vanderbilt freshmen will play right away
• More trouble for Auburn commit Dee Liner
• Rivals has eight new 5 star players
• Defensive lineman Joe Fennell’s top three: Florida, South Carolina and Nebraska.
• Kevin Sumlin wasn’t happy with the energy level at Texas A&M’s weekend scrimmage
• Special teams “phenom” Solomon Patton is emerging as a pass catcher at Florida. 
• The Gamecocks will go with a receiver-by-committee approach in 2012.
• Missouri must "earn it's spurs" in the SEC East 
• LWS take on Davante Bourque

Notes from Titans Practice 08/19/2012

Greetings from the final open practice of the 2012 Titans training camp. Its been fun and I have met a ton of people this year who have been very supportive of me and the blog. Today is a snapshot of what you can expect from the next two preseason games and that is all about the roster.

Guys who are fighting to make the roster got a lot of reps today and that was good to see. You can expect more of the same from the next two preseason games. Munchak has indicated he is going to play starters later but I would be willing to bet you will see some rotation from guys the team is looking at. Add to that an emphasis on who is going to be starting at key positions and you see why devoted fans are so heavily into the preseason.

 

Really, there is heavy competition just about everywhere. This may be overall the most talented group of athletes the Titans have had in training camp in recent memory. Picking the back end of the roster is going to be incredibly difficult. Add to that the competition at some positions and you see why the powers that be will be losing sleep in the nights to come.

One group where there is a ton of competition is at running back. This is a great group and outside of Chris Johnson there is not a whole lot that separates them. One of the tougher decisions the coaching staff and front office will make will be made at this position.

We are also loaded at cornerback. There are some tough decisions to make particularly between Ryan Mouton and Coty Sensabaugh. I am a big fan of Ryan Mouton but this is a crucial year for him. Has he done enough to separate him from rookie Coty Sensabaugh? Tommie Campbell seems a lock to make the roster.

The competition at tight end is tough too. Taylor Thompson, Cam Graham, Brandon Barden, and Joey Haynos are batting for the 3 spot. In my opinion Taylor Thompson has that spot locked up but that could cetainly change. Joey Haynos is an interesting guy. If he doesn't make our roster I hope he gets a shot somewhere. 

The offensive line is an area  to watch, especially the back end. Roos is strugging a bit, David Stewart and Fernando Velasco had good games Friday night against the Buccaneers. I have written about Byron Stingley and after watching him in practice today I still think he is a guy to keep an eye on.

Finally, I have tossed around in my head who I think will have a break out year and I am comfortable setting on Alterraun Verner. I was really impressed with his rookie performance and he waited patiently and learned last year while he was in rotation. He is the starter now and it is time for him to shine and I fully expect him to do just that. The guy has is smart, is an instinctive player, and looks poised to make a huge impact.

SEC Power Rankings: Preseason

#1 Alabama 2011 record 12-1 (7-1)


I really thought long and hard about this spot and whether LSU deserved it more and ultimately with the loss of Tyraan Mathieu (yes I do think he meant that much to the team) and with Alabama having the more experienced quarterback I decided they deserve the spot. Eddie Lacy is not Trent Richardson but the offensive line who allowed him to rush for more than 1600 yards returns pretty much intact. Defensively, Alabama will have to reload at key positions including jack linebacker after impact-player Courtney Upshaw was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens where he is getting a look at the spot vacated when Terrell Suggs tore his Achilles back in April. The secondary was hit hardest by graduation losing both starting cornerbacks and #7 draft pick, safety Mark Barron. But Alabama has recruited well, as evidenced by their #1 recruiting classes in 2010 and 2011. They have players ready to fill those spots. Tough road games at Arkansas and at LSU loom large, but Bama is poised to have another spectacular season, sad as I am to say it.

#2 LSU 2011 record 13-1 (8-0)

The SEC Champions lost two quarterbacks to graduation in Jordan Jefferson and sometimes player Jarrett Lee but most reports finger Jr. Zach Mettenberger, a Georgia transfer as the "real deal" and expect LSU's passing game to be much improved. The loss of a Heisman finalist in the secondary certainly hurts not only because of his on-the-field play, but also his leadership and the camaraderie he had with the team. LSU has several running backs who can carry the rock -- watch Sophomore Kenny Hilliard to get a lot of touches in addition to Spencer Ware. Defensively there are very little holes Barkevious Mingo and Sam Montgomery return to play the end positions and safety Craig Loston will be a steady hand in the secondary. The schedule favors them as well -- they get South Carolina at home, Alabama at home and a game in Fayetteville looks to be their toughest road test -- that game to cap the season.

#3 Georgia 2011 record 10-4 (7-1)

The Bulldogs return as favorites to win the SEC East, returning more starters than LSU who I've ranked just ahead of them. The loss of sophomore running back Isaiah Crowell is a big one, but they return second team All-SEC quarterback Aaron Murray and lose only two starters on defense. They do lose three starting offensive linemen and the loss of projected right tackle Kolton Houston due to ineligibility over use of a steroid two and half years ago for a shoulder surgery hurts an already suspect line. Running back will likely be by committee unless someone can separate themselves from the pack. The addition of #1 all-purpose back Kenny Marshall is helpful and he will certainly get a chance to show his skills. The defense will include one of the nation's best linebackers in Jarvis Jones but has four defensive starters facing suspensions for at least the first game. The schedule is favorable, however, with no games against Alabama, Arkansas or LSU.

#4 South Carolina 2011 record 11-2 (6-2)

South Carolina is talented but I believe the team goes as Marcus Lattimore goes. No other team in the top 4 so heavily depends on one player. Can he return to form after a knee injury? All-SEC voters seem to think so as he made the first team. Connor Shaw progressed as the season went on and proved he is an upgrade to much-troubled Stephen Garcia. Their offensive line is suspect at times though they do return a second team All-SEC Center. Do not sleep on this defense. They are as talented as ever before returning Jadeveon Clowney and Delvin Taylor on the defensive line along with a group of seniors at linebacker. The schedule is not as favorable as Georgia's however with an annual game with Clemson looking ever more challenging in addition to playing on the road vs. LSU.

#5 Arkansas 2011 record 11-2 (6-2)

Without the loss of Bobby Petrino who I think was so instrumental to this team's success, I would have them ranked higher. They lose much of their wide receiving core and two linemen on offense but return All-SEC quarterback Tyler Wilson, talented wide receiver Cobi Hamilton, and running back Knile Davis, who was sidelined last year due to a knee injury, to pair with Ronnie Wingo. They lose quite a bit on defense as well but have experienced players along the defensive line. Defense was a weakness for Arkansas last year so the eye will be on them to see if they improve under new defensive coordinator Paul Haynes, but I think the real question is how well do they perform with a new head man at the helm in John L. Smith? They could become one of the droppers on this list. Luckily, they do get Alabama and LSU at home.

#6 Florida 2011 record 7-6 (3-5)

Florida was really young on defense last year. That's good for this year though as they return nearly everyone and should be much improved. I don't see a huge drop-off from John Brantley to either Brissett or Driskel, however losing both of their speedy running backs will definitely change the way they gameplan. Their wide receivers and running backs are unproven but may surprise. It's hard to rank a group with this much talent any lower but the season will dictate whether they climb or fall on this list.

#7 Auburn 2011 record 8-5 (4-4)

Losing Michael Dyer due to undisclosed reasons certainly hurts Auburn's offensive chances this year along with questions at the quarterback position. Onterio McCalebb does return to ensure Auburn has at least one proven SEC runner though it is yet to be seen if he can handle the full load and an entire SEC season. All-SEC tight end Phillip Lutzenkirchen returns as does wide receiver Emory Back to give whomever wins the quarterback job between Kiel Frazier and Clint Mosley some weapons. Gone is Auburn's championship-winning offensive formula along with coordinator Gene Chizik who took the head coaching job at Arkansas State. Auburn returns most of it's defense but it's defense wasn't very good last year. Perhaps going through some growing pains will make them a better unit. The schedule is tough too with a game vs. Clemson to open the season then LSU, Arkansas, and Georgia at home, then Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

#8 Tennessee 5-7 (1-7)

Last year's record wasn't pretty but do not let that fool you. Tennessee returns a lot of talent including quarterback Tyler Bray and wide receiver Justin Hunter who were injured for portions of last season.  They also return All-SEC receiver Da'Rick Rogers and add JUCO transfer receiver Cordarrelle Patterson who shows flashes of greatness. The defense loses a good player in defensive tackle Malik Jackson but a move to a 3-4 under new coordinator Sal Sunseri and the addition of nose tackle Daniel McCullers should help improve the run defense considerably. The strength of the defense is in the linebacking core namely AJ Johnson and Curt Maggitt -- two sophomores who started much of the season last year as freshmen. The schedule is also favorable to the Vols losing LSU and Arkansas for Mississippi State.

#9 Missouri 2011 record  8-5 (5-4 Big 12)

I see Missouri's welcome to the SEC to be an ugly one but they return so much of their team from an 8-5 season a year ago they deserve this spot. Quarterback James Franklin (no not THAT James Franklin) returns as does wide receiver T.J. Moe. Running back Henry Josey also returns who ran for over 1100 yards last year. They will not find the path to an SEC East title easy though as they face South Carolina, Florida, Tennessee, and Texas A&M all on the road.

#10 Texas A&M 2001 record 7-6 (4-5 Big 12)

Texas A&M lost a lot from a team that honestly wasn't very good last year. They lose starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill to the draft in addition to running back Cyrus Gray and wide receiver Jeff Fuller. The offensive line should be a strength for them at least led by Luke Joekel among three other returning starters. An entirely new coaching staff is in place for the team to adjust to in addition to all of the personnel turnover. A&M does have a proud tradition and history but welcome to the SEC, so does everyone else.

#11 Mississippi State 2001 record 7-6 (2-6)

MSU won all of it's out-of-conference games last year, but went just 2-6 in the SEC and they lose the core of their team in quarterback Chris Relf and running back Vick Ballard. Tyler Russell will be handed the quarterback reins this year and he does return some targets to throw the ball to including wide receiver Chad Bumphis. They have a top cornerback duo in Johnthan Banks and Corey Broomfield to look at the positive side of things but I think if they found their 2011 season in the SEC to be stressful, this year they are going to be miserable.

 #12 Vanderbilt 2001 record 6-7 (2-6)

Vanderbilt returns running back Zac Stacy who was good last year running for almost 1,200 yards and receivers Jordan Matthews and Chris Boyd. Inconsistency at quarterback lost Vandy some close games the previous year and no one yet knows what to expect yet out of Jordan Rodgers. The offensive line does return four starters but they do not go very deep, nor are they very talented. The defense will have to replace Chris Marve, Tim Fugger and Casey Hayward but feel good about guys like linebacker Chase Garnham, defensive end Walker May and cornerback Trey Wilson.

 #13 Kentucky 2001 record 5-7 (2-6)

Kentucky loses some offensive linemen to graduation and loses six defensive starters including  linebacker Danny Trevathan. Joker Phillips has quite the task on his hand to coach this group of players up. Of course, Kentucky comes off of a season capped by a victory to their most hated opponent, Tennessee, but it will take talent to compete in an ever-tougher SEC league. The quarterback battle is between a freshman and the incumbent Morgan Newton and it appears the freshman may have the edge. Still it figures to be a long season for Kentucky football fans.

#14 Ole Miss 2001 record 2-10 (0-8)

Last year saw Houston Nutt replaced after a winless SEC season. In comes Hugh Freeze who got his college coaching start under former head coach Ed Orgeron. The defense should be better with D.T. Shakelford coming back from knee surgery. Also the offense returns weapons in Jeff Scott, Donte Moncrief and Nickolas Brassell but the offensive line is very iffy and the quarterback situation has yet to work itself out. If Ole Miss does anything of significance it will be an improvement over last year, but improving a culture is not an easy task and I am not sure Ole Miss has hired the correct man to right that ship.

Notes from Titans vs vs Bucs

The quarterback battle is obviously on everyone’s mind and I wrote about it in a previous post. http://breatheifyoulovefootball.blogspot.com/2012/08/this-just-in-jake-locker-is-still-good.html  I still think the job is Jake Locker’s to lose but he must do better than he did Friday night vs the Buccaneers. I also think he needs one more start in the preseason. 

However, Matt Hasselbeck looked good. Hasselbeck is playing at a high level and could well win the quarterback battle. He looked really sharp last night. Side note: I greatly admire how those guys have handled the competition between them. Titans’ fans are lucky to have them both.

Darius Reynaud has been exciting to watch but he won’t make the roster at running back. That group will be Chris Johnson, Javon Ringer, Jamie Harper and Quinn Johnson. Instead I put him in the wide receiver group and designated him the returner. I also picked Marc Mariani over Lavelle Hawkins based solely on special team value. 

The Titans were very good in the trenches

The Defensive line was good. Real good. Jurrell Casey is equally as important to this defense as linebacker Colin McCarthy. Sen’Derrick Marks had a great game. I would still like to see Karl Klug get more playing time. Kamerion Wimbley and Derrick Morgan played very well. I like Egboh Pannel but I do wonder what else he brings to the table. You would like to think there is a higher ceiling to be seen with him.

The offensive line played well too. Particularly, I thought Fernando Velasco played well. There was some excellent blocking by both fullbacks which helped Chris Johnson in the run game, as well as some good blocking by the offensive line. Not to take any credit at all from CJ, who looked simply amazing. Good to see the old Chris Johnson return.

Other notes:

The tight end position is interesting. I think it is still up for grabs but I gave the Third TE slot to Taylor Thompson because I think he is such an outstanding athlete. I would be shocked if we kept more than 3 tight ends.

  

Zach Brown is improving by leaps and bounds and he had an outstanding game Friday night versus the Buccaneers. The Titans have long said he could start early but I couldn’t see anything in practice that made me think that was an option. However, Friday night against the Buccaneers he showed why the Titans drafted him in the 2^nd round and why they think he will start early.  The competition between Brown and returning starter Will Witherspoon is an area to keep an eye upon. Can the young man unseat the incumbent?

53 man roster – Camp Edition

Here is my first roster based entirely on who the Titans had in training camp and who I thought played the best and/or got the best opportunities. It is a combination of who I think SHOULD make it and who i think the Titans like. There are a lot of ways you could play with these numbers.

We don't have 5 safeties I would keep. Offensive lineman Troy Kropog could make the roster in place of someone at the back end. We have a good group of cornerbacks and I put Coty Sensabaugh on the roster but it is likely we are targeting him for the practice squad.

Final Roster: 53

Offense: 23

QB’s – 3

Matt Hasselbeck, Jake Locker and Rusty Smith

RB’s – 4 (3 HB’s and 1 FB)

Chris Johnson, Javon Ringer, Jamie Harper, and Quinn Johnson

WR’s – 6

Nate Washington, Kenny Britt, Damien Williams, Kendall Wright, Marc Mariani and Darius Reynaud

TE’s – 3

Craig Stevens, Jared Cook and Taylor Thompson

OL’s – 7

Mike Roos, David Stewart, Leroy Harris, Fernando Velasco, Byron Stingley, Kevin Matthews, and Mike Otto

Defense: 27

DT’s – 5

Jurrell Casey, Sen’Derrick Marks, Karl Klug, Zach Clayton and Mike Martin

DE’s – 5

Kamerion Wimbley, Derrick Morgan, Egboh Pannel, Leger Douzable, and Malcolm Shephard

LB’s – 7

Colin McCarthy, Akeem Ayers, Will Witherspoon, Zach Brown, Tim Shaw, Patrick Bailey and Zach Diles

CB’s – 7

Jason McMourty, Alterran Verner, Tommie Campbell, Ryan Mouton, Coty Sensabaugh and Chris Hawkins

Safeties – 4

Jordan Babineaux, Michael Griffin, Robert Johnson and Tracy Wilson

ST – 3

K – 1

Rob Bironas

P – 1

Brett Kern

LS –1

Beau Brinkley

Strictly by the Numbers - Titans Roster Analysis

First 53 man roster 

As you can see, I split this one pretty evenly. My numbers may also change once I start plugging in names, but here are my first thoughts on the roster strictly by numbers.

Offense: 26

QB’s –3

RB’s – 4 (3 HB’s and 1 FB)

WR’s – 6

TE’s – 3

OT -5

OG -  5

Defense: 24

DT’s –4

DE’s – 5

LB’s - 5

CB’s – 5

Safeties – 5

ST – 3

K – 1

P – 1

LS - 2

This just in: Jake Locker is still good

Yes, he had a bad night last night. Yes, the numbers are bad. No, I’m not goong to repeat them here because they are bad, it is preseason and I don’t think the numbers completely reflect the reality. Why do you say? Well, let’s talk about it.

First, let’s just say there was some bad decision making by the second year quarterback. Let’s also not forget he was making his first NFL start too. It is particularly important for a young quarterback to get support from his surrounding cast and when there are breakdowns in protection, wrong routes by his receivers and dropped passes it makes his job harder and his performance look worse. Yet, those things are bound to happen in the preseason when offenses are meshing and trying to get the kinks out.

I said last night Locker should start the next game and after reviewing is performance last night I am even more convinced he should. On second review, it wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought. There were some really plays too particularly when Locker read the field and decided to use his legs. 

So, let’s give the guy a chance, let him start the August 3 game against the Cardinals  and see how he does. I am willing to bet he will be better and will show everyone what we saw in the Seahawks game and in training camp.

Looking at the Titans Running Back Battle

The Titans currently have 5 running backs on their roster. I look for the Titans to carry 3 running backs and a full back. Chris Johnson is of course a lock at HB and Quinn Johnson a lock at FB.  Javon Ringer, Jamie Harper, Herb Donaldson and Darius Reynaud will battle for the remaining 2 remaining spots. As I wrote before, it is definitely possible Reynaud could make the roster at WR/KR too. Who is competing against whom? Let’s take a look.

I see Javon Ringer and Darius Reynaud as similar type backs although Ringer has a bit more power and Reynaud another gear or two. Still, their running styles offer a similar component that CJ brings and I see one of the slots being a battle between the two. That spot would be insurance against an injury to Johnson.

Ringer is in the final year of his rookie deal and is scheduled to make $565,000.00. Reynaud is a free agent looking to make the roster. I would put Ringer as the favorite but Reynaud certainly made an impression in his first preseason game as a Titan.

Harper and Donaldson will likely compete for the other spot. I like both these guys and really don’t think you can go wrong either way. Harper is in the middle of a 4 year deal and is under contract until 2014. Donaldson signed a futures contract with the Titans on January 2. I would give the edge to Harper but Donaldson has looked really well in camp. This is a battle to keep an eye on.

Titans vs Bucs: What To Watch

Obviously eyes will be on Jake Locker as he makes his first NFL start. He is expected to play 20 to 25 plays. Matt Hasselbeck will also get more playing time against the Buccaneers. A big topic of the offseason, this will be the more talked about competition no doubt. Beyond the battle for the starting quarterback job, there are 3 other major areas to watch.

SPECIAL TEAMS

First, and far less sexy than the QB battle, but pay close attention to special teams play. Roughly half the roster will make the team based on how well they play on special teams. This year the return spot is particularly important as guys like Darius Reynaud and Marc Mariani could make the roster based on how well they do there. 

THE TRENCHES

I will be paying particular attention to the defensive tackle position. My questions regarding who is starting and why are documented in a previous post here:  http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5226664462782435636#editor/target=post;postID=5176098429557328828.  I would like to see rookie DT Mike Martin get some playing time as well. I want to see how Zach Clayton performs as well. The DE rotation bears watching as well as it is unclear whether Derrick Morgan is starting again. Pay attention to how he and Pannell Egboh, Leger Douzable, Keyunta Dawson, and Scott Solomon split reps.

The offensive line is also an area to watch. Obviously the center position is of particular note with Fernando Velasco now the starting center, but Kevin Matthews, Chris Morris, and William Vlachos should see action as well. I hope tackle Byron Stingley plays as I would like to see him in action during a game. He has great size and athleticism. I wonder how many plays our new offensive linemen Michael Jasper and Jonathan Palmer will play.

WIDE RECEIVERS

This is the most exciting group of wide receivers in Titans history that I can recall, and there are some young guys who could make this roster since we are moving to a more pass oriented offense. Munchak has indicated he plans to run 5 wide receiver sets so I expect the Titans to carry 6 if not 7 wide receivers. Washington, Britt, Williams and Wright are locks. That leaves room for 2 or 3 more receivers so this is a big game for the rest. I particularly want to see Michael Preston and La’Quinton Evans play as they have made an impression on me in camp. DJ Woods is an interesting prospect too. Darius Reynaud could possibly take one of the wide receiver slots if he wins the return slot.

Would the Titans Cut Kenny Britt?

Probably not. Is it completely out of the question? I don’t think so. Britt is still under contract with the Titans for two more years with base salaries of $755,000.00 in 2012 and $1,347,500 in 2013.  There may also be incentives but still it is relatively cheap to keep the troubled wide receiver on the roster and Munchak has indicated that the plan. As with anything however, plans can change.

Britt’s troubles have been well documented and he is currently waiting to hear from Commissioner Roger Goodell on what punishment he will receive for the latest incident. Britt was arrested for a DUI on July 20, 2012 at Ft. Campbell. He met with Goodell on August 6, 2012. On August 8, he was fined by the Titans for failing to attend a meeting and took to Instagram to voice his displeasure. 

While the Titans and Britt wait on Goodell’s ruling, he continues to rehab and other wide receivers continue to work with the team and make an impression. Nobody can deny Britt’s talent, but he is certainly facing at least a 4 game suspension and fine. He has shown a remarkable ability to make bad decisions.

It also remains to be seen how well he recovers from multiple knee surgeries. He tore  his ACL in his right knee on September 25, 2011. He had reconstructive surgery on his right knee in October of 2011 and then required a follow up clean up procedure in May of 2012. He had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in late June or early July of 2012 following the team’s minicamp.

Britt is scheduled to return and appear in the final preseason game against New Orleans on August 30. He started catching passes on Wednesday, August 15. If that timeline is accurate, it will be interesting to see how well he performs. The first roster cuts are due on August 28 when teams must get to 80 players. By August 31, they must be at the roster maximum of 53.

Munchak has indicated he does not want to put Britt on in season PUP. Once Goodell issues his decision and there is a suspension, which is likely, he will go on the suspended list and not count against the roster. 

The Titans have a very tough schedule this year and the first 5 games are with the Patriots, Chargers, Lions, and Texans. They then travel to Minnesota to play the Vikings and return back home the next week to play the Steelers. 

Given the looming suspension, it makes sense for Munchak to decline to put Britt on regular season PUP. If Britt returns to a semblance of what we saw in 2011, it makes sense economically and with other factors to keep Britt on the roster. 

Baring another incident, it certainly appears Britt will remain on the roster for 2012. He will then enter the last year of his rookie deal so 2012 is a big year for him no matter how you spin it.

Notes from Titans Practice 08/15/2012

Greetings from Nashville, Tennessee where the Titans conducted their 2rd to final open practice of the 2012 training camp. The final practice will take place on Sunday, August 19, 2012 at 3:30 p.m. Not a whole lot to talk about so this blog will be short. Look for a few short blogs on positions and people of interest over the next few days, including one on Kenny Britt.

First, let me say I continue to be impressed by this year's group of wide receivers. Kendall Wright is every bit as advertised in practice. Let's hope that translates to game time because this guy can play.

Also, I continue to be impressed with La'Quinton Evans. Officially listed at 6' 1" and 203 the guy is hard to defend. I watched two separate defensive backs commit pass interference trying to keep that guy from getting the ball. I will certainly look to see how he performs on Friday night. He might just get one of my WR slots in my first mock roster.

I took particular care to watch Coty Sensabaugh. The cousin of Gerald Sensabaugh and a rookie out of Clemson he is from Kingsport, Tennessee and if I'm not mistaken he has ties to our defensive backs coach, Brett Maxie. This guy has really nice footwork he just needs a bit more awareness. He also seems a bit tight in the hips. I look forward to catching that guy in some preseason games and seeing how he operates in game situations.

Also, I seriously do not understand Sen'Derrick Marks starting over Karl Klug. Klug, coming off a stellar rookie season clearly has no reason to be playing second fiddle to Marks who has spent 3 fairly unremarkable seasons with the Titans. Only his 2011 season was worthy of note where he posted 44 tackles, a half sack, a career-high seven quarterback pressures, three tackles for loss, one pass defensed and one forced fumble.Those stats were taken directly from the Tennessee Titans website. You can find it here http://www.titansonline.com/team/roster/Sen%27Derrick-Marks/26fae9b6-6e8d-4366-8c9e-02ba762feaed.

In contrast, here are Karl Klug's stats, also taken directly from the official Tennessee Titans website.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
• As a rookie in 2011, Klug compiled a team-high seven sacks.  The total tied for sixth place in sacks among all NFL rookies, tied for fourth among all NFL defensive tackles, and led all NFL rookie defensive tackles.
• During his four-year career at Iowa, Klug appeared in 40 games with 26 consecutive starts to end his career.  Tallied 140 tackles, including 31 stops for loss, 9.5 sacks, eight quarterback pressures, eight passes defensed, four forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.

http://www.titansonline.com/team/roster/Karl-Klug/deaf6105-c065-427c-a588-2f5d1a19eaf5

Is Tracy Rocker, an Auburn alum, showing favoritism toward his fellow alumnus? Maybe so. Otherwise, there is no good reason why Karl Klug is not starting. Period.

 Other notes: The Titans just signed Michael Jasper and Jonathan Palmer to the offensive line. I am quite curious to see how the offensive line evolves. Once a source of strength, the line has come under fire in recent years and rightfully so. This will be another area of interest to watch for Friday night.

As always, please feel free to comment and make suggestions. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy the blog.

Notes from Titans Practice 08/14/2012

Greeting from Nashville, Tennessee where the Titans concluded their final night practice of the 2012 training camp that is open to the public. I can safely say tonight's practice was one of the more intense practices of the year and i have missed only two open practices. Players always say playing under the lights and in front of the fans sets a tempo and tonight that certainly seemed the case.Battles for individual spots seem to be shaping up so this blog will focus on those group.

On the defensive line, the starting rotation at defensive tackle appears to be Jurrell Casey, Karl Klug and Sen'Derrick Marks. The starting rotation at defensive end appears to be Kamerion Wimbley, Derrick Morgan, Pannel Egboh and Leger Douzable. Dave Ball's concussion is keeping him out and I wonder if that will impact his roster spot.


The starting linebackers are Akeem Ayers, Will Witherspoon and Colin McCarthy. The starting cornerbacks are Jason McCourty and Alterraun Verner with Ryan Mouton, Chris Hawkins and Tommie Campbell in the mix when we run a nickel package. Jordan Babineaux and Mike Griffin are the starting safeties with Robert Johnson coming in when we use a safety as a linebacker. In my opinion that is why Johnson is getting so many reps with the first team.

The offense is not quite as settled with competition everywhere except fullback (Quinn Johnson) and kicker (the awesome Mr. Nashville in training Rob Bironas) and I'm only slightly joking.. Of course Brett Kern will be the punter.  The quarterback battle has been well documented. It remains to be seen how that plays out. Chris Johnson is certainly not likely to be dethroned as the starter but I do think he will split carries with whoever is behind him which will likely be Javon Ringer and Jamie Harper. 

The wide receiver slots are going to be interesting to watch. For my take on the wide receivers, see my previous blog post. Also, I should mention that Darius Reynaud can play wide receiver and could conceivably make the team as the 6th WR and returner.

Craig Stevens and Jared Cook will be the starting tight ends depending on what sets we run. I think Taylor Thompson nabs the third slot and I don't think we will carry a 4th TE like we have in the past. 

The offensive line is also difficult to predict for me. Mike Roos and David Stewart of course will start. Same with Steve Hutchinson. I think we could see some changes at the other positions but time will tell.

Following the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, I am going to take a stab at predicting the 53 man roster. Hope you come back and check it out!

Photos from Titans Night Practice 08/14/2012