ProFootballCentral.com

By PFC Titans Writer Daniel Johns

    After much criticizing from critics and experts who say the Titans didn’t do their job by surrounding Vince Young with weapons in this years Draft, head coach Jeff Fisher seems perfectly content with they way they conducted it.  Nearly every mock draft you can find out their on the World Wide Web had the Titans picking a receiver in either the first or second round. 

However, both rounds came and left, and still no receiver for the Titans.  In fact they waited till the fourth round to pick up their sole receiver in the Draft, Cal standout Lavelle Hawkins.  After no receivers were picked up by any team in the first round, Limas Sweed, a former Texas teammate of Vince Young, sat staring the Titans in the face deep into the second round.  However, the Titans instead of moving up to ensure the pick, stayed put, and then saw the Pittsburgh Steelers steal him one pick before it was Tennessee’s turn.  The hearts of many Titan fans sank that afternoon as objects were most likely thrown at the television screens. Another Draft down for Tennessee, and another big play receiver past on in the early stages.

    However, Titan fans need not to hit the panic button just yet.  Yes, their quarterback had only 9 TD passes in 2007 and wasn’t surrounded by the cream of the crop talented receivers that he seems to need; but the Titans did go out and semi-stretch albeit, for speedster running back out of East Carolina, Chris Johnson.  It’s no secret Tennessee’s best asset on offense is no doubt their running game and offensive line.  Second round pick from 2006, running back LenDale White, was sure enough the big man who eats up the short yardage between the trenches that so-perfectly fits their scheme.  Now combine with him a track star speed runner in Chris Johnson and you have yourselves one heck of a potent one-two punch, which in essence will take off a lot of the pressure on Young.  There philosophy almost seems to mimic what is going on just south of Tennessee down there in New Orleans.  The Saints have a formable two-headed monster in Reggie Bush and Deuce McAllister.  Now having that thunder and lighting combo in Tennessee could prove vital in the offense attack that they so desperately need to exploit.

    Obviously, the receiver position has been a pressing need for quite sometime now.  One of the biggest named receiver they have picked up in recent years was the 2006 acquisition of former Patriot David Givens.  At around $20 million, he never paid off and faced major knee issues while the injury bug kept him out of nearly every game of both seasons while in a Tennessee uniform.  In fact, the last time the Titans even drafted a receiver in the first round was back in 1998 when the Tennessee Oilers drafted Kevin Dyson.

Steve McNair faired well with a mediocre group of receivers throughout his career in Houston and Nashville, and even garnished a co-MVP award in 2003.  However, for Vince Young it doesn’t seem that simple.  He arguably got his offensive coordinator Norm Chow fired, after a sub-par sophomore campaign.  So now the Titans went out and got Young, his mentor McNair’s former offensive coordinator of the Titans, Mike Heimerdinger.  They even brought back a familiar face at receiver during the McNair era, Justin McCareins.  Coach Fisher and GM Mike Reinfeldt believes that giving Young time to work and further develop with a young core of receivers that he worked with last year, will be the beneficial for the blossoming and grooming of Young.  He single handedly won the Rose Bowl in 2006 but that’s easier said than done in the NFL when providing weapons around him is obviously crucial.  Only time will tell if this tactic will make or break this former collegiate superstar.