by mikemarrs » Mon Apr 30, 2012 11:45 pm
As soon as the Tennessee Titans selected wide receiver Kendall Wright with their first pick in last weekend’s NFL draft, many began to wonder is this the end of the run-first era in Tennessee that was in place pretty much the entire time Jeff Fisher was coach?
Well there is a different head coach in place now and with the selection of Wright, it is now abundantly clear that any repeat of the CJ2K phenomenon is out of the question.Chris Johnson is simply not going to get the ball often enough to put up those kinds of numbers.
This is a team that wants to throw the football — a lot.
Jake Locker will get his chance to play this season.
In discussing the selection Thursday night, offensive coordinator Chris Palmer even referenced his time as an assistant with the Houston Oilers during their days as a run-and-shoot offense.
“I think [Wright] reminds me of Drew Hill and Ernest Givins that we had back in the run-and-shoot days in Houston,” Palmer said. “He’s a guy that also can play outside. He closes the cushion between himself and the defensive back very, very quickly.
“I think he’s a guy that will allow us to move him around and complement our other receivers and give us a chance to be more explosive offensively.”
It was not that long ago that Johnson was unquestionably the game’s most explosive offensive player — not just in the present, but all-time. In one season, he set the NFL’s career record for touchdown plays of 85 yards or more.
Last fall, though, he was ordinary, excruciatingly so. That was Palmer’s first impression of him, and it was likely a lasting one.
Wright’s selection does not suggest anything but it does, however, signal the end of the days when the Titans were married to a run game. For the first time, they seem interested in having more than just pedestrian receivers on their roster — and there’s more to do in that regard.
Many also begin to wonder about Kenny Britt and his health.
After all, Britt, a first-round draft pick in his own right, is coming off reconstructive knee surgery that cost him most of last season. And he had hamstring issues in the two seasons prior to that.
Perhaps the team decided to hedge its bet in that regard or — worse yet — maybe there was a sense that the 2009 first-round pick never would be right again so they drafted Wright as insurance.
It looks as if the Titans are ready to throw in the towel and just throw the ball as many times as possible.
For that to happen, of course, Britt has to be healthy.
The team also has Damian Williams,Lavelle Hawkins and Nate Washington who was the leader in receptions last season plus tight ends Jared Cook and Craig Stevens.
They also drafted Taylor Thompson 6-foot-5, 260 pounds who runs a 4.5 and was defensive end at SMU and a receiver in high school but Tennessee is converting him into a tight end.
Before the draft, MDS told you about SMU defensive end Taylor Thompson’s attempt to transition to tight end as an NFL draft pick.
The Titans are believers in what Thompson is doing. They took him with the 145th overall pick on Saturday and then started gushing about his potential as a receiver.
“I’d say his growth will have to come in the technique of blocking, but as far as being a receiving tight end, I think he’s uncanny,” offensive coordinator Chris Palmer said, via John Glennon of the Tennessean. “He’s got outstanding speed. He’s got outstanding size and hands.”
Thompson was a highly-regarded tight end coming out of high school but switched to defensive end because SMU’s offense doesn’t have much of a role for tight ends. He has compared himself to Rob Gronkowski as an athlete, so it makes sense for Thompson to try to become part of the league’s trend toward athletic receiving tight ends.
The Titans have Jared Cook as their starter at tight end with veterans Craig Stevens and Daniel Graham in reserve.
I'm just a cheap bastard.
) ). I hope
