Tennessee Titans 2011 NFL Team Preview

An in-depth look at the Titans' offense, defense and special teams this year.

The Music City melodrama between Jeff Fisher and Vince Young is finally over. The either-or ultimatum resulted in both high-profile personalities leaving town with varying degrees of regret, disappointment and unfulfilled potential.

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Matt Hasselbeck Has Some Great New Hair

The Titans new quarterback has the world's best hairdo.

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Randy Moss: Retired and Rejected

The 6'4", 34-year-old "Freak" ends his Hall of Fame career after 13 seasons.

There is a surreal symmetry to the retirement go-route run by Randy Moss, whose hollow 13-year Hall of Fame career ends, like so many, “not with a bang but a whimper.”

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Fantasy Football: Breaking down the Tennessee Titans

TENNESSEE
• Inside the Locker Room
With Nathan Rush of Athlon Sports

Chris Johnson seemed skittish at the line of scrimmage last year. What changed from 2009 to ’10, and do you expect a return to fantasy dominance?
After scoring a 76-yard TD against the Raiders in the opener and then going the distance on an 85-yard romp (which was called back due to an away-from-the-play holding call) against the Steelers in Week 2, Johnson seemed to be looking for holes to hit home runs with, rather than just taking what the defense allowed. But who can blame him? In 2009, CJ2K scored on runs of 91, 89, 85, 57 and 52 yards, along with catch-and-runs of 69 and 66 yards. CJ is always one cut away from a foot race to the end zone. As long as he’s faster than everyone chasing him, CJ’s fantasy gold.

Will Kenny Britt’s off-the-field issues impact his ability to become an elite fantasy receiver this season?
Britt is one of the biggest boom-or-bust prospects in fantasy football this season. The 6'3", 215-pound 22-year-old was the top player in fantasy in Week 7 last year — seven catches, 225 yards, three TDs — but has yet to show the type of maturity or dedication necessary to take the next step.

How much will the offense change under new coach Mike Munchak and offensive coordinator Chris Palmer?
The Titans have a new coach, but expect the same run-first philosophy. With Palmer calling plays, expect CJ to put up pass-catching numbers closer to his 2009 totals (503 yards and two TDs) than those of 2010 (245 yards and one TD).

• Fantasy Playoff Run — Weeks 14-16: NO, @IND, JAC
It's hard to say what this offense is going to be like come Weeks 14-15-16. All three opposing defenses were in the bottom half against fantasy RBs last season, including the Colts (24.5 ppg) and Jags (23.7 ppg), who were in the bottom eight. Good news for Chris Johnson. But we expect the Saints, with former Titans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams calling the defensive shots, to improve, and the other two are AFC South rivals.

• Athlon Best Bets
Sleeper: Jared Cook, TE
Deep-Sleeper: Javon Ringer, RB
Overvalued: Nate Washington, WR
Top Rookie: Akeem Ayers, LB
Bounce-Back: Derrick Morgan, DL
Top IDP: Barrett Ruud, LB

• Try to Avoid
WIDE RECEIVERS
Unrealized potential, lack of talent, off-the-field transgressions and a questionable quarterback situation make Tennessee’s receivers a tough sell for anyone looking for help in 2011.
WAIT UNTIL: 9th RD

• Draft Class Fantasy Impact
Vince Young failed to become Tennessee’s franchise quarterback, and the team will turn to Locker at some point in 2011. Locker needs to work on his accuracy but has all of the physical tools to succeed in the NFL. Locker should be one of the top keeper picks at quarterback but will likely hold no fantasy value in redraft leagues this season. Chris Johnson has threatened to hold out, which makes the addition of Harper even more valuable.

More Fantasy Football Cheat Sheets and Rankings:
2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Top 280
2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Top 240 w/ IDPs
2 011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterbacks
2 011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Running Backs
2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Wide Receivers
2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Tight Ends
2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Kickers
2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Defense/Special Teams

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Quarterback Carousel

The NFL’s quarterback landscape has seen considerable changes since the lockout ended.

Kevin Kolb, Cardinals
Arizona traded away 2008 first-round pick (No. 16 overall) and 25-year-old Pro Bowl cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie along with its 2012 second-round pick to acquire the young gun with seven career starts under his belt.

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When It Comes To Randy Moss, The Jets Should Learn From The Titans and Patriots Mistakes

The troubled wide receiver's ego is bigger than his stat line these days

NFL News: Randy Moss used to be a great player. It could be argued that he was the most gifted athlete ever to play the game of football. It can also be argued that he's not worth the trouble and baggage anymore.

Now rumors are surfacing that the New York Jets may be interested in signing Randy Moss to play opposite Santonio Holmes.

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Matt Hasselbeck Signs With Tennessee Titans

Veteran QB goes from frying pan into fire.

NFL News: Matt Hasselbeck, arguably the top quarterback in the free agent market, has agreed to a deal with the Tennessee Titans.

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NFL's Ten High-Priority Moves as Lockout Ends

With player transactions about to kick off, some teams have big moves to make

By Scott Henry (Twitter: @4QuartersRadio)

With free agency’s usual five-month time frame being condensed into five weeks, the phones of both team executives and the players they’re pursuing are about to be set ablaze with constant activity. Some teams would rather lay low, but the ten teams that follow have one available move that would fill a tremendous need, offer roster or cap flexibility, or simply get the fan base excited.

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Kenny Britt-ney Spears

Titans receiver Kenny Britt "performs" with Britney Spears at Nashville concert.

Kenny Britt may not want the cops to keep putting handcuffs on him, but the third-year Tennessee Titans wideout had no problem submitting to Britney Spears during her Femme Fatale Tour’s stop in Nashville on Monday night.

COMMENTS

NFL, NFLPA Finally Agree on Rookie Salary System

Rookies will still get paid, just not on a Sam Bradford level

The final hurdle to NFL labor piece may have been cleared Thursday night.

ESPN reported that the league's owners and the NFL Players Association have reached a tentative agreement on a new rookie wage system, which has been said to be the final stumbling block toward a new collective bargaining agreement.