Will Dinger succeed in Nashville?

By Marc Hudgens  |   Tuesday, March 11, 2008  |  Comments( 0 )

Tennessee Titans
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The short answer is...'it depends'.

When Tennessee head coach Jeff Fisher brought ex-Denver assistant head coach Mike Heimerdinger it was the first step to getting back to the good old days, when Dinger was the offensive coordinator from 2000-2005 and was credited with the development of Steve McNair, who was an NFL co-MVP in 2003.

Dinger is also credited with boosting Jay Cutler's career in Denver, so rest assured he will develop Titan quarterback Vince Young and take him to a whole other level.

However, the flip side is there still aren't any downfield threats for Young to throw to. Although Dinger was the Broncos receivers coach from 1995-99, during which time he earned two Super Bowl rings, he's not going to have a lot to work with in Nashville unless something is done quick.

Ex-Falcon tight end Alge Crumpler appears to be the offensive crown jewel in this year's free agent acquisition, and that's fairly risky because, in spite of boasting four Pro Bowls, he is 30-years-old and isn't the dynamic, deep threat that a Reggie Wayne, Plaxico Burress or Torry Holt is. Crumpler should be a serious red-zone threat, which is great because the Titans flat-out stunk in that category last season.

But again, Crumpler's a tight end, not a full-blown receiver. Until they land a serious field-stretcher, what Dinger and Young will be able to do in the passing game will be limited. They re-signed Justin Gage, but his hands aren't much better than Roydell Williams or Bo Scaife, if any. And Tennessee had massive problems in the dropped passes category just a few short months ago.

While all the other NFL teams will be jonsing over the scads of running backs entering this year's draft, Tennessee will now have to focus on top college receivers known for good hands. Draftees to keep an eye on are Vanderbilt's Earl Bennett, Texas' Limas Sweed, Cal's DeSean Jackson, or UCLA's Brandon Breazell. Dinger must push Fisher and general manager Mike Reinfeldt for these weapons, and push them hard.

If preseason comes and the Titans still have no threat at receiver, expect a rerun of last season.
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About Marc Hudgens

Marc Hudgens has been with RealFootball365 since 2007, covering college football, specifically Clemson and Oregon. He also writes for SouthernPigskin.com covering the ACC. He enjoys the acidic wit of Hunter S. Thompson, is a freelance graphic designer and has written several screenplays. He ...
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