Titans haven’t given Young much help

By Connor Byrne  |   Sunday, May 27, 2007  |  Comments( 3 )

Tennessee Titans
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Thanks largely to the heroics of rookie quarterback Vince Young, the Tennessee Titans ended last season by winning six of their final seven games and finishing a surprising 8-8. Young, in 15 games (13 starts), had poor on-paper passing stats -- 51.5 completion percentage, 12 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, 66.7 efficiency rating -- but always seemed to deliver when needed.

The 6-foot-5, 228-pounder's ability to make Jack Bauer-like escapes from the pocket and run for big gains (552 yards, seven touchdowns) was also a great aid to Tennessee's offense, and it helped make him one of the most electrifying players in the NFL.

Once last year ended and the offseason set in for the Titans, many expected them to improve the talent around Young and become a true contender in the AFC. Instead, however, Tennessee has simply let some of Young's key weapons leave and has replaced them with unproven players.

Running back was among the Titans' biggest strengths down the stretch of the 2006 campaign. Six-year veteran Travis Henry flashed the ability that made him a Pro Bowler for the Buffalo Bills in 2002, rushing for 1,211 yards on a 4.5 per-carry average. Henry, however, left for Denver, and the Titans elected to not re-sign his backup, Chris Brown, a former 1,000-yard rusher.

Sans Henry and Brown, Tennessee is set to rely on two backfield youngsters -- LenDale White and Chris Henry.

White, an ex-USC star whom the Titans drafted in Round 2 a year ago, has battled issues with his weight and has turned some off with what has been perceived as a questionable attitude. The 6-1, 235-pound White averaged 4 yards per rush as a rookie, but he was barely tested (61 carries).

Henry, on the other hand, had a far less prestigious college career than White. In four seasons at the University of Arizona, the 21-year-old accumulated a meager 269 rushing attempts. The 233-pounder's best year was his last, 2006, but even then he managed a subpar 3.5 yards per carry. Henry had a strong combine, though, where he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds and impressed the Titans, who used a second-round pick on him in last month's draft.

Aside from losing its two best running backs in the offseason, Tennessee also waved goodbye to its most proven wide receiver, Drew Bennett. By no means was the 6-5, 206-pound Bennett an elite wideout in Nashville, but he was the best the team had for the past three seasons. Now a St. Louis Ram, Bennett led all Titans with 46 catches and 737 yards last year.

The team now has to hope a lowly cast that's led by David Givens, who signed an expensive free-agent contract in '06, steps up. Givens finished with just eight catches in five games a season ago, and he's hauled in a total of 166 balls during his five-year career (most of which was spent in New England with future Hall of Fame QB Tom Brady).

Tennessee's most notable wideout acquisition this offseason was third-rounder Paul Williams, who starred at Fresno State, but the odds of him making a real difference as an NFL rookie are slim. Not every mid- to late-round first-year WR is Marques Colston, folks.

With all of the Titans' offensive losses in mind, it's clear entering the 2007 season that the franchise might be placing too much on Young's shoulders. The former national title-winning Texas QB is only 23, and the Titans have so far been less than eager to provide him the necessary help to take them to the Promised Land.

Without talent around Young, one has to wonder whether the team's 8-8 record of last year will be easy to eclipse, particularly in the difficult AFC South. Frankly, for the Titans to take any steps toward a playoff berth this season, Young might have to perform something just shy of a miracle. Over the course of a 16-game schedule, that is one tall order.

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