I hope everyone has gotten to spend some good time with their mom today.  There was a great story about Keith Bulluck's childhood in yesterday's USA Today.   Bulluck lived with a friend's family from the time he was 12 through high school.  The article talks about the resentment Bulluck felt for his mother, and how he channeled that frustration into football.  Bulluck has since reconciled with his mother. 

"Anyone who knows my mom know she isn't a bad person," he said. "She just came up in bad times.

"You can't hold a grudge. If you hold a grudge your whole life, you're not going to move forward. I already didn't know my dad, so I felt it was important."

 Bulluck hasn't forgotten what he went through.  He started a foundation called Believe and Achieve that works with foster kids to help them transition from foster care to adulthood. 

We hear so many negative things about athletes these days so I wanted to take some time, especially on this holiday, to point out something positive a member of the Titans is doing in the world.

Teresa Walker of the AP has an interesting article about Mike Reinfeldt's approach to the salary cap.   I haven't agreed with a lot of his draft day decisions, but I think he is very smart when it comes to dealing with the cap.  The Titans currently have a lot of cap room for 2008 and 2009, so the Michael Roos deal is front -loaded.  The reason the Titans got into so much cap trouble before was because Floyd Reese back-loaded every contract he did and all of the big numbers came up at the same time.  I love the approach, and hope he can get similar deals done with Albert Haynesworth and David Stewart.

Mike Heimerdinger is working with Vince Young on his footwork first:

"We're trying to fix his feet,'' Heimerdinger said. "Just getting his feet underneath him when he throws — he just always seems to be off-balance and throws just with his arms and not with his feet. … If we can get that fixed, it will give him a chance to throw an accurate ball more often.''

 As the article mentions, and I am sure you have noticed, VY throws without his feet set a lot which tends to cause his throws to sail.  VY seems to be taking the coaching well:

"I feel like 'Dinger is getting me prepared to play, to take it to the next level,'' Young said. "… This is my third year; I'm getting a lot of reps and film work. I really feel like I have a lot of help and all I have to do is stay focused and work hard. I'm getting better; we're all getting better.''

Kevin Mawae, who said after the season last year that VY needs to become a student of the game, is already seeing improvement in that area:

"I think Vince feels more comfortable,'' Mawae said. "I made the comment at the end of the year last year that he needs to take the next step and become a student of the game and I think Heimerdinger is helping him do that.

"He is seeing more things on the field and communicating a little better with the offensive line and making checks and things like that. It is still early and we have a lot to do. But we have a lot of time for more improvement, not just for him but for everybody.''

I am really excited about what Dinger is going to bring out in VY.  We are going to see more of the special things that we saw in his rookie season

The Tennessee Titans returned to the practice field for the first time today.  The most encouraging news of the day is that Chris Hope was a full participant.  There was a lot of talk about whether Hope's career was over after the neck injury he suffered last season in Cincinnati.  It now appears that he will be ready to go when training camp starts. 

“Chris is here six hours a day, five days a week. He’s really excited about being back and having that put behind him,” Titans coach Jeff Fisher said.

The above linked article also mentions that Ryan Fowler (shoulder) and Bo Scaife (lacerated liver) were both participants as well.  Fisher said Fowler's surgically repaired shoulder wouldn't be ready if there was going to be contact today, but he was good to go though he drills of the OTA.  Roydell Williams will still need a couple of weeks to get back from the broken ankle he suffered in practice before the playoff game in San Diego. 

Albert Haynesworth is not participating in these workouts because he has yet to sign his one-year tender from the Titans.  That is no surprise.

 Click here for Paul Kuharsky's observations from today's practice.  There is some pretty encouraging stuff in there.

David Climer wrote an article in yesterday's Tennessean about the differences between Floyd Reese and Mike Reinfeldt when it comes to keeping draft picks.  Reese would keep his draft picks at all costs, while Reinfeldt cut some of his last seaon.  Climer then goes on to say that he thinks if Chris Henry doesn't step up in camp this season that his roster spot could be in jeopardy.

I don't agree with that.  Henry wasn't terrible as a running back last season.  He had a great game against the Oakland Raiders with 4 carries for 48 yards that included a 24 yard TD run.  The Titans had to know that Henry was a project when they drafted him because he didn't produce at all in college.  It would be really dumb to give up on him after just 1 season.

The other reason I don't think he will be cut is because the Titans are not going to carry less than 3 running backs.  LenDale White has a running style that is going to lead to a lot of bumps an bruises, and Chris Johnson isn't built to be a 20+ carry per game back.  Which guy that is currently on the roster would get a spot ahead of Henry?  There is no one behind Johnson that has the raw speed and athleticism that Henry brings to the table. 

It is way to early to give up on Henry.  Did he prove to be worth a 2nd round pick last seaosn?  No, but that doesn't mean you cut him.  He will be given at least another year to prove what he can do.

What do you think?  Will the Titans cut Henry if he doesn't have a good camp?  Should they?

Over the next few weeks I am going to take some time to look back at the drafts this franchise has completed since the move to Tennessee following the 1996 season.  There will be a poll with each draft that will allow you to assign the grade that you find appropriate.

Round 1 Pick #18- Kenny Holmes, DE, Miami

Holmes was a decent player for the Oilers/Titans for 5 years.  He signed an overpriced contract with the New York Giants after the 2000 season.  Holmes hasn't played in the league since 2003, and finished his career with 250 tackles and 38.5 sacks.

Grade: C

Round 2 Pick #46- Joey Kent, WR, Tennessee

This has to be one of the worst picks in franchise history.  Kent barely even made it to the Titans era.  He appeared in 30 games in 3 years and had 1 career TD reception.

Grade: F-

Round 3 Pick #75- Denard Walker, CB, LSU

Despite the fact that Walker is most known for his non-pass defense/fall down in the Super Bowl, Walker wasn't terrible.  He was pretty bad, but he wasn't terrible.  He played 9 seasons in the league and picked off 13 passes.

Grade: C

Round 3 Pick #81- Scott Sanderson, OT, Washington State

This was another bad pick.  Sanderson never amounted to much as an NFL tackle.  He was in the league for 7 years and started 6 games.  More years in the league than games started is never a good stat.

Grade: F

Round 4 Pick #98- Derrick Mason, WR, Michigan State

Mason is obviously the saving grace of this draft.  Mason took a few years to develop, but he busted on the scene in 1999 when he set the NFL record for all-purpose yards in a season.  D Mase is still putting up solid numbers (1,087 yards and 5 TDs in 2007).  It would be nice if he was still a member of the Titans.

Grade: A+

Round 4 Pick #107- Pratt Lyons, DE, Troy State

Raise your hand if you remember anything about Lyons.  No one...OK.  Lyons did record 4.5 sacks in his 3 years with the franchise.  He was waived before the 2000 season after missing the entire 1999 season after being injured in a car wreck.  The grade is a little softer on him since the wreck ended his career.

Grade: D

Round 5 Pick #143- George McCullough, DB, Baylor

This was another pick that was pretty much wasted.  McCullough was in the league for just 5 years and never started a game.

Grade: F

Round 6 Pick #181- Dennis Stallings, LB, Illinois

Here is another guy that didn't contribute much, if any.  Stallings didn't make 28 appearances in his first 2 season, but I would suspect it was just on special teams.  6th rounders aren't expected to do great things, but they need to be in the league more than 2-3 years.

Grade: F

Round 7 Pick #217- Armon Williams, DB, Arizona

Williams appeared in 6 games in 1997 and was never heard from again.

Grade: F

This was not Floyd Reese's best effort.  Out of 9 picks there were only 3 that made any kind of contribution to the franchise. 

Overall grade: D

The Tennessee Titans vs. Oakland Raiders preseason game has been moved from Saturday, August 16th to Friday, August 15th.  The game has been picked up nationally by FOX.

The new defensive lineman got introduced to Jim Washburn last week.  Washburn seems really excited to work with these guys.  While Jeff Fisher and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz haven't yet decided if 2nd round pick Jason Jones will play tackle or end, Wash seems to have his mind made up:

"He can be OK out there, but what he is is an inside player," Washburn said. "He weighs 273 or something like that and that hasn't been an issue because he was strong against the run. He was sort of unusually strong. I'm not sure, I've just got to see."

Wash also seemed very excited about the speed of 4th round pick William Hayes:

"I just like him," Washburn said. "He can fly. Really strong. … He's going to be overwhelmed. This isn't FAMU. But you know something, he's got unique physical qualities. Everybody thought, 'Wow, what a reach.' They had no clue."

Speaking of being excited by speed, offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger is thrilled to have 1st round pick Chris Johnson in his arsenal:

"We were out there making up routes,'' Heimerdinger said. "I've never had a guy that can do (things Johnson can). … You need to be able to take advantage of the guy because he can do so many things. We'll just see what he can handle.''

Rafael Little took the practice field last week wearing #32.   He was quickly told by Fisher to take it off:

“He’s not going to be wearing that,” Fisher said. “We had discussed it this morning and for some reason someone told him to get dressed and come out. But that won’t be his number. … He’d prefer to wear a different number than 32 and you can read into it all you want.’’

Asked if the Titans were retiring the number or exorcising it, Fisher said: “I’m sending it to Dallas.”

There you have it.

Stats

I am not sure what to expect from Stanford Keglar.  He does have an awesome name though.  Keglar seems to be a project.  He has good size and speed, but his production hasn't been what you would expect of someone with his physical tools.  He racked up 250 tackles in college, which is solid, but only having 13 tackles for loss in 49 games for an outside linebacker is not very good.  The positive for Keglar coming in is that he won't be counted on for anything besides special teams in 2008 because the Titans are solid at outside linebacker.

There is an unresolved off the field incident with Keglar from a bar fight in which he was charged with battery, false informing, and disorderly conduct.  His agent claims he was just coming to the defense of a teammate and that the charges will be dimissed.  We will see..

I sent Danzig, a senior writer at Bearsnecessity,  a few questions about the Titans newest receiver, Lavelle Hawkins.

1. Who is going to be a better NFL receiver, LaVelle
   Hawkins or DeSean Jackson?

Well gee, thanks for the impossible question. How
about which one is hotter: Jessica Alba or Keeley
Hazell? Short answer, Hawk projects as the more
productive NFL WR. Heck, even our coach let it slip
that Hawk would be drafted first (really).  Here's
why:

• Hawk is superior physically: This allowed
  him to run all the routes on our playbook while Djax
  is mainly a deep guy (although Hawk leads in
  yards/catch, meaning he can go deep too).  We sent
  Hawk to catch balls over the middle and take nasty
  hits from LBs and Safeties. He owned 3rd downs because
  he boxes people out and can catch with defenders
  literally on his back (his best quality!).  Hawk deals
  with press coverage better. He is not affected by the
  initial bump, can recover and then has 4.4 speed to
  separate.

          Hawk can improvise: When our QB is in
          trouble he looks for the Hawk.  He is especially good
          at catching bullets on come-backers when our QB has
          been flushed. His ability to catch balls in traffic
          also makes him a great red-zone target.

• Hawk does not need open space: Djax is
  better in space when making people miss, but isn't
  great at fighting off defenders.  Although Hawk also
  has great moves, he uses his strength or his stiff arm
  to fight defenders for YAC. He loves the stiff arm!
  Not to say that Hawk can't hot-dog, remember he's been
  our KOR guy for 2 years.

2. How did Hawkins play against top competition?

Can't really say.  In our system we only have two WRs
out 70% of the time.  It’s a pure run-first, pro
offense.  So Hawk found himself in one-on-ones alot
against the second best corner (Djax gets the best
corners).  But regardless the DB talent, he rips them
up consistently. Remember, he led our team in
receiving and all-purpose yards last year, meaning he
produces no matter who it is.  As far as big games vs.
small games, Hawk's production never really changes.
He's like a straight line while Djax is like a Sine
wave.  Djax is quiet during small games and explodes
during big games.  Hawk just keeps getting open game
after game. Remember the Vols game in 07? Everyone
remembers Djax and his big plays, but in that game
Hawk had more receiving yards, yards/catch, total
yards and more return yards...that pretty much sums
him up.

3. What NFL receiver do you think Hawkins resembles?

I sort of answered this before in a post but basically
he's a carbon copy of a younger Hines Ward (Steelers).
Like Ward he doesn’t think too much when he’s
catching, meaning his upper-body adjustments are
instinctive and natural (as opposed to being
mechanical) allowing him to catch grossly off-target
balls.  Like Ward he doesn't have great timed speed or
size, but functional speed and size (4.44,5’11).  Like
Ward he fights off defenders for that extra two or
three yards on each catch and blocks out people with
his body.

A big thanks to Danzig for his insights.

This is going to be an interesting story to watch.  As gramsey and august added in the fanposts, there was a shooting outside a bar owned by Colts' receiver Marvin Harrison earlier this week.  It seems pretty obvious that Harrison was involved somehow but no charges have been filed yet. 

The story goes something like this; A man enters the bar and argues with Harrison.  He leaves with Harrison following him to the parking lot where shots break out.  Harrison owns a gun that was found at a car wash he owns and tests proved it was fired recently.  The gun also matches the slugs that were recovered from the scene.  Again, no charges have been filed, but the evidence seems to overwhelmingly suggest that Harrison was involved. 

I have no idea how far this will go, or if Harrison will face any sanctions from the NFL, but it is an interesting story none the less.  Harrison has never been involved in anything like this before that we know of.  The people at Stampede Blue are all, Marvin would never do anything like this, but this just proves again that we really don't know the athletes that we think we know so well.  Not passing any judgement, just saying..

This pick was probably the most surprising one of the draft.  It is not that I don’t think Hayes will end up being a good player for the Titans, but they probably could have gotten him in the 6^th round.  Why they traded up to get him in the 4^th round is beyond me.

Hayes seems to be a pass rushing prospect.  He has a lot of the physical tools necessary but just hasn’t put it all together yet.  He has good size at 6’2 258.  The Titans will probably bulk him up a little bit, and Jim Washburn will light a fire under him to get him to play full speed on every snap. 

Here is a philosophical draft question: There is a really good chance that the Titans could have gotten Hayes in the 4^th round without trading up.  Let’s say Hayes turns out to be a 4 time Pro Bowler.  Does that make it worth giving up the picks to move up and get him, or is this a dumb pick even if he turns out to be really good (obviously not as dumb, but still dumb none the less)?