2010 Tennessee Titans Position Group Review: Defensive Backs

Stop me if you have heard this before: The defensive backs for the 2010 Titans were inconsistent.  There were games where they made a lot of plays, and there were games where they let Dwayne Bowe run through arm tackles for a 75-yard TD. 

Cortland Finnegan: Finny is supposed to be a shut down corner, but he didn't play like one in 2010.  Like the rest of the defense, he was playing well early in the season, but after he got the alleged letter from the NFL Office saying that he would be suspended if he was involved in any more incidents he lost his edge.  He played timid for the rest of the season, and he just wasn't as good.  I still believe he can be a #1 corner, but he has to find some middle ground between playing the way he did early in the year and getting a million penalties and playing the way he did at the end of the year where he wasn't very good.

Alterraun Verner: ATV was probably the biggest surprise of the 2010 season.  Of course we loved him from the start because he blogged for the site, but he turned out to be one of the biggest steals of the 2010 draft.  He started turning heads in training camp when he was making plays every day, and he kept it up when he got his shot to start after Jason McCourty went down with an injury.  Verner will only get better with more experience in the league.

Michael Griffin: Griffin was still inconsistent at times, but overall he bounced back from his rough 2009 campaign.  For that he was rewarded with a trip to the Pro Bowl and an All-Pro vote that landed him on the second team (even if it was with 45 other safeties).  It is obvious that Griffin is one of the most talented safeties in the NFL, but he won't ever be mentioned with the best in the league if he doesn't cut out the mental lapses that can last as long as one play or a whole season.

Chris Hope: A.K.A the 2010 whipping boy of MCM.  Hope had a tough year in 2010.  He looked a step slow in pass coverage all season long, but he did still tackle well.  You have to give him that.  I don't think it is any secret that the Titans will be looking for a safety to replace Hope in 2011.

Jason McCourty: It is safe to say that McCourty gets the most improved player award for the 2010 Titans.  He was playing really well before he was sidelined with the broken forearm, and the coaching staff had enough confidence in him to bump Vincent Fuller to the bench when he returned from his injury.

Vincent Fuller: He was one of the mysteries of 2010.  Fuller always played well in his role as the nickel back but was moved to the bench as mentioned above.  That wouldn't be that strange in most NFL cities, you know to put the best guys on the field, but Jeff Fisher doesn't usually bench players.

The rest of the cast- Ryan Mouton, Robert Johnson and Nick Schommer didn't make any contributions in 2010, but the Titans will need Johnson or Schommer to step forward in 2011 and take Hope's spot.