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Friday nights are usually pretty boring during the offseason, especially in terms of anything potentially important to the Titans. This Friday night was different, when Colin McCarthy showed that he still has every intention of being a starter in the Titans defense in 2014.
The conversation all started when ESPN South writer Paul Kuharsky tweeted this:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/Kbwest78">@Kbwest78</a> Need 2 in 3-4. They don't have 2. May not have 1 who should start.</p>— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/PaulKuharskyNFL/statuses/439525831187365889">February 28, 2014</a></blockquote>
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in response to a question about why the Tennessee Titans would bring in a new linebacker and who was on the outs.
This eventually lead to this tweet by McCarthy:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/Kbwest78">@Kbwest78</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PaulKuharskyNFL">@PaulKuharskyNFL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TennesseeTitans">@TennesseeTitans</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/moisefokou">@moisefokou</a> you guys are too nice.... Appreciate the support</p>— Colin McCarthy (@COLINMcCARTHY52) <a href="https://twitter.com/COLINMcCARTHY52/statuses/439537130004819969">February 28, 2014</a></blockquote>
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Which prompted this response:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/COLINMcCARTHY52">@COLINMcCARTHY52</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Kbwest78">@Kbwest78</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TennesseeTitans">@TennesseeTitans</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/moisefokou">@moisefokou</a> I think you deserve a fresh start with new staff.</p>— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/PaulKuharskyNFL/statuses/439539811649851392">February 28, 2014</a></blockquote>
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And the conversation finally ended here:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/PaulKuharskyNFL">@PaulKuharskyNFL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Kbwest78">@Kbwest78</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TennesseeTitans">@TennesseeTitans</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/moisefokou">@moisefokou</a> This is what i needed. So I'm excited to be coached this year and prove myself again</p>— Colin McCarthy (@COLINMcCARTHY52) <a href="https://twitter.com/COLINMcCARTHY52/statuses/439541648796958720">February 28, 2014</a></blockquote>
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Now I didn't see anything wrong with Kuharsky's tweets or Colin McCarthy's responses I just like seeing that despite so many setbacks in his career, McCarthy still has confidence.
This is interesting because for as good as McCarthy was early in his career, injuries and a decrease in production have made McCarthy the odd man out in terms of anyone with the potential to start in Tennessee. A year ago it was hard to find a Titans fan that wasn't excited that McCarthy would be anchoring the middle of the defense, but now it seems like he is one of the least talked about players on the roster.
If McCarthy stays healthy there is every chance that he could be at least competitive for a starting inside linebacker role. He has always had a nose for the ball and he always seems to be in the right place at the right time. Maybe this new system and coaching staff can help him put all that potential together.