Jerruh Land 2: A Madden 15 Expansion CC.

[Victor Cruz Pun]

News Around The League.

7/25/14-Jerruh Land 2.



How? The public wonders. How was the identity of Jerry Jones illegitimate child never discovered until he suddenly stepped forward to purchase the Tennessee Titans? DNA testing recently backed up what started off as just a wild rumor that very few if any believed. There are many more questions than answers to this story but we had a tell all video interview with John Jones himself to give us some background on the situation.

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Jones: Really, this ******?

Evans: Sir, I understand your frustration just work with me here.

Evans gives a stupid weasel esque snicker and Jones imitates it.

Evans: Well, that's just get onto the interview then.

Jones: Well, that's just get onto the interview then.

Evans: What are you doing?

Jones: I'm trying to get you fired, your work sucks.

Jones approaches Evans and puts his hands behind his back.

Jones: Come on, you know you want to. Here's a free shot right at my face. Come on you son of a bitch, you know you want to. Your moms a whore and your Super Bowl ring is worthless because your a fricken fullback and you put your body through all that punishment for a position that has a negligible effect on the game.

Evans: Sir, I'm not going to hit you, now please take a seat and let's conduct this interview.

Evans: ahem, so the question on everyones mind is why wait so long to reveal yourself and how were you able to purchase the Titans?

Jones: Well obviously my birth caught Jerry by surprise, with all the safety precautions put into place. He was very embarrassed about the whole thing and gave us some hush money. He obviously expected me to waste the money like most people who come into a large amount of money but no, I've been pimping since 1985, letting my money work for me and now here I am.

Evans: Would you say that you purchased the Titans with the intent to get revenge upon Jerry Jones?

Jones: I'd be lying if I said it didn't have a part. I've always resented the fact that my dad had all these people in the press box and all these celebrities he hung with but he never had time for me. It made me feel like crap to be completely honest with you. With that said there would be much more efficient ways to get revenge which I have, like those strategically placed bear traps. The main factor into my purchase was that I love football, it runs in my blood and I think I can make the Titans one of the glamour teams in the league but with a little more substance than the Cowboys and I'm not talking that molly in Mexico.

Evans: How were you able to stay out of the spotlight this long being a Jones?

Jones: Well Jones is a common last name so obviously people would not put two and two together and after my mom lost her crap with all the money she got and developed a habit I was put with my grandmother in Wyoming. I actually kind of miss some of the perks of living there now that I've relocated for my job. The wide open spaces and not having to wait on line to get into an applebee's.

Evans: How have you dealt with the added attention and scrutiny now that you are an NFL Owner and people are aware of who your father is?

Jones: It's made me even hungrier to help the Titans climb to the top of the ladder and get that Super Bowl. I've been the butt of so many jokes and memes on the internet and it only hurts me and not them if I dwell on it, I just let the haters be my motivators.

To be honest I was expecting it to be that way but I revealed all this because I don't want to hide my past. The truth will set you free and all that crap. I just feel like I need to resolve all the thoughts I've had about my self worth and who I really am by owning up to my past and showing my father that I'm not an embarrassment to his name and then create a legacy great enough to have me remembered for who I really am and not what I am.

It's all what I felt was best for my life as I always have been a rather volatile person and that can get the best of me sometimes in a big way. I wasn't as fulfilled with life as I could be with this new direction and it could end up being a train wreck and I am nervous about the prospect of failing and maybe proving everyone right about me being a joke but it's just something I have to do or else I'll regret it for the rest of my life.

End Interview.

[Victor Cruz Pun]

News Around The League.

7/29/14: The Purge.

The Titans have been forced to start over, in a judgement that has practically made the internet explode Rodger Goodell has given the Titans the death penalty. The teams attendance has slipped drastically the past few seasons and with the team being by far the least profitable it seems like Goodell as well as the rest of the owners have come together to try and force the Titans hand into relocating by forcing the team to release all players and paying off the rest of their contracts. The Tennessee fanbase which let things get to this point though are ironically now protesting the leagues actions and rallying around the team but it has yet to be seen if this will translate into more ticket sales.

What the team has done to try and improve turnout for games and improved revenue is the signing of John Jones, the controversial son of Jerry Jones who while known for his hot blooded temper is also known for his business savy as Owner/GM, whether entrusting him with the team is a bold move that pays off or is the last straw in the effort to keep the Titans in Tennessee has yet to be seen but the buzz around the Titans has gotten them much more media attention than in recent years, which is a start but now they have to build a solid team that can keep the buzz around them and not just a media circus. With the roster they have right now their chances of turning the team around quickly look dire.

7/29/14: Titans New Schemes.

The Titans have switched their schemes, playbooks, and position type preferences to the following:

Off Playbook: Chip Kelly
Offense: Zone Run

QB: Balanced
RB: Speed Back
FB: Blocking
WR1: Balanced
WR2: Balanced
WR3: Route Runner
TE: Vertical Threat
OL: Zone Blocking.

Def Playbook: Mike Tomlin
Defense: Zone Blitz

LE: 3-4 Versatile
NT: Run Stopper
RE: 3-4 Versatile
LOLB: 3-4 Pass Rusher
MLB: Cover 2
MLB: Cover 2
ROLB: 3-4 Pass Rusher
CB: Zone
CB: Zone
CB: Zone
FS: Zone
SS: Zone

K: Balanced
P: Power

7/30/14: Titans banking on Lamichael James development.



Everything happens for a reason Lamichael James told himself after his unceremonious release from the 49ers after being the teams 2nd round pick in the 2012 draft. Nowadays he counts his release as a blessing in disguise.

" I'm very thankful to the 49ers for the opportunity they provided me and while I'm going to miss my old teammates and coaches I'm very excited about my new opportunity with the Titans."

He has reason to be, not only does he have a clear shot at the starting job but he should be the bellcow for that team who look to be a run first team with the implementation of Chip Kelly's system. Whether he'll be able to sustain his 4.7 career YPC albeit in limited time behind a young, inexperienced, and unproven Titans line has yet to be seen but the Titans have been reportedly putting a lot of resources into developing the young HB and he has shown good work ethic for the team, as he has been one of the hardest working players in Titans camp per beat writers in the area and has been impressive in practice reps.

James has experience already in the system, one which is a better fit than the power system he saw himself with in San Francisco having played for Chip Kelly in Oregon from 2009 to 2011 with incredible success: Unanimous All American in 2010, First Team All Pac 10 in 2010 and 2011,The NCAA's leading rusher at 1,731 yards in 2010, and finishing as Oregons all time leading rusher. But this is not 2010, not Oregon, he doesn't have Chip Kelly as his coach, and he does not have Philly's Oline. The Titans are aware that they will have to reign in expectations for James, it's going to be an uphill battle given the pieces around him and if he doesn't have success right away his confidence could wane behind a historically bad offensive line. It will be interesting to see how James fares as the Titans face off against the Packers week 1 on August 9th.

8/01/14: Titans Game Prep for Week 1.

35 Hours Available:

3 Hours Spent on Scrimmages: Loucheiz.Purifoy +10 Exp, Adrian Hamilton + 10 Exp, Jordan Rodgers + 22 Exp.

6 Hours Spent on CB Development: Loucheiz Purifoy + 252 Exp.

6 Hours Spent on HB Development: Lamichael James + 541 Exp.

20 Hours Spent on Promising HB Development: Lamichael James + 1934 Exp.

[Victor Cruz Pun]

Local News.

8/03/14: Titans New Owner/GM Starts Off On The Wrong Foot.

If first impressions truly are important than Titans Owner/GM John Jones, less than one one week into the job could be in trouble. As one anonymous Titans staff member stated "He hasn't been nearly as hands on with the team as we would like, he hasn't even met his players yet! We admire the fact that he's trying to focus the financial straits we are under but none of that matters if the product on the field isn't up to a certain level and right now the players don't have an owner that they can rally around and play for."

While the controversial Owner/GM has received compliments for the work he has done to improve the teams stadium, marketing, and financial situation he hasn't exactly received rave reviews for the work he has done to build up an even competent football team and the locker room morale has suffered dearly. " He jusn't hasn't build up a team with much talent or leadership to be quite honest with you, we understand that he's dealing with a very rare situation but even then there are more promising players on the market we could have signed." Another anonymous staff member says, who also explains " the closest thing we have to a true leader on the team is Lamichael James and even then he's the quiet, lead by example type and that's too subtle for the young team we have right now, we need a rah rah type leader who will be more demanding and will teach these younger players the type of work ethic they need to succeed."

Titans players have also been brutally honest on their feeling for John Jones "Cold, detatched from the team." One player states, " It's just hard to get excited about playing for this organization when the owner can hardly be bothered to meet with his players and doesn't have any interest in getting to know them." Another states. One player did not take to complaining anonymously as Fullback Dorin Dickerson blasted John Jones through the media " I'll be honest, I'm not a huge fan of his at this point. He just doesn't seem to care all that much about the team or how we do, he feels like one of those guys who owns a team just because he can. I'm not interested in playing for someone like that." Asked whether it's the smartest idea to openly criticize his employer Dickerson stated " I'm a man, I'm 26. I don't like what's going on here I'm pissed off about it and I'm angry enough that I want to be heard and I'm not going to hide behind the media. Anyone who anonymously hides behind their complains isn't a man to me, these are my words, these are my feelings and I'm going to stand behind them and put my name on them. If he (Titans Owner John Jones) doesn't like it we can have a talk behind closed doors about it."


Dorin Dickerson during his time with the Bills. The speedy fullback has versatility having also played at WR and TE in his brief stints with the Bills and the Texans.

John Jones for his part plans to hold a press conference directly after their preseason outing against the Packers where he will answer the hard hitting questions he will no doubt be asked. How such a young owner with practically no experience handles this situation could get interesting, especially with the reputation John Jones has among those who know him for his lack of patience in dealing with these situations.

8/04/14: Will The Real John Jones Please Stand Up.

" John's always been one of the least patient people I've ever known." Childhood and Long time friend Arlene Kendricks states " and that's something that I think actually has enabled him to get to where he is right now. He would just work his butt off all the time and do whatever it took to reach his goals and no matter how well he was doing he just didn't seem content with himself. Everything is a race against time with him, he had to be going 100 mph and he was really hard on himself for a long time about if he was going to ever reach his goals."

His biggest goal being to own an NFL team.

" He was sitting there as a twenty something year old and would constantly be depressed over whether or not he would ever own a team. You hear about how insane it is for a 29 year old to own a team but if you ask him it felt like it took forever for him to get his chance." Arlene states going on to say " I just hope people give him a chance and don't judge him too harshly. He has his flaws just like all of us but once you get to know him he's a great guy. He always stands up for the people who can't stand up for themselves. He got into a lot of fights confronting people who weren't doing the right thing, if John wasn't in school for a week you wouldn't really wonder what happened. It's just oh he got into another fight I guess."

" Another one of his defining traits to me is how opinionated he is. If he feels strongly about something and you disagree with him than things can get ugly (laughs.) He could have been great on debate team because he had great debate skills just he was so hot tempered about his opinions that he could not help but to call whoever he's debating with names."

We have a bit better grip on who John Jones is but there's still plenty of questions. Thanks to those closest to John we can fill in some of the blanks.

He was born John Jones on October 26, 1985 to Diane Mathis and with parentship being unknown, with the threat of a media firestorm after it was determined he was the father Jones decided to pay off Mathis and John Jones a vast amount of money to keep the situation under wraps however with Johns money put away until he turned 18. Diane meanwhile would develop a fast lifestyle including multiple homes, cars, vacations, and becoming an addict. She would find hereself completely poor within eight years and would demand more money of Jones who had no choice but to comply. With her problems severely worsening Diane tragically died on December 23rd, 1995. John Jones would be sent to live with his grandparents David and Louise Mathis in Cheyenne Wyoming.


Cheyenne Wyoming where John spent his later adolescence.

" I was sent to be taken care of my grandparents, but really I was more taking care of them. That was a lonely stretch of time. There wasn't really a lot to do in Wyoming even if you had money which I hadn't yet. Luckily I met my best friend (Kendricks.) We had a lot in common. Both only children, were living with our grandparents, and we both had big dreams even back then at age 12 and it was a friendship that just worked out perfectly between us. We were like brother and sibling, we were together all the time and motivated each other to work hard in school and encouraged each other about our life goals and working towards those." John Jones recently stated in an interview with our Phil Williams.

" We went into the outdoors a lot just exploring. Wyoming didn't have a lot to offer in terms of city life but I'm glad that I had the opportunity to live there. It was a lifestyle that I enjoyed, working towards my goals and giving myself a bit of downtime by just going out and seeing what the outdoors of Wyoming has to offer with my best friend. It helped you mature and you felt like more a free person at an age where your not really given much freedom. It also helped our friendship really develop, we happened to get ourselves lost this one time for a few days and luckily we worked together to survive out in the wilderness even with our lost supplies. Once you've been through that with someone and they had your back, I think that if we weren't destined to be lifelong friends before that than that's the point where we knew we could always rely on the other one when we were going through some tough times, and we did encourage one another through our times of need and I don't know what we would have done without the other." He states.

" It's weird" John states. " I was an honors student getting extremely high marks but at the same time I was someone who got into a lot of fights and got suspended. Probably over half my fights were people giving me grief about and starting rumors about me and Arlene being romantically connected. It must have been hard on her, she wasn't the fighting type or one to confront anyone she just dealt with all the rumors she heard, I felt really bad for her during that time and I had a few times where I almost broke things off with her because I thought she would be better off that way."

We had a connection that really too strong for us to ever date or anything. We were each others first kiss and even then we just knew it didn't feel right, like we were better off as a team than a couple and I'm glad we didn't possibly risk our friendship trying to make that thing work. I think people have this misconception that a strong friendship between a male and female can't be validated unless it ends up with them being in some kind of relationship but I feel as though we've been friends for most of our lives and continue to keep in touch and that our friendship will last longer and be stronger than that of most married couples so I think were both incredibly satisfied with how our friendship developed and how it's continuing to go." John states.

The two would keep in touch but go their seperate ways after High School with Arlene going to Stanford and John going to Harvard with both studying business. Where both would graduate with high 3 GPA's in 2007 and with John continuing his outspoken ways although the fights would become much less frequent. Arlene would get married to Derek Kendricks a fellow student at Stanford. Arlene became a sports agent and currently manages 14 players in two different sports (Baseball and Football.) Her most notable client being Randall Cobb of the Green Bay Packers. John would go on to become a successful businessman and noted for his savyness in playing the stock market although rumors of insider trading just won't go away. He married Avery Newton in 2008 although the marriage would just last four years with the two citing Johns lack of time for her and his lack of willingness to spend money as contributing factors. John bought the Titans for $900 million less than a week ago with the vast amount of money in his trust fund being a starting point for him to quickly grow it through his business and the stock market.

" I'm just really glad that his dreams are coming true." Kendricks states " who knows maybe our paths will cross in the NFL, all I know is I hope he's not expecting a discount on any of my players (laughs.)" John Jones and Arlene Kendricks still contact each other frequently although with both working in the NFL these days talks are mostly just about life in general.

With a clearer picture of who John Jones is the outlook is a bit brighter in Tennessee but if he doesn't make the effort to show the organization and players who he is it won't make an ounce of difference.

[Victor Cruz Pun]

Local News.

8/05/14: Titans Renovate Parking Lot.



Baby steps, that's what the Titans are taking in trying to turn around the lowest valued franchise in the NFL. Choosing to renovate a run down, unattractive parking lot won't turn the franchise around overnight but it is a piece to the puzzle as Titans fans have long complained about the Titans parking not only being ugly to look at but near nonfunctional as well with a low amount of spots to park meaning a lot of clutter and traffic for fans to wade through.

The approximately 5,000 parking spots added should mean a much more safe parking lot for the fans and of course the added greenery provides a nice touch that was missing. " I like the grass and trees added in, it adds some life to the exterior of our stadium. It doesn't feel generic, it has some character to it, reminds me of my childhood every day I park here. Our goal is to provide as nice an experience to the fans as possible and I don't want to overstate the importance of the parking lot but it's the first thing you see when you come to the stadium and first impressions are very important." John Jones joked while discussing the improved parking lot with the Titans online site.

The improved parking is a start for disgruntled Titans fan tired of the stadium situation but the best parking lot in the world doesn't mean much if fans are not around to use them and with diminishing interest in Titans home games the extra parking spaces could by and large go unused this season. The Titans may be putting the cart before the horse here if the focus is put too much into improving the stadium and not the product on the field as football fans want a winning team first and foremost with a nice stadium being window dressing.

8/05/14: Titans Increase Team Memorabilia Pricing.

John Jones might not be in such good graces with fans when it comes to the prices of Titans merchandising as there has been a bit of a bump recently with Titans fans becoming comfy with the generous prices of Titans merchandise before the slight raises across the board.

" I understand the fans frustrations a bit and I appreciate the fact that they support the team, however we just weren't making that much money beforehand with those prices and these slight raises, a few dollars more on all items should hit that sweet spot of still being affordable to all fans and giving us a good profit." John Jones explains.

" It's a win win situation. The prices of these goods might be a bit higher but we then have more money to put into the team including the stadium to make the fans experience as satisfying as possible and we'll be compensating for that by offering the fans a bit more interaction with the team through photos and memorabilia signings with the players after some of the games as well as giving away some team memorabilia to some fans. We thank Titans fans for their understanding and hope they'll support us through this transition period."

8/05/14: Titans Team Value, Popularity, and Stadium Info.

Overall Value: 32nd.
Team Success: 23rd.
Popularity: 19th.
Staff: 12th.
Stadium: 28th
Concession, Merchandise, Tickets: N/A (No games played yet.)

Local Popularity: 60%
Regional Popularity: 35%
National Popularity: 12%

Parking: Level 1, Rating 99.
Team Store: Level 3, Rating 30.
Fan Zone: Level 2, Rating 29.
Bathrooms: Level 2, Rating 28.
Concessions: Level 1, Rating 35.
Seating: Level 2, Rating 18.

[Victor Cruz Pun]

News Around The League.

8/08/14: Breakout Players Around The League To Watch.



QB: Ryan Tannehill.

The QB's offensive line woes have led to a lot of sacks on the throws where he needed just a bit more time, a highly improved offensive line should give him a few more liberties with holding onto the ball. Not that he should need to, the new Chip Kelly inspired offense in Miami should allow him to get the ball out quickly and the move should play better to the strengths of the offense as a whole: Lamar Miller and Mike Wallace could be especially dangerous players in this offense Miller being given more open field situations and Wallace will be asked to run a more varied set of routes which he is fully capable of but hasn't really been asked to do until now.

QB: Jake Locker

Has the intangibles you want and is a much smarter decision maker than given credit for. Has played at a good level and the regression of that Titans team last season from pre injury Locker to the rest of the season was night and day. There's questions over whether he can be a guy that can consistently go out and win you games but he is a guy that has at the least shown to be a highly efficient game manager who won't make much in the way of mistakes. He has some young, very talented playmakers to work with and Ken Whisenhunt is an upgrade at headcoach and his offensive expertise should be a boost to the offense.

QB: Derek Carr.

A hell of an arm on this kid to say the least and has been prepped for the role of a starting QB for quite a while and is a extremely hard worker from all reports, so I have no doubts that Carr is already a highly intelligent signal caller. A huge knock by some on him is the pocket presence but I see that as a question mark at worst with Fresno State's OL and coaching staff being more to blame than Carr. He showed excellent pocket presence in the preseason and used his eyes well. I see him being a stud right away.



RB: Lamar Miller

I already touched on this one a bit as I think the whole Dolphins offense will show marked improvement from last year thanks in part to more talent and playing to the strength of their talent much better this year with the new offensive scheme.

RB: Robert Turbin.

His true breakout year will most likely come next year but it will be more about the opportunity than readiness as I think he will show with a decent amount of carries this year relieving Lynch that he can be the bellcow back for the Seahawks in the future. He's really a coke machine heading full steam at you with all the muscle he has at 4.5 speed, with his game speed looking even faster. Truly a runningback that defenders won't want to get in the way of.



WR: Justin Hunter

A freak athlete with the right mindframe, the sky is the limit for Justin Hunter as long as he can piece together the mental aspect of playing Wide Receiver. His height and tremendous jumping ability make him a nightmare in jump ball situations and he's one of the faster receivers you will find.

WR: Brandin Cooks

The nature of the offense he is in would guarantee inflated stats even if he didn't have the insane intangibles the he possesses. I trust Sean Payton to make his transition much more smooth than other rookie wide receivers as he uses him the best way possible as Cooks could be misused in the hands of a different head coach/ offensive coordinator who doesn't know how to use his athleticism.

WR: Emmanuel Sanders

It's a crowded receiver group but there's more than enough to go around in Denver and I haven't watched much of Sanders admittedly but I just have to believe that barring injury he's going to put up some big time numbers.

WR: Mike Wallace

Mike Wallace is a much more refined route runner than you would think, expect him to be the Desean Jackson of Miamis offense as he goes from being used as a one dimensional thread to a true receiver who defenses will have to honor without playing strictly over the top of him.



TE: Travis Kelce

Has a frame and body build similar to that of Rob Gronkowski and the speed he has for a Tight End and someone with that size is just not fair. It was tough to hear about his season ending injury last season because I was hyped to see what this kid can do for a Chiefs offense that could use weapons and with Andy Reid loving his pass catching Tight Ends so much, it's a match made in heaven.

TE: Jordan Reed

So frustrating to see him struggle with concussions as he's a guy that is so advanced with his routes, has good athleticism as well but it's the ingenuity in how he runs his routes that make him a tough cover. There's a lot of hype around the pairing of Desean Jackson and Pierre Garcon which is fair enough but Jordan Reed is being vastly overlooked as he could be a top flight TE this year barring injury, which is admittedly a huge if at this point.

TE: Kyle Rudolph

His potential is no secret it's just been getting the most out of him that's been the problem. He's consistently been a productive but unspectacular TE to this point and whether the main problem was QB play, scheme, etc I think Norv Turner will be huge in making Kyle Rudolph a star and the Vikings apparently agree by taking a risk by signing him long term before the start of the season. I'm expecting it to pay off big time for them.



DE: Chandler Jones

On a team that highly values versatility Chandler Jones is king. Being able to line up pretty much anywhere you ask him regardless of base defense. He also provides versatility with great pass rushing and run defense. Jones was very good last season with 11.5 sacks but he can really make people stand up and take notice this season with the help in the backfield coming from Revis and Browner. He will have more time to get to the quarterback and there's no reason to believe he won't get there.

DE: Ezekiel Ansah

Ansah doesn't have much experience in football period. His transition to the NFL was still smooth, showing the intelligence and natural ability of Ansah as he rushed the passer fairly well and was one of the best run defending ends, setting the edge well which can be a problem for newer defensive ends. He has the potential to be elite and with how fast of a learner he has proven to be I'm expecting him to break out sooner rather than later.

DE: Cameron Heyward

It's hard to believe Cameron Heyward was drafted back in 2011 as he has been kept to the bench for most of his career up until last year where he started 13 games. He was an above average talent at DE despite playing in the 34 and this is the year I expect him to be talked about a lot more often and prove his first round status. Sitting on the bench may have helped but I think that hurt him in the short term when he started as he has the technique but still needs to get acclimated to game speed. With a season under his belt and a good one at that I think he's in line for a very solid year.

DE: Mike Neal

Being versatile should help him get considerable playing time in a front seven that the Packers have invested in heavily, he can also play the OLB spot and demonstrated high end pass rush from the 34 defensive end position, one that is notoriously difficult to pressure the QB from. I see the Packers finally noticing what they have in Neal and him continuing to produce with the increase in playing time.

DT: Dominique Easley

Just watch the tape on this guy, even if your not looking for him he will pop out on tape. His first step is truly a first step, he times it well and he seems to be the first one off the line more often than not. Add a rare amount of quickness from a defensive tackle and it seems like Easley lives in the backfield. His strength can be underrated as most like to focus in on his speed but Easley can be overpowering such as in this gif.



Double teams don't seem to faze him either. It's not hard to see why Belichick took a chance on him and his injury history, he is a legit top five talent and a true difference maker from the defensive tackle position.

DT: Sharrif Floyd

The tools are there, he is a quick defensive tackle with a knack for getting into the backfield. It didn't show up last season as a horrible Vikings defense all around makes it hard to place the blame on certain individuals especially when they were playing in an outdated scheme that didn't call for a lot of aggressive plays and they looked to get pressure without many extra rushers. It can be tough to get that pressure without help and the extra guys in coverage didn't seem to help judging by the Vikings defensive rankings last season. I'm a huge believer in Mike Zimmer and his ability to create a scheme around his players and develop those players. He took a DT with some similar traits in Geno Atkins and turned him into a star (not saying it was all Zimmer but I think he sped up Atkins development quite a bit.) Zimmer should do the same for Floyd.



LB: Ryan Kerrigan.

He's played second fiddle to Brian Orakpo since his arrival in Washington but recognition for his play could increase this year as I see Washington improving as a unit and Kerrigan could be one of the biggest benefactors. His coverage skills are good and with Jason Hatcher added up front they have a legit pass rusher on the defensive line for the first time in a while.

LB: Akeem Ayers

The switch to 34 LB will be tremendous for Ayers ability to reach his ceiling. He was still a decent 43 linebacker, he wasn't the most natural cover LB but his high end speed covered up those lack of instincts a bit. The switch will put him in less coverage situations and in more pass rushing situations where his quickness off the edge and variety of pass rushing moves should see his sack numbers jump noticeably.


8/08/14: Titans Preseason Roster.

Quote:

QB: S.Wallace, 65 OVR, 34 Yrs. J.Skelton, 59 OVR, 26 Yrs. Z.Robinson, 59 OVR, 27 Yrs. J.Rodgers, 59 OVR, 26 Yrs

.

Inside Track: Titans are reportedly leaning towards Skelton and Rodgers before heading into preseason. They believe that Skelton has the best tools of any of the QB's to work with, is further along than the others besides Wallace, and is the youngest. Meanwhile they don't put much into Rodgers bloodlines but think he's intriguing compared to the other two who are seen as camp arms at this point.

Quote:

RB: L.James, 68 OVR, 24 Yrs. D.Scott, 67 OVR, 26 Yrs. A.Allen, 67 OVR, 25 Yrs. P.Tanner, 66 OVR, 26 Yrs. J.Jamison, 66 OVR, 22 Yrs.

Inside Track: The team is obviously expecting Lamichael James to showcase well and win the starting job, meanwhile the backup jobs are up for grabs as the Titans feel each of the other RB's has something to offer, although Titans Owner John Jones is reportedly high on former Cowboys HB Phillip Tanner and the strength he provides in the running game as his vision isn't advanced and he's not very fast but he will carry defenders for some yardage.

Quote:

FB: D.Dickerson, 68 OVR, 26 Yrs. T.Millard, 57 OVR, 22 Yrs.

Inside Track: Dorin Dickerson is the favorite heading into the preseason as he provides some much needed speed and versatility although with the comments he has made during the offseason he might not be wanted in Tennessee.

Quote:

WR: Q.Enunwa, 67 OVR, 22 Yrs. M.Preston, 67 OVR, 25 Yrs. J.Rodgers, 58 OVR, 25 Yrs. T.Palmer, 56 OVR, 24 Yrs. J.Wright, 56 OVR, 22 Yrs. K.Moore, 54 OVR, 25 Yrs. S.Hakim, 54 OVR, 24 Yrs.

Inside Track: Enunwa and Preston are the clear cut favorites for the number one and two spot with Preston providing some much needed height to the receiving core, the race is wide open from there.

Quote:

TE: M.Veldman, 64 OVR, 26 Yrs Old. S.Maneri, 64 OVR, 26 Yrs Old. B.Brinkley, 55 OVR, 25 Yrs Old. M.Overton, 54 OVR, 29 Yrs Old.

Inside Track: Veldman provides a big body with some power while Maneri is the technique blocker. It seems like Brinkley and Overton will fight for the third TE spot.

Quote:

LT: D.Love, 68 OVR, 26 Yrs Old. J.Scott, 64 OVR, 31 Yrs Old. J.Adams, 61 OVR, 23 Yrs Old. LG: R.Harewood, 68 OVR, 27 Yrs Old. R.Dominguez, 60 OVR, 26 Yrs Old. M.Jasper, 58 OVR, 27 Yrs Old. C: T.Horn, 61 OVR, 24 Yrs Old. S.Wedige, 61 OVR, 25 Yrs Old. T.Austin, 60 OVR, 24 Yrs Old. RG: E.Olsen, 64 OVR, 26 Yrs Old. A.Gettis, 61 OVR, 25 Yrs Old. RT: D.Roland, 66 OVR, 31 Yrs Old. T.Pashos, 63 OVR, 34 Yrs Old.

OL inside track: The Titans are reportedly not impressed with the play of any of their offensive linemen and might be looking to free agency for some younger OL with some speed for the zone blocking scheme they employ.

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LE: Ronald Talley, 64 OVR, 28 Yrs Old. J.Hunter, 62 OVR, 31 Yrs Old. D.Te'o-Nesheim, 61 OVR, 28 Yrs Old.

Inside Track: No real favorite heading into the preseason, I would expect the Titans to sign a younger DE to fight for the job.

Quote:

RE: A.Toribio, 68 OVR, 29 Yrs Old. B.Sanford, 66 OVR, 26 Yrs Old.

Inside Track: Wide open race, again the Titans may sign another player to put into the mix.

Quote:

DT: C.Anunoby, 63 OVR, 24 Yrs Old. D.Harris, 62 OVR, 25 Yrs Old. R.Lumpkin, 62 OVR, 25 Yrs Old. K.Randall, 62 OVR, 25 Yrs Old.

Inside Track: Anunoby has reportedly looked good in training camp but the Titans are still going to look to preseason to determine the depth chart.

Quote:

LOLB: A.Albright, 63 OVR, 26 Yrs Old. B.Constanzo, 61 OVR, 30 Yrs Old. C.Thomas, 61 OVR, 25 Yrs Old. A.Hamilton, 59 OVR, 26 Yrs Old.

Inside Track: The Titans like Adrian Hamilton as a 3rd string linebacker heading into preseason but don't see his ceiling as anything more than a depth situational pass rusher. Expect him to make the roster but he really needs to turn heads to climb up the depth chart.

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MLB: A.Spitler, 66 OVR, 27 Yrs Old. J.Williams, 66 OVR, 25 Yrs Old. J.Cutrera, 62 OVR, 26 Yrs Old. S.Lutrus, 57 OVR, 26 Yrs Old.

Inside Track: The race is neck and neck between Spitler and Williams with Williams reportedly being slightly favored for the youth he brings although Spitler still has a good chance at unseating Williams if his play is noticeably better.

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ROLB: S.Adkins, 64 OVR, 27 Yrs Old. P.Hunt, 64 OVR, 28 Yrs Old. Z.Nash, 64 OVR, 24 Yrs Old. R.James, 61 OVR, 30 Yrs Old.

Inside Track: Adkins and Hunt are considered locks as while they are raw (like most Titans players.) They have intriguing speed off the edge to counter their lack of instinct and coverage at this point. Meanwhile Nash is seen as a wildcard, he could become the starter or be off the roster depending on how the preseason goes.

Quote:

CB: M.Sherels, 64 OVR, 26 Yrs Old. M.Pellerin, 62 OVR, 25 Yrs Old. M.Anthony 62 OVR, 24 Yrs Old. J.Nixon, 61 OVR, 26 Yrs Old. V.Hampton, 59 OVR, 22 Yrs Old. L.Purifoy, 55 OVR, 21 Yrs Old. O.McCaleb, 54 OVR, 25 Yrs Old.

Inside Track: Marc Anthony's status is on a need to know basis and you don't need to know. Meanwhile the Titans see Purifoy as a raw player with a pretty good ceiling who will make the roster barring a completely dysfunctional showing in the preseason. McCaleb isn't seen as someone who can even fill in for a game or two at this point but has reportedly been by far and away the teams best kick returner so he should make the roster as well, it's wide open as well.

Quote:

FS: S.Schillinger, 66 OVR, 28 Yrs Old. T.Dye, 62 OVR, 24 Yrs Old. SS: M.Huff, 64 OVR, 22 Yrs Old. M.Martin, 63 OVR, 24 Yrs Old. K: M.Bonani, 52 OVR, 25 Yrs Old. P: Z.Mesko, 73 OVR, 28 Yrs Old.

Inside Track: Barring free agent signings to add competition these players should all make the roster.

8/08/14: Chaos As Teams Scramble For Ex Titans.

" I can't do much of anything these days," Jason McCourty states, a smile creeping out despite the genuine frustration he is expressing. He picks up his phone and as expected it's his agent, a trend that McCourty doesn't see changing any time soon. " In the week or so I've been a free agent, I've gotten like 30 something calls from him, updating me on whose offering a contract, whose up their offer, what situations are intriguing for me." McCourty states.

Nate Washington shared McCourtys sentiments, albeit adding in " guess it's one of those blessing in disguise deals though." He states. " My wifes been less on my case about where I am, I'm like listen woman, I've been getting bombarded with calls from my agent, I'm meeting up with the dude and were trying to work this all out and if you've been wanting that diamond earing than you gone have to let me get mine and that starts with my agent."

This situation is unprecedented in the NFL and one has to wonder whether the players will get a deal done quickly so as to get as much work in with their new team as possible before the regular season or if they will wait it out to get the best offer possible. When pressed on this Jason McCourty stated " That's something your're going to have to ask my agent about."

" Well I'm just assessing the situation with my agent at this point and we don't have a plan set in stone. If we feel like we get the right combination of a team with success, reasonable money, and good location than we'll bite on a deal. It's a bit of a confidence thing, I think I can wait it out a bit and my play won't suffer, I feel like I have a skillset that can work well with pretty much any team you put me on and I will work that much harder to catch up as far as the playbook goes." Bernard Pollard says on the matter.

The tragic, underlooked part in all this is a band of brothers who fought together multiple seasons and sacrificed blood,sweat,tears, and time working together towards a single common goal and will all go their separate ways and work against one another for the dream they all shared and strived towards.

" I still keep in touch with those guys." Nate Washington says as he then begins to explain his first phone call to his teammates after learning the news. " at first I was just calling them, like do yall see this ****, this must be some sick joke. But the next day I call up coach (Whisenhunt) and he's like yeah they're true. My jaw just hit the floor man like I thought this was just another baseless rumor and then it's true? And now I have to fricking move? NFLPA man, these hoes ain't loyal, I thought they were supposed to have our backs so how the **** this happen man?" Washington states as he lets loose with further vitriol against the NFLPA that we care not to publish. He gets back on track after the rant, "But I called the guys and I'm just like damn, it's been real and good luck to yall."

Nate Washington has seemed upbeat on the situation after venting some but not everybody is over it. " It's just heartbreaking" Jurrell Casey says as a look of anguish comes over him " this is the organization I though I would always be with and to be forced out just hurts. It's going to be tough to get over these memories and make some new ones on a new team. It's going to be tough to not play for a fanbase that treated me with nothing but respect and uproot myself and my family from a community we were in love with and enjoyed greatly. I'm going to miss my teammates most of all, you just fight with those guys and it's like a second family, if were going to do this it's as a team and if we crash and burn at least it will be as a team that has each others back."

Some Titans players may take a while to get over this. Meanwhile others have stated how much they will miss the team but are much quicker moving on and starting anew. Jason McCourty puts his phone down " I think we've found the right team."

[Number999]

I'm a very big fan of the Tannehill/Miller/Wallace love.. awesome detail as well man.

[Victor Cruz Pun]

Quote: Originally Posted by Number999

I'm a very big fan of the Tannehill/Miller/Wallace love.. awesome detail as well man.

Yeah, Lazer should implement the Chip Kelly offense well with his experience in Philladelphia last year . Think the Dolphins will shock a lot of people this year and at least make the wild card. Thank you, glad to see you like the dynasty.

[xtweaks]

Great read and intriguing story line. you are a great writer sir. Signed up just to say I'll be following this thread. Looking forward to seeing where the season takes you