When talking about needs and wants, fans can sometimes confuse the two, mostly because they may want an upgrade at a particular position. For example, some people would consider Quarterback a “need” for the Tennessee Titans, however, I feel that when healthy, Jake Locker showed a lot of progress last year and can be a good NFL starter, once again pointing out that he MUST stay healthy. Well, below I will be listing the needs of the Tennessee Titans for the 2014 NFL season. Also, I’ll be giving a heads up on my favorite prospect and the type of impact he could have on the Titans or any other team that drafts him.
Running Back – This may not necessarily be a “need” as of today with Chris Johnson still on the roster, but all signs point to him being released. Just to be clear, I think the Titans can survive with Shonn Greene for this year, but they, at worst, need a change of pace back. There are numerous guys they can select on day 3 of the draft to fill this void.
Offensive Tackle – Dave “Big Country” Stewart is almost another lock to not be on the roster next year because of his cap number. Roos on the other side will also be going into the final year of his contract, so even if they re-sign him, they will still need 1 for the right side. They could address this within their 1st 2 picks of the draft in May.
Nose Tackle – The Titans are switching to a 3-4 this year. They have players on the line that can adjust to the switch to 3-4 DEs and/or 3-4 OLBs. However, they do not have a NT. The biggest person on the Titans roster is Sammie Lee Hill, but he has mostly played in a 4-3 his entire career and the other 2 other guys, Antonio Johnson and Chigbo Anunoby either are not top notch or experienced NTs. The draft is deep for this position, but I’ll bring up someone later that I think would be huge for this need.
Cornerback – This one should come with an asterisk because it’s only a need if they cannot re-sign Pro Bowl CB Alterraun Verner. The 2 sides do not appear to be close on a deal and the word is that they will not use their franchise tag on him, which would be a 1 year deal approximately 11.2 mil. It would be a huge loss for the Titans, who do not even have a current top notch #3 CB.
Inside Linebacker – This is a need that I probably disagree with, but I’m putting because a lot of Titans fans feel this is a need. I am a big fan of Colin McCarthy. I feel he’s a game changer and a smart player, but he’s been hurt a lot over the past 2 years and he’s been a 4-3 MLB and there is a big difference between a 4-3 MLB and a 3-4 MLB.
My Favorite Prospect – Louis Nix III
Nix is a massive NT in the frame of a 6’2 331 pound body. He at times was dominant at Notre Dame. He was a monster run stuffer and commands a double team on almost every play. He has great quickness for his size and is a strong tackler. If you watch his sophomore tape he was almost as good as a NT as Jadeveon Clowney was as a DE. He missed games with a torn meniscus last year, but he seems to be fully recovered. He should be selected in the middle of the 1st round between picks 15 and 20.
The Titans are coming off a 7-9 year and will have a lot of changes between a new head coach, a new defensive alignment, and the usual player turnover that a normal NFL team has. How they fill the “needs” listed above will have a big effect on whether they will make the playoffs in a semi-weak conference. They will have an active and interesting offseason that should be very fun to watch over the next few months.
