Tennessee Titans: What the Re-Signing of Dave Ball Means for the Draft

A big move was made by the Tennessee Titans as they have decided to re-sign defensive end Dave Ball, which was not a foregone conclusion heading into the offseason.

Ball has just 15.5 sacks in his seven years of NFL service, but last season he was by far the most productive Titans defensive end.

That may not be saying much for this team that managed just 28 sacks as a team in 2011.

If the Titans had chosen to let Ball go, then they would have been very inexperienced at defensive line heading into next season. At least now they have a little experience with Ball returning.

What this really changes is the Titans' draft priorities. They may not necessarily have to target a defensive end with their 20th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft on April 26th.

With Ball coming back, that currently leaves Derrick Morgan and recent addition Kamerion Wimbley as the only other promising players at the position.

That's not the best trio you've ever seen on a defensive line, but it's still way better off than where they would be without Ball returning and the Wimbley addition.

Wimbley could actually be one of the better offseason signings in the NFL when it's all said and done. He makes the Titans' pass rush go from pedestrian to at least respectable.

Now the Titans could possibly address other thin areas like offensive line or cornerback.

Starting with the offensive line, it's no secret that part of Chris Johnson's struggles last season were due to Johnson's own lack of preparation throughout his infamous holdout.

However, the offensive line did a poor job at creating holes for Johnson or any other Titans running back.

The Titans have already made one major upgrade to this position by signing Steve Hutchinson through free agency from the Vikings, but they still need to begin cropping some young talent.

Then there's the cornerback position that has a major void to fill after losing Cortland Finnegan to Jeff Fisher's Rams.

Jason McCourty and Alterraun Verner are more than capable of being the starters, but adding some more depth early in the draft would not be a bad idea.

This still doesn't mean that the Titans should completely ignore the defensive end position. If a promising defensive end prospect is there for the taking, then the Titans should not hesitate to take him.

Bringing back Ball is really just ensuring that the Titans have a little veteran leadership on the line. Ball will certainly bring that if not for the numbers on the stat sheet.

This is a smart move by the Titans because it will give them more flexibility in the early rounds of the draft, and flexibility is always a good thing when you're dealing with something that is not an exact science.