Tennessee Titans: Five Position Battles for 2009

As we approach the 2009 season many questions are still unsolved on the Tennessee Titans roster. With 20 of 22 starters overall returning, there are only a few position battles to look for.

Quarterback

OK really this isn't a position battle for the No. 1 spot. But its still something that needs to be watched. Especially when it comes to the question "who will go in if Kerry Collins goes down?"

The three contenders are Vince Young, Patrick Ramsey, and Alex Mortenson.

Alex Mortenson

Son of the ESPN analyst Chris Mortenson, Alex was really pushed for in the draft by the analyst. They were talking about his ability and how he was really underrated. Whether you believe he truly has skill or he was simply just being pushed because it was their friend's son is up to you.

Patrick Ramsey

Ramsey has a similar story to Young. He was drafted by the Redskins to try and be their "quarterback of the future." Obviously it didn't work out since they are with Jason Campbell now. Since his departure from the Redskins, Ramsey has played for the Jets and the Broncos.

He only took 50 snaps for the Broncos, but he had a 60 percent completion percentage and only had one touchdown and one interception.

My Pick: Vince Young

Young has a lot more years left in him, and there still is a little hope especially among Jeff Fisher. He's in a contract year and he's going to try as hard as he can to earn his spot as the starting QB again.

Vince Young

The 2006 NFL Draft pick was hyped up to be the face of the franchise for years to come. Up until last year he was. The fourth year player from Texas has thrown 22 touchdowns and 32 interceptions in his three year career.

It doesn't look as bad when you throw in the fact that he rushed for 10 touchdowns which makes him even and he has a winning record.

Wide Receiver

This isn't really a huge battle, because all of the top four candidates will most likely get a lot of snaps this year. But its still a question of who is the starters.

The candidates are Justin Gage, Nate Washington, Kenny Britt, and Lavelle Hawkins

Kenny Britt

Britt is very underrated for the draft pick he was. In three years at Rutgers he broke one and tied one of Larry Fitzgerald's records in the Big East with a very mediocre quarterback.

Now many are saying the Titans should have picked Brian Robiske over Britt, but if I remember correctly there was very similar comments made when we picked Chris Johnson last year.

Justin Gage

Gage is one of those receivers that will be a great No. 2 option but he's not really an option for the No. 1 spot. For now he may start at the No. 1 spot but eventually someone like Nate Washington or Kenny Britt will take over.

He's yet to have a 1000-yard receiving year, but with some more threats on offense and him and Kerry Collins finally getting comfortable, this could be the year.

Lavelle Hawkins

Hawkins had some glimpses last year that he would be a good receiver for us. Specifically in the Bears game when he made some important third down catches. He didn't get a lot of playing time last year, apparently because he didn't catch on quick enough, but he's had a good offseason and he wants a spot on this team.

Nate Washington

Washington was the slot receiver for the Steelers for the past couple of years. It is really hard to judge if he was there because he's a No. 3 caliber receiver or if it was the fact he was behind two fantastic receivers. He had just as many yards last year as the No. 3 receiver as Gage had as the No. 1 receiver.

My Picks:
1) Justin Gage
2) Nate Washington
3) Kenny Britt
4) Lavelle Hawkins

Defensive Tackle

Ok so we all know the Tony Brown has locked up his spot at defensive tackle. However there is still one more spot to be filled.

The candidates are Jason Jones, Sen'Derrick Marks, Jovan Haye, and Kevin Vickerson

Jovan Haye

Haye had some injury issues last year as he played for the Buccaneers. However, the year before he had an amazing year racking up 6 sacks and 48 tackles. Haye could be the player the Titans need to fill in the hole left by Albert Haynesworth.

Jason Jones

Jones is the rookie who was directly behind Haynesworth last year. Haynesworth had a few injury issues last season and Jones stepped in beautifully. In the Steelers game last year that decided who got home-field advantage, Jason Jones got to the QB three and a half times. He had five sacks and 30 tackles in is first year with the Titans.

Sen'Derrick Marks

Marks is the rookie this year from Auburn. He had a productive couple of years at Auburn, but was plagued with injuries. He surprised everyone when he decided to leave for the draft early.

Kevin Vickerson

Vickerson has been on the team longer than anyone else on this list. He knows Jim Washburns system and knows how to play it. However, he may not be starter caliber.

My Pick

Jason Jones

Jones showed that he was capable of starting last year and made his name known by Titans fans. Jeff Fisher really likes the kid and I expect him to get the start although you will still see a lot of Jovan Haye.

Nickelback

For the past couple of years Vincent Fuller has played the nickelback position for the Titans. For those who don't know the nickelback is pretty much the third cornerback usually in a zone defense.

The candidates are Vincent Fuller, DeMarcus Faggins, Ryan Mouton, Cary Williams

DeMarcus Faggins

Faggins played nickelback for the Texans last year and did a decent job at it. His stats were not anything impressive with his only stats being 28 tackles.

Vincent Fuller

Fuller has started for the Titans for the past three seasons. Last year he had his best year grabbing 46 tackles and one forced fumble.

Ryan Mouton

Mouton was drafted in the forth round over projected second rounder D.J. Moore. The Titans must have either seen something they liked in Mouton or really not liked something about Moore. There is really no telling how Mouton will turn out as cornerbacks are very hit or miss.

Cary Williams

Williams was the seventh round draft choice last year. According to reports, he is having a very good offseason and could see some playing time this year. Last year he was put on the practice squad after the preseason.

My Pick:

Vincent Fuller
Fuller has been the starter for the past three years, and there is really nothing to say he's doing a poor job. He will hold the position and Faggins will be strictly a backup if something happens to one of our other corners.

Kick Returner

Ok maybe this isn't the biggest problem here, but somebody has to do the job. I'm only listing four of the front-runners, but there is no telling who actually ends up getting the job.

Candidates are Mark Jones, Chris Davis, Michael Griffin, and Chris Johnson

Chris Davis

Davis was the kick returner for a while a few years back and could potentially take over the job again. There's no doubt in my mind that they will let him return some kicks in the preseason.

Michael Griffin

Griffin has a lot of experience returning kicks and actually filled in for Chris Carr a couple of times last year. It wouldn't be surprising to see him fill this hole.

Chris Johnson

Johnson returned kicks in college and was very productive at it. I wouldn't mind seeing him here if it wasn't for the risk of him getting hurt.

Mark Jones

He returned kicks last year for the panthers and before that it was for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He's an experienced kick returner that won't offer much at any other position.

My Pick

Mark Jones
Jones keeps us from risking one of our better players on kick returns, such as Michael Griffin or Chris Johnson.