Jeff Fisher

The Tennessee Titans are coming off a pitiful 2010 campaign which included a flurry of controversial decisions and actions.

After a standout year in 2008—one that saw the Titans finish a stellar 13-3—the team from Nashville dropped six straight to start the 2009 campaign and finished 8-8. The 2010 unit took a collective step backward to a 6-10 season, which led to the veteran head coach and the franchise quarterback searching for work elsewhere.

You could say things haven’t exactly brightened in Titan-land as of late.

Following the NFL lockout and an offseason plagued with unwanted attention on star wide receiver Kenny Britt, perennial Pro Bowlers Chris Johnson and Cortland Finnegan have settled on holding out of training camp for larger chunks of cash plus longer contracts.

Britt is no stranger to the law.

The WR boasts three separate run-ins with the fuzz during the 2010 season alone. The gridiron star refused to learn his lesson and again found himself in the police crosshairs as he was charged with misdemeanor offenses this summer stemming from a motor vehicle chase in early April. Britt was forced to pay a $478 ticket from the April charges just hours before being arrested for allegedly destroying evidence in front of narcotics officers.

The Rutgers alumni’s actions off the field have overshadowed his performance, or lack of performance, on the field. Due to a nagging hamstring injury that dates back to last season, Britt has seen little practice time during the limited training camp sessions.

Meanwhile, running back Chris Johnson can speak to a lack of training camp sessions as well.

The self proclaimed “CJ2K” has not reported to training camp, unhappy with his current contract. The third-year All-Pro is due only $850,000 for this upcoming season on his current contract. The contract, signed after he was drafted at No. 24 overall in the 2008 draft, was originally for $12 million over five years.

Johnson held out of training camp last season as well in an effort to demand more money. The Titans eventually moved incentives around in his contract, bolstering a $500,000 deal up to a $2.5 million year. The running back ran for 2,006 yards in the 2009 season and has demanded a long-term extension since his standout season.

Johnson’s actions are minuscule in comparison to Pro Bowl cornerback Cortland Finnegan bolting out of training camp August 5 in an attempt to restructure his contract.

The holdout was short lived, after multiple attempts to portray his side of the story to fans via Twitter, Finnegan reported back to camp on August 8 and agreed to play out the final year of his $3.7 million deal. Upon arrival at camp, Finnegan apologized to the media, the fans and the organization for his behavior and words.

Jeff Fisher, formerly the longest tenured coach in the NFL, left the Titans after 16 full seasons as the head coach. Owner Bud Adams quickly made his decision to release the 2006 third overall pick, Vince Young, and enter total rebuilding mode.

Back-up quarterback Kerry Collins, the only remaining veteran quarterback on the roster, settled on retirement as the Mike Munchak Era reared its head from the ashes of Fisher’s finale.

Last season, the Titans waited until Week 11 to fall apart, this season they haven’t even made it through training camp before the proverbial wheels have begun to fall off.

A couple of months before the 2011 NFL Draft I suggested that the Denver Broncos draft Cam Newton for one particular reason: To start side by side in the shotgun formation with former teammate Tim Tebow. Unfortunately Cam went one pick too soon so my wishful thinking of seeing two quarterbacks succeed in one shotgun formation disappeared for a short while.

Then all of a sudden a couple of days ago the Philadelphia Eagles made a move that brought my idea back to the surface. They signed Vince Young.

The thought of Vick and Young together on offense makes me even more excited then watching Kramer slide into a room in those magnificent black dress shoes of his complimented by his mid-white socks. Think about all of the components of Michael Vick's game. Now think about everything Vince Young is capable of. Now try and fathom both of them together standing side by side in the same shotgun.  

I'll give you a minute....

Given most of us agree that Michael Vick is the closest we're going to see to a human version of a video game and Vince Young is arguably a close second, why wouldn't you, if you're Andy Reid, consider putting them in together at least on some plays?

I'd like you now to please read in your play-by-play voice a "hypothetical" offensive play with Michael and Vince at the helm:

"It's 2nd and 10 and the Eagles have the ball. Vick and Young are in the shotgun. Let me tell you John, I haven't seen two guys look more dangerous standing next to each other since Batman and Robin, Siegfried and Roy, the Blues Brothers, heck even Bert and Ernie.

Vick takes the snap and rolls to the left, he pitches it back to Young who catches it and rolls to the right hand side. Young's rolling, rolling, rolling and he finally throws across his body and behind his back to Vick. Vick catches the ball and pump-fakes across the middle to Celek, he stiffs a defensive end, hurdles a linebacker and still manages time to signal to a cheerleader that he'll call her after the game before finally heaving the ball down field to a wide open Vince Young. Touchdown I can't believe it! Vick to Young back to Vick and finally back to Young. My goodness Johnny why didn't anyone think to throw to Young before? Heck I don't know he's 6'5 to me it's a no brainer.  

The Eagles go on to win another game.  Andy Reid looks like a genius, Jeff Fisher is pulling out his hair somewhere, and finally once and for all Madden plays are coming to life!   Eagles win again. I repeat, Eagles win again!"

I plead my case...Andy Reid, it's time for you to revolutionize the shotgun formation.

No coach in the NFL was associated with a team quite like Jeff Fisher was with the Tennessee Titans.

However, after 16 seasons, owner Bud Adams and Fisher mutually decided to part ways.

In recent seasons, much of the tension between the two men was over quarterback Vince Young—Fisher never wanted him, but Adams was always enamored with the quarterback's star power.

Nevertheless, even before Fisher left the Titans, the franchise had decided to turn the page and move on from their star QB. This would leave veteran Kerry Collins and second-year project Rusty Smith as the only quarterbacks on the roster.

The Titans then promoted longtime assistant Mike Munchak to head coach.

A Hall of Famer as a player, Munchak figures to rely heavily on a veteran offensive line and running back Chris Johnson.

Jerry Gray, a longtime NFL cornerback and former Houston Oiler, is now the defensive coordinator.

Gray will run a similar scheme to former coordinator Chuck Cecil. In his time as the defensive coordinator with the Buffalo Bills, Gray's defenses were generally always a strong unit.

The Titans have had some strong drafts in recent years.

Derrick Morgan, their first-round pick in 2010, was injured for much of his rookie year, but will be 100 percent for training camp. Fourth-round pick Alterraun Verner was perhaps the steal of the 2010 draft.

Two of Tennessee’s better defensive players from last year are currently free agents. The ongoing labor dispute has hampered their efforts to re-sign LB Stephen Tulloch and DE Jason Babin.

So what are the Titans’ biggest needs heading into the 2011 NFL draft?

Linebacker

Whether it's in the middle or the outside, Tennessee need to bolster this unit.

Tulloch may or may not be back, while veteran Will Witherspoon at this point is a stopgap. OLB Gerald McRath was inconsistent after a solid rookie season.

However, with the eighth pick in the draft, there doesn’t appear to be a player worth taking at this position.

Von Miller, the best OLB in the draft, will not be available. Robert Quinn would be a better fit at DE in Tennessee's 4-3 scheme, but they are solid there already.

That being said, there are options for Tennessee to improve at this position beyond the first round. MLB Greg Jones, OLB Bruce Carter and ILB Martez Wilson all figure to be available between the second and third rounds.

Quarterback

With the ageless wonder Kerry Collins and the unproven Rusty Smith as the only QBs on the roster, the Titans need an upgrade.

Cam Newton and Blaine Gabbert, the top two quarterbacks in this year's draft, will likely be gone by the time the Titans pick.

Even so, with Munchak having been around during the Vince Young era, it's highly unlikely he'd want Newton anyway.

Many of the same questions that Young faced, Newton is facing now. What's more, these questions extend beyond the field.

The Titans have been rumored to be interested in Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder. They will likely have to trade back to the end of Round 1 to have a shot at him.

Tennessee could also look in the direction of Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

Having a solid veteran like Collins could give the team time for Kaepernick to get adjusted to the pro game. What's more, Collins excels in the role of mentor as he embraces it.

Defensive Tackle

Tennessee has solid players at this position, including Jason Jones, Tony Brown and Sen’Derrick Marks. Marks and Jones are both in their fourth year or lower.

However, while they have solid players here; none of them are difference makers. Tennessee’s interior defense was pushed around in 2010.

The Titans seem like a perfect match for Auburn DT Nick Fairley.

When he declared for the draft in January, many were saying Fairley would be the No. 1 overall pick.

Ever since, character concerns have plagued him. The fact that he only had one really good season has also led to further questions being asked.

Still, Fairley has outstanding ability. He is an excellent pass-rusher on the inside and a capable run-stuffer as well.

He possesses great size and outstanding athletic ability. Fairley is great in pursuit and is surprisingly fast for a man of his size.

Tennessee recently hired Fairley’s college position coach, Tracy Rocker, as the team’s new defensive line coach. Many close to the Auburn program say Rocker was instrumental in Fairley’s development.

While it is hard to predict how this draft will play out, seeing Fairley drop to eight seems like a plausible scenario. He would step right in and make the Tennessee defense better from day one.

Look for the Titans to pick Fairley, assuming he is there, and search for a QB with some of their other selections.

Where will he go? What will his role be? Will he be a starter or a backup? When that last question was asked to former Tennessee Titan Vince Young, he chuckled at the thought of becoming a backup to anyone. But, why wouldn't he?

Young is very talented and even with the baggage that he may bring along with him, he had one of the greatest rookie years of his entire draft class...even better than the Heisman Trophy winner, Reggie Bush.

Skip Bayless can probably write a pretty huge argument for Vince Young when the quarterback is able to speak to different NFL team executives as to why they should rally for him to be a part of their organization, but who will take him?

There are a lot of issues surrounding him, and I am just not sure that front offices will be ready to take the risk in accepting him onto their rosters.

On the plus side, you have a hard worker. Someone who will be dedicated to your franchise and will produce when he knows he has the support of his teammates and his coach.

However, the downside to him coincides with his pros. He will be dedicated to your franchise and will produce WHEN HE KNOWS HE HAS THE SUPPORT OF HIS TEAMMATES AND HIS COACH.

We saw how his temperament and his game changed when Jeff Fisher began to display more disdain for him.

No one needed him to come out to the press and release a statement saying, "I hate Vince Young as a player and as a man."

You could already see it on the sidelines when Fisher snatched Young out of games. Their relationship blew up, and in the end neither was still standing.

Mental toughness is more recruited than skill sometimes, and when you see a player that has been through such turmoil publicly, it makes you question how helpful he will be to your team or whether he will just be another empty investment.

Hopefully, we will be able to see Vince Young play next season, because there are a few teams that I could think of off of the top of my head that need his leadership. 

It takes a great deal of patience to become a coach at the professional level. That amount of patience, mixed with even more talent, can provide the necessary building blocks to lay the foundation for a lasting tenure with a single franchise.

Over the last three consecutive seasons of baseball, football and basketball, we have seen the three longest standing coaches at one location replaced in their duties.

First, Bobby Cox said goodbye to the Atlanta Braves and Major League Baseball when he announced his retirement during the 2010 campaign. Then, Jeff Fisher was relieved of his duties as the Tennessee Titans head coach, and in doing so, ended his legacy of longevity.

Finally, Jerry Sloan shockingly walked away from the National Basketball Association when he announced he was stepping down from his duties as the Utah Jazz head coach. 

Bobby Cox has been around the game of baseball for much longer than most of us can recall. Before he was a manager, he played in the minor leagues for several years and eventually had a short stint in the bigs.

He started managing in 1971 as a part of the Yankees farm system and worked his way through the ranks before ultimately taking over the Atlanta Braves management role in the 1990 season.

His storied success in Atlanta is well documented and he reached the pinnacle of the sport in 1995 when the Braves won the World Series. Bobby Cox was with the Braves for 21 years before he stepped down after the 2010 season.

In the middle of the 1994 NFL season, the Houston Oilers promoted Jeff Fisher to lead the team during the final six games of the season, a job he would keep for many years to come.

His coaching career has spanned the relocation of a franchise in which the team became known as the Tennessee Titans, and a Super Bowl loss where the team fell a yard short of victory. His tenure lasted 17 years and he has recently been fired as the franchise was looking for another perspective.

The game of basketball has never been the same since Jerry Sloan stepped into it as a coach and player. Although his professional career was cut short due to knee injuries, his coaching career lasted to see 22 seasons, all with the Utah Jazz, including his first in 1988 after the retirement of Frank Layden.

Sloan, much like Cox, reached the pinnacle of his sport in taking the Utah Jazz to the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998. However, he was unable to lead his team past the the Michael Jordan-led Bulls. Sloan abruptly ended his coaching career just after signing an extension, admitting he was lacking the energy.

Each of these greats have seen the likes of players such as Greg Maddux, John Smoltz, Eddie George, Steve McNair, John Stockton and Karl Malone to propel their coaching careers. As each has seen success, they have also felt failure along the way.

Just because they are no longer in a place we have grown accustom to remembering them at, they will never be removed from the history of their respective sports.

According to TerezOwens.com, the Philadelphia Eagles and Jeff Fisher will have a sit-down meeting sometime in the near future to discuss the opening at defensive coordinator.

"My sources are telling me Fisher will meet with the Philadelphia Eagles about their defensive coordinator position opening," writes 'Terez.' "If he doesn’t accept, he will most likely take a year off living at his Montana ranch and then try and become a head coach next year."

Philly was buzzing with Fisher rumors shortly after the long-time head coach left the Tennessee Titans thanks in part to ESPN's John Clayton and his usual shot-in-the-dark reporting, but that rumor was shot down fairly quickly by several people much more credible than Clayton.

Now, it appears, it can start again.

I'm not exactly sure how reliable this guy is, but if he's right and Fisher is even willing to sit down and discuss the job, Andy Reid might be able to sell him on it.

Fisher has made the comment that he's "tired," but he won't have to deal with all the responsibilities of a head coach. He'll get to focus solely on running the defense and leave the politics and real decision making to Reid.

And while the Eagles defense isn't bursting at the seams with talent, there is enough there right now to entice a defensive coordinator who believes he can develop some of the young talent (Jamar Chaney, Stewart Bradley, Nate Allen, etc.). Not only that, but the Eagles appear geared up to make a run for some big-time pieces to add to that defense.

Several people, for example, are reporting that Nnamdi Asomugha is tops on the Eagles' list of offseason priorities. There have also been reports that the team might consider trading for Albert Haynesworth if the price is right, and could be in the market for another first-round defensive end or perhaps even a linebacker.

The prospect of having Asomugha and Asante Samuel in the same secondary might be enough to get any coach's blood pumping.

Of course, there are two other possibilities: Fisher could be meeting with the Eagles purely as a favor just to tell them face-to-face he's not interested, or this report could be way off, which is unfortunately the way I'm leaning at this point.

The most likely candidates still appear to be someone off the Green Bay Packers or Pittsburgh Steelers coaching staff. And with the recent trend of coordinator interviews, my guess is the final guy chosen will be a former secondary coach.