Nashville's Leading News Source: The Tennessean

Titans Address Back-End Secondary Needs in 2014 Draft​

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With their 1st round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, the Tennessee Titans selected FS Lonnie Gotzmer from the University of Alabama. The Titans have been fielding offers for starting FS Michael Griffin all off-season, so the pick was no surprise. Gotzmer is a product of a Nick Saban coached Alabama defense and will look to bring that hard knock mindset to the NFL. The Titans seemed to be very impressed with Gotzmer's knack for the football. At 6'2, Gotzmer can jump with the big boys and he has outstanding hands for a defensive back. He lacks in his man coverage and block shedding abilities coming into the league, but he's a hard hitting safety who will hopefully make some big plays for his new defense.

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In the second round the Titans could have went in a couple different places. They could have addressed a need for an upgraded MLB, or possibly brought in another DE to aid Derrick Morgan and Kamerion Wimbley. However; with their 2nd round pick, the Titans went with SS Vinny Bass. Bass flew under many people's radar because he went to small school North Carolina Central University. Bass plays a lot like Gotzmer though, which is why I think these two picks make a ton of sense. Bass has extremely good hands for a SS and is a tackling machine. He doesn't bring the power with his hits like Gotzmer does, but he is as sure of a tackler as there is. His play recognition is very good and he is outstanding playing in zone coverage. With these two pieces in place, the Titans have added two more youthful starters to an already young and eager defense.

Titans Sign WR/KR Ace Sanders​

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The Titans needed both depth at the WR position, as well as a KR/PR following the departure of Marc Mariani this past off-season. Sanders was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars out of the University of South Carolina. The smaller statured receiver showed up on multiple highlight reels during his time at USC, but has so far failed to impress in the NFL. He'll get another shot in Tennessee after signing a 1 year deal worth $680,000. If he can aid the Titans special teams play, he may find a new home in Tennessee as they lacked a legitimate return man last year.

Tennessee Makes Big Signings, Marshall Here To Stay


Marshall was all smiles following his big contract signing.

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Nashville, TN -- Did you hear that? That was the collective sigh of relief from the city of Nashville, Tennessee tonight. The Titans came into the 2014 season not knowing what their future would look like. Would they have enough cap money to resign newly acquired WR Brandon Marshall to a multi-year deal? Would they be trading All-Pro RB Chris Johnson? If they did sign Marshall, how far would they have to go to create the space for his beastly contract? Well almost all answers have been answered tonight. GM and owner Loren Lazaroe has announced that the team has in fact resigned Brandon Marshall to a 6 year contract extension worth roughly $95 million. That alone would have made the Music City buzz with enthusiasm, but he wasn't done there. The team has also signed the young superstar of the defensive line, Jurrell Casey, to a 5 year deal worth $30 million. Following that announcement he also said that the team has come to an agreement with DE Derrick Morgan, RT David Stewart, MLB Colin McCarthy, and P Brett Kern. After all that the owner let out a loud laugh and told the media and fans not to worry, they still have money to play with. We'll have more from the owner tomorrow, but for tonight, Titan fans can sleep with ease knowing that their core will indeed remain intact for many years to come!

Erin Andrews Fox Sports 1 Interview With Titans Owner​

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So you guys announced the resigning of several players last night, none bigger than the 6 year deal that Brandon Marshall received. How big of a signing is that for this organization?

It’s tremendous. Brandon brings an aspect to this team that we haven’t seen in many years. He’s a big, strong, physical receiver and that’s something that we’ve needed for years. Playing on the opposite side of a similar receiver, Kenny Britt, we’re hoping that Brandon can push our receiving corps to be the best they can be.

We’re midway through this season and you guys are currently 3-2-1. How important is this season to you, and do you think you have a playoff contender here?

This season, to us, is as important as any other. Our sole focus for this team is to build a legitimate championship contender. We feel that we have key pieces in place that will aid us in that goal. With that said, this is their first year together. They’re still getting acclimated with one another and QB Kurt Cousins is still working on building a repor with these guys. If we make the playoffs and make a run this year, that is fantastic. But if we do fall short, our core group of guys will be ready for a major run come 2015.

Speaking of Kurt Cousins, what made you guys make the move from Jake? And why was Kurt the guy for this organization?

Jake gave us three decent years here. He was a great leader and a dedicated teammate. But in the end, we just felt that it was time to go in a different direction. What Kurt brings to the table is a maturity and great football awareness. He led the Michigan State Spartan to some big wins in his time there, and I know that we aren’t the only ones who think he can be a great NFL quarterback. His accuracy is off the charts, and I think that’s something we lacked when Jake was in the pocket.

Does this mean Jake will no longer be a Titan after this year?

You know that’s still up in the air. We drafted a young guy by the name of Trett Daverne in the third round of the 2014 draft, who we think possesses a lot of the same skills as Jake. Many people had Mr. Daverne going undrafted and not even anywhere near their mock boards. We took a chance, and we think Trett can be a solid back up if needed. We’ll sit down and talk with Jake once the off-season comes, but as of now I won’t answer whether he will or will not be back in 2015.

Let’s talk about that 2014 draft for a minute. With your first two picks you went with a FS and a SS. With veterans George Wilson and Michael Griffin both still under contract, what made the organization go that route?

Well Lonnie and Vinny are a great combo. They are both excellent football players with great instincts. They possess some of the same skill sets and we, in a way, thought we couldn’t have one without the other. Michael and George have been a great part of our team for the past couple seasons. But we’ve sat and talked with George and advised him that we will not be bringing him back after this season. As for Michael, I believe he has 3 years left on his deal and he’s still a young player who brings a lot to the table and this football team.

We’ll close with this one, any regrets on taking over the position as owner of the Tennessee Titans?

None at all. I’ve had a great time so far and have loved trying to build this franchise into a championship contender. Our first year didn’t go so well and we missed the playoffs. Time will tell on this season and the following, but we are very hopeful that the changes we’ve made and are making will all payoff huge for our organization.

Titans Trade QB Jake Locker To New Orleans​

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Tennessee in return received the Saints 2015 3rd round draft pick.

Titans Comfortable With Current Roster, Trade Away 2015 Draft Picks​

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The Tennessee Titans reached a deal with the Oakland Raiders a couple hours before the 2015 draft that sent their entire draft to Oakland. Tennessee sent their 2nd, two 3rds, and 4th-7th round picks to Oakland all in exchange for Oakland's 2016 1st, 3rd, and 7th round draft picks. Tennessee's owner and GM was quoted as saying that they are comfortable at all positions for the 2015 season, and having multiple 1st round picks in 2016 will be for the better of this franchise.

Titans 2015 Schedule At A Glance​

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The Titans will have another difficult road to postseason in the upcoming 2015 season. Below is the schedule and we'll also break some of these key games down and how it could shape up for the Titans this year:

Game 1 - vs Miami Dolphins - Loss (41-21)
Game 2 - at Indianapolis Colts* - Loss (34-14)
Game 3 - at Cincinnati Bengals - Loss (24-14)
Game 4 - vs Indianapolis Colts* - Win (20-17)
Game 5 - at Detroit Lions - Win (15-10)
Game 6 - at Jacksonville Jaguars* - Loss (28-21)
Game 7 - vs Kansas City Chiefs - Loss (19-0) (Sim)
Game 8 - vs Green Bay Packers - Loss (33-21)
Game 9 - vs Minnesota Vikings - Win (38-31)
Game 10 - vs Jacksonville Jaguars* - Loss (42-34)
Game 11 - vs Houston Texans* - Loss (21-14)
Game 12 - at Chicago Bears - Win (30-13)
Game 13 - vs New England Patriots - Win (31-8)
Game 14 - at Houston Texans* - Win (21-20)
Game 15 - at New York Jets - Loss (24-21)
Game 16 - at Buffalo Bills - Win (45-35)

Game 1: Tennessee will host the Miami Dolphins to kickoff the 2015 season. The Dolphins are a hard nosed team with two outstanding DE's who can easily take over a game. These guys will be looking to make another deep playoff run this season.

Game 2/4: In 2013 the Titans and Colts had to wait almost all season to play their first matchup. No such happenings in 2015. These two teams will get to know each other early and often with their two pivotal divisional games on the line in just the first quarter of the season. A split here would be a welcomed sign of things to come.

Game 7: The Chiefs and Titans played an excellent ball game a couple seasons ago. In that one, the Chiefs got the better end and came out victorious. Titans will be looking for a little revenge here, and will have the advantage of playing in front of a home crowd.

Game 10: The Titans will host the Jacksonville Jaguars for their second matchup of the season. Midway through the year, this game could start defining either ball clubs season. With the new rookie sensation at QB for Jacksonville, Tennessee's defense will have to be ready.

Game 13: Two seasons ago the New England Patriots ran rough shot right through the entire league...Until they met Baltimore in the AFC Championship game. No doubt they still have a sour taste in their mouth from that one as they were so close they could taste the Lombardi trophy. This will be a huge challenge for the Tennessee Titans.

Game 14: Winners of the AFC South in 2014, the Houston Texans no doubt have a legitimate squad building up. We fully expect the Texans to be right there battling it out for this division come playoff time. This game could have huge ramifications.


Other key notes: The Titans have a 5 game stretch of home games. This will be a pivotal juncture for this team. If they can protect home field during this period, it could prove to be huge for the ball club...On the flip side, the Titans will close out the season with three tough road games; at Houston, at New York Jets, and at Buffalo. Those three games will be just as important as their 5 game home stand and could make or break the entire season.


* = Division Game
Bold = Playoff Team

I really like this piece Loren.

Team Tries 34 Defense, Will Quickly Revert Back to 4-3​

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The Tennessee Titans opened the 2015 season trying out a new defense, the 34. With quickness all around at the second level of their defense they thought it would be a welcomed change. That, however; is said to be getting scrapped. Much like the Titans defense got against the Miami Dolphin offense. There were holes everywhere for RB Lamar Miller to run, and passing lanes were abundant for QB Ryan Tannehill to throw in. The strength of this team defensively is in the front four. They cannot divert from the 4 man pass rush. My message to Titans fans would be to not get discouraged by this one game. The team was caught off guard and never seemed to get in sync with one another. They have a big game this week against division rival Indianapolis, which will be huge for both ball clubs.

Titans Suffering Through Abysmal Season, Eyeing Top 10 Draft Pick​

(At least we still have her)​

The 2015 season has been absolutely dreadful for the Tennessee Titan organization. It seemed as if the wheels had fallen off the wagon before it ever got going. We're now a little over the half way point of the season and the Titans are in the bottom of the AFC South with a 3-6 record. They are, however; coming off an impressive victory over the NFC North leading Minnesota Vikings. Next up for the Titans are the division leading Jacksonville Jaguars who, had it not been for a botched play sent down from the Madden gods, Tennessee most likely would've beaten in their first matchup. So nothing is out of the question yet. But this Titan team just doesn't seem to have it. The defense is God awful in both run and pass D. Kirk Cousins hasn't nearly lived up to owner L. Lazaroe's expectations. And to top that off he's going to have an interesting question to answer if his ball club can't turn things around by the end of the season; to fire or not to fire HC Mike Munchak? I say FIRED. But only time will tell there. If the Titans can't get the W this coming week against the Jaguars they can definitely turn all focus to the offseason and what they have to do to get this ship righted. First step, find a new coach!!

Edit: Titans drop another one to the Jaguars and lose RB Chris Johnson for the year with a broken collarbone. Costly mistakes are killing this team. Another fumble inside the 5 yard line (the play that injured Johnson) against this Jaguar team resulted in another 90+ yard TD. This team can't catch a break and Munchak is now officially on the hot seat watch.

Damn, she fine ^

Brandon Marshall Returns to Chicago for First Time​

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Brandon Marshall has had a mediocre first season so far as a Tennessee Titan. That can largely be attributed to his QB Kirk Cousins' play on the field. Cousins has been horrible in his first year as an NFL starting QB. He's in the bottom 5 of nearly every major category. Many people, however; feel that head coach Mike Munchak has not utilized Cousins as he should be. In recent weeks, the play callers have seemed to take the leash off Cousins temporarily and let him sling it around. That's led to a couple more INT's, but at least the Titans have been moving the ball up and down opponents fields. Look for Marshall to try and have a breakout game this week when the Titans visit the Chicago Bears and Soldier Field. Marshall has been held to a meager 3 TD catches this season, but has vowed to find the end zone this week. Currently, Marshall has 37 receptions on the season for 635 yards. Not the 100-catch numbers he's been so accustomed to in recent years playing with the Bears, but his season's not over yet. With CJ2K going down with a season ending injury last week look for the Titans to fling the ball around even more, and hopefully find out whether or not Kirk Cousins can be a legitimate starter in this league.


EDIT: As he promised, Brandon Marshall finally had a huge game in his Tennessee Titan uniform. Marshall had by far his best game of the year as he caught 5 passes for 142 yards and 1 TD. Marshall nearly had a 2nd TD but had the ball knocked away as he was coming down with the pass in the back of the end zone. Kirk Cousins also had one of his best games to date. He did throw 2 picks, but attributed one to "pressing the wrong button in my head".

Titans Sign OLB Zach Brown to Four Year Deal​

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The signing was a big one for the Titans as they keep by far their best LB in Tennessee for the foreseeable future. The deal was reported first by Fox Sports' Jay Glazer, and is said to be worth $16.5M with a signing bonus of $500K.

Titans Defense Finally Shows Up in Route of Patriots


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Nashville, TN -- It was the last home game for the 2015 Tennessee Titans and they vowed to leave fans with a pleasant taste in their mouths. The Titans flat out routed the New England Patriots in front of a large home crowd, 31-8. The defense played like beasts unchained and managed to force a whopping 7 turnovers on the day, all interceptions. OLB Akeem Ayers, once thought to be on the trade block, may have saved his job or is at least turning some coaches heads as he had 3 picks on the day. Newly resigned OLB Zach Brown also forced 2 interceptions and also added 1 sack. It was a lights out performance by the defense who only gave up 6 points on the day and saw Tom Brady get yanked from the game early in the second half. Offensively, Tauren Poole (3rd year man out of Tennessee) had another nice game out of the backfield. He rushed 12 times for 83 yards and a score. QB Kirk Cousins finally completed a game without turning the ball over as he went 8 for 12 for 170 yards and 2 TDs. The Titans are playing themselves out of a top 5 draft pick, but this team and it's owner won't just lay down and tank a season for a better draft pick. Next up is division foe Houston, and the Titans will be looking for some revenge from their loss earlier in the year.

Cousins Leads Team to Victory, Marshall Possibly Out for Season


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Houston, TX -- It was another solid day for QB Kirk Cousins, who finally seems to be picking this system up. Cousins only made 1 mistake on the day and seemingly moved his team up and down the field. The Titans defense, however; deserves a huge round of applause for this victory. Down 17-14 with under 4 minutes to play the Titans made a criticial red zone stop and held the Texans to a field goal. Kirk Cousins would get the ball back with just over 2 minutes to play. Once again he led his team down the field and found his go to playmaker Brandon Marshall from 20 yards out. Marshall just ran a basic 9 route and beat the tight zone coverage that the Texans were playing. It was a great read and throw by Cousins, who hooked up with Marshall for all 3 of the Titans TD's on the day. It was a costly victory though as Marshall would suffer an elbow injury on the Titans final "clock killing" drive. Marshall will undergo x-rays today which will shed more light on the extent of this injury. If his season is over, Marshall will have finished with 51 catches for 899 yards and 8 TD's. With no playoff hopes, the Titans will look to derail the New York Jets' playoff chances in next week's showdown.

Chris Johnson on the Block, Team Looking for Solid MLB



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Rumors have been circulating year after year about RB Chris Johnson's tenure in the Music City. Put the rumors to bed for this offseason as it's now officially been confirmed that the Titans will try trading the RB after the 2015 season. They're said to be looking for some help at the MLB position and/or also draft pick(s). Still young, and still one of the best backs in the game, the market for a player with CJ2K's ability should involve a few suitors. Where will he go? What will it take to get him? All questions that will soon be answered, but the Titan front office is open to hearing any and everything; within reason!

YES GET HIM OUTTA THERE!!!!!!

Axed! Titans Making Serious Moves, HC Mike Munchak Gets Chopped



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Nashville, TN -- Breaking news this morning out of Nashville as head coach Mike Munchak has been given his walking papers. Munchak is coming off a disappointing season as his team will finish 7-9 at best, and miss the playoffs once again. This is only one of the few rumors circulating around the team building today. For now, the others will be kept under wraps. Who will replace the former head coach? A few names at the top of the list are Lovie Smith, Jay Gruden, Rob Ryan, and I've even heard West Virginia Mountaineer head coach Dana Holgorsen's name being mentioned. Why Holgorsen? Well if a certain rumor is true, it would be a dream pairing for the Tennessee offense. Stay tuned to find out who replaces him!

SN: Offensive coordinatior Dowell Loggains will coach the Titans in their final game of the 2015 season against the Buffalo Bills.

Update: The Titans played their best game of the season upon Munchak's departure. The team finished the season with a 45-35 win against Cam Newton and the Buffalo Bills. The Titans close the season as winners of their last 4 of 5 games and finish with a losing record of 7-9.

Titans Make Two Huge Moves, New Franchise QB in Tennessee
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The Tennessee Titans have reached two seperate deals this weekend. The first huge one for this franchise brings QB Geno Smith to Tennessee. The Titans pulled off a shocker with the NY Jets that will bring the Jets QB to the Music City for the Titans 2016 1st and 4th round draft picks. The Titans will immediately extend a contract extension to Smith and will most likely give him whatever he wants. The Titans have been yearning for a QB with Smith's talent and abilities since the Steve McNair days. In a seperate move, the Titans traded up-and-coming OLB Zaviar Gooden to the Cleveland Browns for the Browns' 2016 2nd round pick (via Minnesota), as well as their 2017 1st round pick. These are two hugely impactful moves that will shape this organization for years to come. Whoever owner L. Lazaroe brings in to coach this team going forward, that coach will have plenty picks and a new franchise QB to play with!

The Colts do not approve

Attaboy Loren.

Glad you got your man !

great job acquiring talent bro!

Titans Hire Marvin Lewis as Head Coach


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The Tennessee Titans have announced the hiring of former Cincinnati Bengals head coach, Marvin Lewis, as their replacement for Mike Munchak. Lewis comes to Nashville with a ton of experience at the position. His perception may be a bit scued as he failed to ever make a serious run at a championship in Cincinnati, but did bring multiple teams to the playoffs. Owner L. Lazaroe on the hire, "Marvin is a very experienced head coach in this league. When we took a look at the list of available coaches, he immediately shot up to the top of our list. This guy is a winner and knows what it takes to take a team to the next level." It should also be noted that Lewis runs basically the same system as Munchak had here in Tennessee, so the personnel turnover may not be dramatic. Lewis on why he chose Tennessee over other teams, "I love challenges. This team has been on the brink of a playoff bid for a few seasons now. I want to get them over the hump. When I looked at this roster I saw plenty of great talent. With the addition of Geno Smith, I believe this offense can be one of the best in the entire league. We still need to add a few pieces on both sides of the ball, but I'm just glad to be a part of this storied franchise and look forward to getting Nashville and it's fans back into the winning tradition." Lewis' contract was signed for 3 years and a little over 4 million dollars.

New Regime Makes Cuts, Resigns Players

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Marvin Lewis and company have made some early cuts to the teams roster, with more that may be on the horizon. The team cut longtime LT Michael Roos, which may have been the biggest shock of all. But given his increasing age and the ability to free up $10M in cap space with only a minimal penalty, the decision was a smart one. The team also cut TE Delanie Walker and opted out of placing the franchise tag on pro bowl FB Craig Stevens. Stevens was very productive for the Titans, especially in goal-to-go situations, but again his increasing age most likely had the Titans front office wanting to go in a different direction. The freed up cap money allowed the Titans to go out and resign a couple key players before they hit free agency. The biggest may have been TE Taylor Thompson who could play a much bigger role under Lewis. They also signed RB Tauren Poole, who played phenomally after being picked up when CJ2K went down with his season ending injury last season. Poole rushed 71 times for 505 yards with 5 TDs, and a 7.1 ypc average. The Titans now have a little cap money to go out and get a player or two if one really attracts them in free agency. I wouldn't look for any huge moves by this team though. They'll most likely be looking towards the 2016 and 2017 drafts for the key pieces they feel that they need to get over the hump and break the playoff drought.