AFC South: Herm Edwards
Streeter Lecka/Getty ImagesThrough five games as a starter this season, Vince Young has played like the quarterback the Titans thought they were drafting in 2006.The Titans' quarterback still doesn’t understand some of the questions about how things have changed for him, but he’s gotten very good at talking about how he likes his fans and critics all the same, and I believe he means it.
It’s a lot easier, of course, for him to like the critics -- and it’s no secret I’ve been one -- when you’re doing so much to quiet them down.
This Vince Young has shown he can stand in the pocket and throw with touch just as easily as he can take off and run for a first down. He has shown a willingness to study. He has shown an ability to let go of the bad and move on. He has shown a confidence that had disappeared when he lost his job at the start of the 2008 season.
He has shown a lot, but he’s not finished yet and he knows it. A five-game sampling has been great, but the competition hasn’t been tremendous, the supporting cast has played very well and he knows people want more. Heck, he wants more too.
“I’m still working, still working, still working,” he said. “This is my fourth year. I’ve got a long way to go.”
Halfway through Young’s 10-game season, he’s certainly on track to make Jeff Fisher’s longstanding coachspeak about being the quarterback of the future turn true.
Let’s check in on where he stands in several areas that were issues for him while he was benched and forced to serve an apprenticeship while Kerry Collins started 22 games.
Breaking down the AFC South's approach to WRs
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| Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne and Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Reggie Williams: the Reggie that worked and the Reggie that didn't. |
Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky
The Colts have an all-time great at quarterback. The Jaguars and Titans do not.
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Look at the history of those three teams in the AFC South at wide receiver over the last dozen years, and Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison have done a lot to skew the comparison.
Even so, just over a month before the 2009 draft, it's hard not to try to sort through the different approaches at receiver by the division's three receiver-needy teams.
Harrison was in Indy before Manning, but the Colts have made it a priority to provide weapons for their quarterback. The Jaguars and Titans, meanwhile, are run-based teams that have failed to find the downfield threats that would open things up.
Jacksonville and Tennessee have missed in different ways.
The Jaguars swung and missed three times when they spent first-round picks on receivers -- R. Jay Soward, Reggie Williams and Matt Jones all busted -- while the Titans spent high picks on other positions while managing to develop only one Pro Bowler, Derrick Mason, out of 17 drafted wideouts.
We're leaving the Texans mostly out of this conversation for two reasons -- they don't have as much of a draft history to examine and receiver doesn't rank as one of their big needs heading into this draft.
But Houston is included in these capsules, in order of the number of receivers drafted since 1997, for context:
Tennessee:Receivers drafted: 17 (Second in NFL)
Average overall pick: 121.1 (15th)
Average round: 4.06
Average draft value pick: 86th
First-rounders: 1
Passing offense since 1997: 17th
Philosophical summation: The Titans haven't spent a first-rounder on a receiver since they passed on Randy Moss for Kevin Dyson in 1998. They've thrown a lot of mid- and late-round picks at the position and hope to make things work with willing blockers in a run-first offense that has not consistently stretched the field on the outside under Jeff Fisher. They won't usually play kids who don't know the entire offense early on and like to talk about how they don't need an All-Pro caliber No. 1 guy to succeed.
Jacksonville:
Receivers drafted: 11 (Tied for 21st)
Average overall pick: 137.9 (23rd)
Average round: 4.55
Average draft value pick: 62nd
First-rounders: 3
Passing offense since 1997: 14th
Philosophical summation: They've not been afraid to spend first-round picks on receivers and haven't found a star in three stabs with R. Jay Soward, Reggie Williams and Matt Jones. Indications are, however, they aren't afraid to swing again. They want a big-time weapon for David Garrard to be the quarterback they envision and may well grab Michael Crabtree or Jeremy Maclin at No. 8 in the first round if one of them is available. Veteran Torry Holt, a free agent, is visiting the team Thursday.
Indianapolis:
Receivers drafted: 7 (28th in the league)
Average overall pick: 98.4 (First)
Average round: 3.29
Average draft value pick: 60th
First rounders: 2
Passing offense since 1997: First
Philosophical summation: Surrounding Manning with weapons is always a priority. The Colts got an all-time great in 1996 with Marvin Harrison, and rather than thinking they could supplement him with bit players, they spent more resources to surround him -- with Reggie Wayne in round one of the 2001 draft, with free agent Brandon Stokley in 2003 and by drafting Anthony Gonzalez in round one in 2007. They could well grab another at No. 27 in this draft.
Receivers drafted: 6 (32nd)
Average overall pick: 114.2 (Ninth)
Average round: 4.00
Average draft value pick: 39th
First rounders: 1
Passing offense since 2002: 28th
Philosophical summation: They hit a home run with Andre Johnson in the first round in 2003 and have worked to build an offense around an unassuming, hard-working talent. The Texans have done r
easonably well developing Johnson's supporting cast with free agent additions Kevin Walter and Andre Davis and 2006 seventh-rounder David Anderson. With an improved line and run game, if quarterback Matt Schaub stays healthy, Johnson will remain one of the league's most feared weapons.
*--Since 2002
In the graphic below, Aaron Schatz from footballoutsiders.com suggested I look at the differences in approach at wide receiver by using a "draft value chart." A general average of draft position assumes the difference between each draft spot is the same, while the sort of value chart teams use for trading picks takes into account just how different the value is between a first-rounder and a sixth-rounder.
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Two assessments of what this all means:
Schatz of footballoutsiders.com:
"It's a different issue with each team. The Colts have hit on their first-round receivers, the Jaguars have not. Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, Anthony Gonzalez. Honestly, what else have the Colts had to do to find receivers? Those three play so well that everything else they look for is slot guys and depth.
"On the other hand, the Jags have blown first-rounders on Reggie Williams, R. Jay Soward, and Matt Jones. Williams is sort of a good second guy, Soward sucked, and Jones is a mess who was totally overdrafted."
"I don't think the Titans have spent a first on a receiver since Kevin Dyson. They did a great job of drafting Derrick Mason, and have been stumbling along otherwise with lower picks that didn't work out and free agents. That's different from the Colts, though -- the Colts didn't have a chance to have lower picks not work out because their first-rounders are so good. And the starter before Wayne was drafted was [Jerome] Pathon, who was a second-rounder who had a career that was about equal to what you would expect from a guy taken with an early pick in the second round."
ESPN analyst Herm Edwards former coach of the Jets and Chiefs:
"It depends on what your philosophy is on offense, it has a lot to do with what you are trying to do. Receivers, it's always a tough deal when you draft those guys, especially high. Because the expectations on them are so enormous. It sometimes takes those guys two or three years to really get going into the system.
"If you look at Indy, they've got a system with a quarterback where all they have to do it fit the pieces they want, like the kid Gonzalez they drafted from Ohio State. You look at him now, they used him a lot in the slot, so they kind of brought him along. I think now with Marvin being gone Gonzalez will probably replace Marvin outside. When they moved him to the slot, they really took away Dallas Clark, because Clark is really their slot guy in three wideouts, they put him in the slot a lot. Now they've got a speed guy in Gonzalez, they can move him back outside and now what they'll probably do is look for another guy. They are always a year or two ahead of what they want to do.
"Tennessee, in my opinion, is more of a team that's going to try to run the ball and play physical on defense, do it that way. So their receivers are a little bit different than the guys in Indianapolis. Those guys have got to be able to block. If you look at Tennessee's receivers, they're pretty big. Jacksonville has the same kind of guys. They're more of a play-action team, they're going to try to hit the home runs. Those teams are going to pound you with their running games, try to get eight guys in the box, get one on one outside, and then from there try to hit you with the home run.
"Jacksonville, they've had some guy but none of them have really turned out. But that's a lot of teams, though. They are so hard to figure out. This year in this class is kind of unique. Five or six of the top guys are juniors. That's what makes the class so good... Now you're talking about bringing a young guy in that's going to take a little time to develop.
"The Colts, if they miss on a guy it's almost not on the radar screen, because when you think about it, he ain't going to play anyway, he's not pressed to play right now. It's been the same starters every year. Now they need one."
One more time: Titans not courting T.O.
The rumor's gathering steam. I'm here to help dismiss it.
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If Terrell Owens and Drew Rosenhaus were, in fact, spotted in the Nashville airport, then they had a layover or they are visiting friends in Music City.
Several insiders are saying the Titans have no interest in Owens, as we indicated on Thursday.
Jim Wyatt also said it Thursday, and is hitting it again Friday.
Owens to Tennessee makes sense if you look speedily through the league for receiver-needy franchises with strong head coaches who can manage a difficult player and personality.
But it's not that simple, and this run-first team is not in the market for a receiver with the price tag, reputation and drama Owens would bring along with his ability to make the acrobatic catch (and the disappointing drop).
I know Herm Edwards likes the match and I know the airport sighting is sexy.
I also know the Titans aren't interested.
Mailbag: On third-year QBs, the Colts DC and public salaries
Gerald Ball in Norcross writes: Hello: You endorsed Bill Polian's statement that you should be able to tell if a QB can play by year 3, and if he isn't making real progress by then a team should move on. Well, allow me to give you Kerry Collins' stats from his 3rd year in the league: 200 completions out of 381 passes (52%) for 2124 yards in 13 starts. 11 TDs, 21 INTs, and 27 sacks. QB rating: 55. And keep in mind: Collins did not come out early, and was a dropback QB in a pro style offense. Collins was also the #5 pick in the draft. Speaking of Collins' draft, the Panthers traded down from #1 overall because they were on public record as not thinking much of Steve McNair and knew that they could get Collins a bit later. Let us look at McNair's statistics in year 3: 216 completions in 415 attempts (52%) for 2665 yards, 14 TDs, 13 INTs, and 31 sacks. By the way, the GM that passed up McNair for Collins was Bill Polian. Look, lots of QBs have been far worse than Vince Young is now and gone on to be very good players later. Vince Young deserves another shot, if not in Nashville definitely someplace else.
Paul Kuharsky: I agree with the significance of the third year for a quarterback, but I never said there wouldn't be exceptions. (Polian didn't either, by the way.) Certainly, if a guy sits his first two years, Year 3 is a little early to judge. McNair fits there.
You jumped right to Year 3 for Collins, who prove in Year 2 (14 touchdowns, 9 picks, 79.4 rating, but most importantly an appearance in the NFC Championship Game) that he could play. The off-the-field issues that sidetracked him for a stretch and his renaissance are well documented.
Maybe Young will ultimately be able to tell a similar story. But the Titans are entitled to judge if and when he deserves another shot.
Jon in SIlver Spring writes: There was NO story on the Texans?! none?! geez
Paul Kuharsky: Honest. There are going to be quiet times for all these teams now based on two things: quiet stretches where there really isn't anything going on and the fact that each market really has only one paper/Web site that follows the team on a daily basis. I always invite mailbag mentions of links I may have missed, but I do not generally include fan site links in "Reading the Coverage" entries.
JL in Hoboken, NJ: PK, one other question. This is about professional sports in general. Why do teams release salary information? These aren't public companies so there isn't exactly a need for transparency. Are teams volunteering this information or is this information getting leaked against the clubs and players will? While, for the most part, I don't think that this information does any harm, I can't see any good that it serves either. If anything, it can only engender animosity towards highly compensated players who aren't perceived to perform at a high-enough level (think A-Rod). Thanks
Paul Kuharsky: Few release it, but it's hard to keep a secret. Players want to know what the market is at their position and because of the salary cap it's important to know what people are making to be able to judge how a team is managing things financially. Agents have access to details of every contract in the league, numbers that are critical to negotiating the next deal. There is no way it's all going to stay private.
An aside that's my favorite salary-related locker room exchange ever: An inexpensive safety on the Titans once waved me over to his locker and asked me why I had mentioned his salary in an article in The Tennessean. "I've got some women out there who think I make a million dollars," he said with a sour face. I'd let it be known he was not nearly that wealthy.
Luke in parts unknown writes: I like [Herm Edwards for Colts defensive coordinator] because of his Dungy connection. He's a good coach, and though he's never been a coordinator, he's been a head coach who would give Caldwell a veteran mind to help him out.
Could you see them promoting John Teerlink to help keep continuity? He's been a successful line coach for awhile, and he would work well with the Cover 2 personnel.
Though, it's all probably moot since it looks like it will be Coyer. I don't know him well, would he keep the Cover 2 system, or try to gradually change it to something else?
Paul Kuharsky: I have not heard a Teerlinck promotion mentioned as a possibility, but the Colts have been very quiet on this. Their personnel is molded to the scheme, I don't know why they'd be looking to change anything but the size of their defensive tackles and the consistency of their run defense and tackling.
Edwards has never coordinated and said he'd like to return to the league as a defensive backs coach.
Unknown from Hendersonville writes: well the Titans are vastly improved over the last 3-4 years. I have an interesting thought, and that is do you think the Titans could possibly sign Haynesworth and also pick up Peppers from Carolina? Would JP be a fit with the Titans (temperment, get along with guys there, etc)? With KVB, Albert, and Peppers with the other guys, it would seem that a blitz would never again be called by the defense? also, is there any chance that, to use his skills, that VY would agree to work as a WR in a fashion as did the Steelers Cordell Stewart about 10-12 yrs ago? I don't see it but was curious.
Paul Kuharsky: It's not how they build -- when's the last time they added a huge free agent who was the best available at his position? Even guys like Chris Hope, Kevin Mawae and David Thornton were pieces who fit the system, not huge stars. Also Peppers is talking about being an outside linebacker in a 3-4.
As for Young, what makes you think he has receiver skills? Why do so many people presume it? There have been experiments before where teams try great athletes at receiver. The Titans don't need a great athlete at receiver, they need a great receiver at receiver. If Young won't commit the effort to play his own position well, why would he commit to a demotion? Bill Cowher was a gadget guy in many ways, Fisher is not.
Adam in Bronx, NY writes: I'm a huge Titans fan (yes I'm really from NY). But one thing about Lyndale White has been frustrating me. He's a big guy with alot of power but whenever I watch him it looks like his legs go dead as soon as someone makes contact with him. I'm used to watching the Brandon Jacobs and Jerome Bettis keep their feet moving even after they get hit. Please tell me, Paul, am I right or just seeing things. Thanks. Keep up the good work, the only blog i read consistently.
Paul Kuharsky: I'd agree White is not a chugger or churner the way Jacobs is or Bettis probably was. He's more of a picker who knows when he's done, more about vision and strength than power despite his size. Much appreciate the compliments, please keep clicking.
Tim in Nashville: Do you think Eric King is a good replacement for Vince Fuller if he leaves via free agency?
Paul Kuharsky: He could be, yes, but he's a free agent too. I think they need to keep Fuller. King would be nice depth too.
Texans dismiss Smith, two other defensive assistants
The Texans just announced that three defensive coaches have been dismissed: Coordinator Richard Smith, defensive backs coach Jon Hoke and defensive line coach Jethro Franklin.
Smith was under fire for most of the season, though, his unit played better late in the season when the Texans played less conservatively.
Coach Gary Kubiak once wanted Frank Bush, a senior defensive assistant for the Texans, to be his coordinator. But there will be a great pool to choose from as several former head coaches are available or believed to be on their way to being available.
Rod Marinelli, Eric Mangini, Mike Nolan, Romeo Crennel are already out of work and Gregg Williams worked under a one-year deal as coordinator in Jacksonville. Jim Haslett and Herm Edwards could also become part of the available coordinator pool.
Kubiak is scheduled to talk to the Houston press at 2:30 p.m. and we'll check back once we see what he says.
Williams will be part of big crop of free DCs
It comes as no surprise that Gregg Williams isn't going to be back as Jacksonville's defensive coordinator, according to ESPN's Chris Mortensen.
He and Jack Del Rio, both strong-willed coaching personalities, never seemed a good fit for each other. Del Rio is safe because of his big contract, and he's never hesitated to make changes on his staff.
In a normal year, Williams might have hit the market and found a better situation.
But with Mike Nolan already available and other head coaches who could be fired likely to be available as defensive coordinators, it could be a tough market. That list could include names like Rod Marinelli, Romeo Crennel, Jim Haslett as well as less likely possibilities like Herm Edwards, Marvin Lewis and Mike Singletary.
Many will automatically presume Williams will land back in Tennessee, where he worked his way up under Jeff Fisher before leaving to become head coach of the Buffalo Bills after the 2000 season.
Fisher could have an opening if Jim Schwartz gets his first head coaching job. But with such a vacancy, Fisher would also look at strong in-house candidates Dave McGinnis and Chuck Cecil.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Paul Kuharsky
Kuharsky joined ESPN.com in 2008 after 12 years covering the Oilers/Titans and the NFL for The (Nashville) Tennessean. The New Jersey native and Columbia graduate lives in Nashville with his wife and son.
