NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Here are five observations from the Titans' training camp.

Camp Classic Moment

For some of the most senior members of this once-itinerant franchise, merely moving into the team's new practice facility, about a 10-minute drive from the downtown area, represented a homecoming of sorts. Remember, this team used to be the Houston Oilers, drew incredibly small crowds for its final year at the Astrodome and then was forced to play in Memphis for a year, where the crowds were nearly as bad. So when the Titans finally moved here, and began their first training camp at a brand new facility, players realized the nomadic existence was finally over. "This was our place," said strong safety Blaine Bishop. "We were like lepers or something for a few years there. But when we came here, when we got settled in, we were home." Added tight end Frank Wycheck: "We were like kids in the candy store, because this place is a state-of-the-art complex. You were almost afraid to step on the rugs and stuff, because everything was so new." — Len Pasquarelli

1. Put this team down right now as one of the league's best, a franchise that should contend for a Super Bowl berth. There is a quiet confidence that pervades this efficient, workmanlike club, and it reflects the persona of coach Jeff Fisher. A lot of sideline bosses have been labeled a "players' coach," but Fisher really fits that moniker. He is fiercely loyal to his players and to the franchise and, while he is now in the $3 million-a-year salary bracket because of an extension, he probably could have made a lot more had he become a coaching free agent a year ago. Even more than the confidence exuded by the Titans is a sense of unfinished business. "We've had that for two years now," said Fisher, whose club came just a yard shy of sending Super Bowl XXXIV into overtime two years ago. "We know what the expectations are here, and our guys know what it takes to hit those expectations. For us, it's all about work. We work pretty hard here."

2. It's still early in the process, so the search for a backup to tailback Eddie George, arguably the top priority in the Titans' camp, hasn't taken on a sense of urgency yet. Still, everyone knows that one of the young players at the position is going to have to prove himself worthy of being the caddy for George, a job handled admirably by Rodney Thomas the past five years. Thomas has moved on, signing as a free agent with Atlanta to be the backup to Jamal Anderson, and his exit left a bigger void than some people might expect. George is, of course, one of the true workhorse backs, a player who has averaged 352.6 rushes in his career, including 403 carries last season. In his five seasons, he averaged 85.6 percent of the Tennessee carries by a tailback. So what's the worry about finding a backup, you say? Good point, since most NFL teams would love to be in a position where their biggest concern is identifying a backup tailback. But George is still rehabilitating from offseason foot surgery and noted on Thursday that he is probably two weeks away from getting onto the field for heavy-duty drills. He will participate in non-contact drills beginning next Tuesday but, let's face it, foot surgery is always a dicey and unpredictable proposition at best. The common denominator among the candidates to succeed Thomas, a dependable tailback who actually rushed for 947 yards in the pre-George '95 season, is a lack of experience. The favorite appears to be former Buffalo part-time starter Jonathan Linton, but he complained of a foot problem shortly after signing here as a free agent. Linton is a between-the-tacklers runner and a good fit in the Tennessee offense. The other challenger for the spot is second-year veteran Mike Green, who was the leading rusher in NFL Europe this spring. He appears, at this point, to be holding off sixth-round pick Dan Alexander, a tailback in a fullback's body, for the No. 3 spot.

3. Had longtime kicker Al Del Greco not suffered a meltdown in the playoff defeat to Baltimore -- hitting the left upright on a 31-yard field goal attempt and having two kicks blocked, including one that was returned for a touchdown -- it might have been the Titans and not the Ravens in Super Bowl XXXV. Those uncharacteristic glitches cost the Titans a potential championship and cost the popular 17-year veteran his job. The replacement is journeyman Joe Nedney, an occasionally erratic five-year pro who is coming off the best season of his NFL career. Kicking for Denver and Carolina in 2000, Nedney made 34 of 38 field goal tries for an 89.5 percent conversion rate that was third-best in the league for kickers with 30 or more attempts. But looking at his track record, one has to wonder if last year was simply an aberration. Prior to 2000, Nedney had never converted more than 72 percent of his field-goal tries and he had been released by six teams. So maybe like a lot of kickers, Nedney is a late-bloomer. Then again, maybe he's just a guy destined to have one good season and then fizzle. Given the nature of their offensive design, the Titans always figure to be involved in a lot of close contests, with seven of their games last year decided by 3 points or fewer. So Nedney had better be a guy upon whom the coaches can rely in the last two minutes with the outcome on the line.

4. Defensive end Kevin Carter is sidelined for about another 10 days with a groin injury, so it is impossible to guess how good the outside pass rush tandem of he and Jevon Kearse will be. But the organization is excited about getting a proven performer to play left end, one who weighs in at about 300 pounds and who allows Kearse to move to the weak side, where he will face fewer double-team blocks and get to work singled-up on a tackle. "Look around the league at all the 260-pound defensive ends there are, and you realize how rare a guy like (Carter) really is," said general manager Floyd Reese. "To have an end with that kind of size and speed is really a big upgrade." It was only two years ago that the former Rams standout led the league in sacks, and to get him for just the 29th overall pick in the 2001 draft was an opportunity too good to pass up. Kearse wasn't necessarily noted in the past for his work ethic, but he has stepped up the pace this offseason and should be able to top the 14½ sacks he had as a rookie in 1999. Mention the move to the weak side and Kearse's eyes flash. "To not have to fight through all the (trash) I had to put up with playing the left side, man, what a blessing," Kearse said.

5. He probably won't earn a starting spot in one of the NFL's deepest cornerback corps, but look for rookie Andre Dyson to work his way into plenty of playing time in "nickel" packages. Early in camp, he has been playing the slot cornerback position on third down. Dyson was a second-round pick, but the former Utah star also was Tennessee's highest-drafted player this year, since the club surrendered its first-rounder to acquire Carter this spring. He is the younger brother of Titans fourth-year wide receiver Kevin Dyson, who is coming back from knee surgery that cost him the entire 2001 campaign. You can tell the younger Dyson got in a lot of coverage snaps in the backyard matchups with his brother back home in Clearfield, Utah. Although he's a little on the scrawny side, he has terrific makeup speed and burst to the ball, especially when he is moving forward. Three times in the Thursday morning practice, Andre accelerated to break up passes. He has the reputation of being a bit of a gambler -- a defender who will allow some big plays on the deep ball but who figures to make just as many of them. With the Titans' front four, and the likelihood the unit will put plenty of pressure on the opposing quarterbacks, Dyson should be able to get away with some gambles. On another cornerback front, bet on the Titans signing emerging star Samari Rolle to a new, long-term deal before the regular season begins. The team lost starter Denard Walker to Denver in free agency and has to keep Rolle around.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.