Monday, January 21, 2013
Tennessee's O-line overhaul
By Tim Kavanagh
The Tennessee Titans had some positives and some negatives during the course of the 2012 campaign, and it wasn't wholly surprising to see some alterations to the coaching staff in the days following the end of the season. There will be some personnel adjustments as well, and one area that could look significantly different in Week 1 of 2013 is the offensive line.
Out of the five opening day starters, three of them had been lost to injury by the end of the season -- LG Steve Hutchinson, C Eugene Amano and RG Leroy Harris -- and there's no guarantee that any of them will be back this fall: Harris is set to hit free agency, Hutchinson is pondering retirement and Amano could be released this offseason.
Aside from hoping for improvement from the players already on the roster, the Titans can aggressively work to improve the O-line via free agency and the draft. Amongst the interior O-linemen poised to hit free agency, Buffalo's Andy Levitre and the Jets' Brandon Moore appear to be amongst those to draw the most interest. In the draft, players such as Alabama's Chance Warmack and UNC's Jonathan Cooper lead the list of prospects the position, though the Titans may elect to find a defensive starter in Round 1 before securing some line help in the later rounds.
