American football player Vince Young. Cropped ...

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Despite closing out their 13-3 2008 season with a divisional round loss to the Ravens, the Tennessee Titans seemed to be poised to return to the post season behind the arm of Kerry Collins and the legs of Chris Johnson. However, after an 0-6 start capped by an embarassing 59-0 loss to the Patriots, the Titans turned over the reigns to 2006 first round pick Vince Young who lead the team to a 8-8 finish.

As they enter 2010 the Tennessee Titans will look to get younger in a few positions, most notably at center where they have not pursued perennial Pro Bowler Kevin Mawae. Additionally, there may be a changing of the guard at linebacker as Keith Bulluck remains a free agent while he rehabs his ACL injury. Finally, Tennessee must believe the Young they saw in 2009 has matured into leader, as they paid him a $4.25 million roster bonus to continue his contract.

2009 Team Record: 8-8
First Round Pick: 16th Overall

Roster Analysis

2009 Active Roster Batting Average (NFL Average): 56.60% (44.69%)
2009 Draft Pick Retention: 81.8%*
Undrafted Players on 2009 Active Roster (NFL Average): 20.75% (27.89%)

2010 Free Agents

Unrestricted: 11
Restricted: 6
Notable: Keith Bullock, OLB (UFA); Kevin Mawae, C (UFA); LenDale White, RB (RFA)

Last Five First Rounds

2009 – Kenny Britt, WR, Rutgers (30th Overall)
2008 – Chris Johnson, RB, East Carolina (24th Overall)
2007 – Michael Griffin, FS, Texas (19th Overall)
2006 – Vince Young, QB, Texas (3rd Overall)
2005 – Pacman Jones, CB, West Virginia (6th Overall)

DNQBR

We did not calculate a DNQBR for the Tennessee Titans for the 2009 season as neither Vince Young or Kerry Collins started 13 or more games.^

Notes & Observations

  • Nine of Tennessee’s 11 draft picks made the team’s active roster
  • G Ryan Durand and S Nick Schommer, both 7th round selections, finished the year on the team’s practice squad
  • Tennessee has been quiet so far in the early days of free agency losing DE Kyle Vanden Bosch to Detroit while signing LB Will Witherspoon who spent 2009 with the Eagles.

* we have not performed a complete analysis of teams’ 2009 draft selections versus their 2009 active rosters in order to calculate an NFL league average.

^ we will detail the breakdown of the DNQBR in a future post, however, the figure represents the approximate number of points per game that the team’s quarterback contributes. As a point of reference Saints QB Drew Brees lead the league with a DNQBR of 26.3, while Jets QB Mark Sanchez possessed the lowest at .7

Follow all the action with Draft Nugget’s Around the Draft series leading up to the 2010 NFL Draft.

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Schaub & Shanahan
Image by The Brit_2 via Flickr

In 2009 the Houston Texans posted the first winning season in the team’s eight year history on the arm of quarterback Matt Schaub and a young defense that is beginning to come into their own. The team enters the offseason in need of help at running back in draft that is not considered to be particularly strong at that position.

Despite a 31-33 record, head coach Gary Kubiak received a contract extension from the team to ensure some continuity. However, the team will be entering the season with a new offensive coordinator as Kyle Shanahan departed after his father, Mike Shanahan, was named the new head coach of the Washington Redskins.

2009 Team Record: 9-7
First Round Pick: 20th Overall

Roster Analysis

2009 Active Roster Batting Average (NFL Average): 35.85% (44.69%)
2009 Draft Pick Retention: 66.67%*
Undrafted Players on 2009 Active Roster (NFL Average): 24.53% (27.89%)

2010 Free Agents

Unrestricted: 11
Restricted: 8
Notable: Kevin Walter, WR (UFA); Bernard Pollard, S (RFA); Rex Grossman, QB (UFA)

Last Five First Rounds

2009 – Brian Cushing, OLB, USC (15th Overall)
2008 – Duane Brown, OT, Virginia Tech (26th Overall)
2007 – Amobi Okoye, DT, Louisville (10th Overall)
2006 – Mario Williams, DE, NC State (1st Overall)
2005 – Travis Johnson, DT, Florida State (16th Overall)

DNQBR

For the 2009 season, Matt Schaub had a Draft Nuggets quarterback rating of 19, good for 7th in our rankings.^

Notes & Observations

  • Six of Houston’s nine draft picks made the team’s active roster
  • Fourth round pick TE Anthony Houston finished the season on injured reserve
  • Four of the last five first round picks have been used on defensive players, including three along the defensive line
  • 2005 first round pick DT Travis Johnson was traded before the season to the San Diego Chargers for a conditional sixth pick that could become a fifth based on playing time
  • So far in free agency the Texans have lost CB Dunta Robinson to the Atlanta Falcons and have retained P Matt Turk and WR Kevin Walter

* we have not performed a complete analysis of teams’ 2009 draft selections versus their 2009 active rosters in order to calculate an NFL league average.

^ we will detail the breakdown of the DNQBR in a future post, however, the figure represents the approximate number of points per game that the team’s quarterback contributes. As a point of reference Saints QB Drew Brees lead the league with a DNQBR of 26.3, while Jets QB Mark Sanchez possessed the lowest at .7

Follow all the action with Draft Nugget’s Around the Draft series leading up to the 2010 NFL Draft.

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Jacksonville to rise from mediocrity?

March 9, 2010

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The Jacksonville Jaguars are an unremarkable 57-55 under head coach Jack Del Rio who will be heading into his eighth season in 2010. Despite having one of the game’s best young talents at running back in Maurice Jones-Drew the team has not had consistent play from either the quarterback [...]

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Indianapolis to remain perennial contender?

March 8, 2010

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Coming off the loss to the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl XLIV the Indianapolis Colts have their work cut out for them entering the offseason. Quarterback Peyton Manning will be entering the final year of his contract with the team in 2010, as the final two years have [...]

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Boldin trade and free agency analysis

March 7, 2010

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With the league entering its first uncapped year since 1993 there was a lot of uncertainty as to what teams would do with regards to free agency.
Would the one or two head scratcher, big money deals we see every offseason get consummated? Would most teams continue to operate as [...]

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Can Pittsburgh right the ship?

March 4, 2010

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Entering the season as reigning Super Bowl champions, the Pittsburgh Steelers got off to a fast start before a midseason fade. Their normally stout defense became uncharacteristically porous. While Pittsburgh rallied late in the season and nearly made it in the playoffs, they will need to address several areas, most [...]

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Will Baltimore focus on the passing game?

March 3, 2010

After blowing the Patriots out of the playoffs in the Wild Card round, the Ravens came up lame against the Colts. With the emergence of Ray Rice at running back, Baltimore enters the 2010 draft with a need to address deficiencies at wide receiver despite the free agent signing of Dante Stallworth. They will [...]

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Mike Holmgren to the Browns rescue?

March 2, 2010

Despite the regime change from Romeo Crennel to Eric Mangini, the Browns got off to a dismal start to the season. The revamped front office traded away TE Kellen Winslow to the Buccaneers and WR Braylon Edwards to the Jets, as well as traded down with the Jets in the first round of the [...]

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Will the Cincinnati Bengals go on the offensive?

March 1, 2010

The Cincinnati Bengals season ended with back to back losses against the New York Jets where there normally proficient offense managed to score only 14 points between the two contests. With free agent WR Laverneous Coles a non-factor, the tragic death of WR Chris Henry and emerging young defense, it wouldn’t be shocking if [...]

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Teams building through the draft

February 28, 2010

This time of year general managers and team executives all sound as if they’ve graduated from the Captain Obvious school of team management. Through the many interviews given to the press assembled for the combine, they invariably drag out the same old, tired cliches to describe their approach to the offseason.
Of all the sound [...]

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