LeGarrette Blount signs with the Tennessee Titans.

When Mr. Irrelevant is announced and the draft officially ends, hundreds of phone calls are made to those who were not drafted. The 49ers reportedly struck a deal with Oregon's talented, yet troubled runningback LeGarrette Blount moments after the draft, but the following day he decided to decline San Francisco's offer and bolted to Nashville, where he will try to become a Tennessee Titan.

After the trade of LenDale White to Seattle, the Titans left the 2010 NFL Draft with only two runningbacks - Chris Johnson and Javon Ringer - on their roster. Stafon Johnson was signed moments after and now Blount comes on looking for a roster spot. With the history behind Tennessee's depth at runningback - they've carried four backs on the active roster for the past few years - it seems like both undrafted free agent rookies will have excellent opportunities to make the team.

Johnson is an incredible story that you have all heard by now. But instead of getting into that, let's focus on the more talented back - in my opinion - who could possibly make a splash in his rookie season (assuming he makes the team).

First off, without White, the Titans are left without a true power back. Blount can fill that role and give Tennessee a very nice 1-2 punch (pun intended) with Chris Johnson. The former Oregon back checks in at 6'1" and 238 pounds, and he ran a 4.53 at his Pro Day in Eugene.

He was named a darkhorse candidate to take home the Heisman Trophy before the 2009 college football season. As a junior, he split carries with senior Jeremiah Johnson and still ended up with 1002 yards and 17 touchdowns. His combination of power, elusiveness and surprising speed made him one of the top runningbacks on any NFL draft evaluator's board coming into his senior campaign.

And then the punch happened.

We all have seen the highlight by now. After a frustrating loss to Boise State in the opening week of the college football season, Blount laid a right hook to Broncos linebacker Byron Hout while other players were shaking hands. His anger got the best of him and had to be pulled away from the stands because it seemed like he was about to pull a Ron Artest.

Suspended for the season - later was reinstated for the rivalry game against Oregon State - Blount watched freshman LaMichael James steal the show and lead Oregon to a Rose Bowl. Blount's stock continued to pummel and he was now looked upon as a sixth or seventh round pick in the draft. Again, remember that just a few months prior to this, he was some draft analysts' best runningback coming out.

Hopefully he has realized his faults and has matured enough to continue his dream of playing in the NFL. LeGarrette Blount, welcome to Tennessee.

Meet the new guys: Introducting the Tennessee Titans' draft class of 2010.

The most exciting three days of any sports' off-season is over and now die-hard fans are currently YouTube'ing highlights of their teams' draft picks. With needs on the defensive line, defensive back, receiver and returner, I came out of the 2010 NFL Draft very satisfied with our selections. I feel that most of the new guys can come in and contribute to the team right away; which is always nice on a team that is just a few pieces away from making a deep playoff run.

Below are the newest Tennessee Titans and a little description about them.

Round 1, 16th overall - Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech (6'3", 266)

The Titans should be thrilled that the top defensive end prospect in the 2010 NFL Draft class fell to 16 after fellow position prospects Brandon Graham and Jason Pierre-Paul were picked ahead of him at 13 (Eagles) and 15 (Giants). Morgan has a very quick first step, good pass rush moves, great motor and an underrated run stopping ability. He should find time right away in the defensive line rotation and might even start.

Round 3, 77th overall - Damian Williams, WR, USC (6'1", 197)

The Titans add depth at the receiver position and possibly find their #2 guy in Damian Williams. The former Arkansas and USC wide-out possesses excellent hands, good route-running ability and the knack to break a big play on a punt return. Just an overall solid player who should contribute his rookie season and end up finding a spot right beside Kenny Britt on the offensive depth chart in the future.

Round 3, 97th overall - Rennie Curran, LB, Georgia (5'11", 235)

The Titans use their compensatory pick they received from the Albert Haynesworth signing on a small linebacker who possesses a lot of tools. Rennie Curran is another guy who should contribute some way his rookie season with his grittiness and toughness. He was very productive at Georgia but lacks some speed, making him a possible liability in coverage.

Round 4, 104th overall - Alterraun Verner, CB, UCLA (5'10", 189)

Trading LenDale White and Kevin Vickerson in order to move up in this round and in the sixth, Alterraun Verner is the selection with other higher-rated cornerbacks still on the board. He's a smaller corner with excellent ball skills and is just a great athlete in general. With the #2 slot opposite Cortland Finnegan up for grabs, look for Verner to compete for that job and at least prove himself as a nickel or dime corner this season.

Round 5, 148th overall - Robert Johnson, S, Utah (6'2", 200)

Don't know much about Johnson, but he did intercept six passes and returned one for a touchdown last year. He'll add needed depth at safety and could win a roster spot over long-time veteran Donnie Nickey.

Round 6, 176th overall - Rusty Smith, QB, Florida Atlantic (6'5", 230)

With Dan LeFevour still on the board at this point, I was pretty upset that we chose All-Sun Belt product Rusty Smith instead of the Central Michigan quarterback. Smith is a big guy with a strong arm and will compete for the #3 spot with Chris Simms and Kerry Collins.

Round 6, 207th overall - Myron Rolle, S, Florida State (6'2", 215)

Rolle is a steal at the end of the sixth round. Before leaving college football to study at Oxford in 2009, Rolle was looked at as a second or third round prospect. He was a top five recruit coming out of high school and is obviously a very intelligent player. The safety from Florida State possesses great size, strength, and instincts, but his burst and quickness is lacking. He should find a roster spot and could be groomed behind Chris Hope to be the future starting strong safety.

Round 7, 222nd overall - Marc Mariani, WR, Montana (6', 185)

Trying to address their problems in the return game, the Titans take Marc Mariani out of Montana, continuing their tradition of taking a receiver late in the draft. He'll get every opportunity to win the kick and punt returning job in training camp and if not, he'll most likely find himself on the practice squad.

Round 7, 241st overall - David Howard, DT, Brown (6'3", 298)

Very raw, David Howard will give Jim Washburn a nice project for a few years. He is very strong - 39 reps in the bench press at his pro day - and has a lot of upside to him. With Vickerson being traded, he should make the roster or at least the practice squad.

Undrafted Free Agent - Stafon Johnson, HB, USC (5'11", 215)

Although not drafted, Johnson is another steal for Tennessee. Before the weight-lifting incident, the USC runningback was projected to be a mid-round pick and despite performing well in Senior Bowl practices, he was not drafted and was quickly picked up by the Titans. He has good vision and burst and with White out of the picture, Johnson can find himself on the Titans regular season roster.

Derrick Morgan, are you ready to wear two-tone blue?

The defensive end from Georgia Tech, Derrick Morgan, who was most scouts' top defensive end prospect, fell through the grasp of Jacksonville, Seattle and New York - three teams that needed pass rush help - before being caught by the Tennessee Titans with the 16th overall pick.

With defensive end and cornerback being the biggest positions of need for Tennessee, I was thrilled when the three aforementioned teams passed on Morgan for other needs they had. I had Morgan as my biggest (realistic) want in the draft and couldn't be happier when the Titans chose him.

Getting away from my thoughts about the pick, let's look into what Morgan brings to Tennessee. At 6'4" and tipping the scales at 270 pounds, he is a very strong player who has a great first step off the line. His variety of moves can confuse the opposing offensive tackle and his motor is outstanding.

There's really not that many negatives about Morgan. He doesn't drop into zone coverage that well, has inconsistent counter moves and lacks a little agility. With all of that being said, the Titans are pretty much getting a NFL-ready defensive end that could start from day one.

Morgan doesn't have the boom/bust potential like Jason Pierre-Paul did; a player that the Titans were rumored to be in love with. If Jim Washburn - arguably the best defensive line coach in the league - can get production from Jacob Ford (5.5 sacks as a situational pass rusher), there's no doubt in my mind that Morgan's going to be a great player for years to come.

Derrick Morgan, welcome to Tennessee big fella.

Did they make it? Looking back at previous first picks by the Titans.

With the draft being tomorrow - the first round at least - I decided to take a look back at the Tennessee Titans previous first picks. It's interesting to see who panned out, who is on another team, and who is out of the league entirely. So without further adieu, let's go back to 2003.


2003

Actual Pick (28th overall): Andre Woolfolk, CB, Oklahoma
Notable Miss: Nnamdi Asomugha, CB, California [drafted by Oakland 31st overall]
Satisfied with the pick at the time: Yes
Satisfied with the pick now: No

Andre Woolfolk starred on an Oklahoma team that went 12-2 and won the Rose Bowl his final season. He was a big corner (6'2", 197) and the Titans needed someone opposite Andre Dyson. I liked the pick, but he was a huge bust, only picking off three passes and never playing more than 13 games in his career.

Meanwhile, Nnamdi Asomugha - another big corner (6'2", 210) - fell three spots further down to the reigning AFC champion Oakland Raiders. He has turned into one of the top three corners in the NFL...talk about a miss.


2004

Actual Pick (2nd round, 40th overall): Ben Troupe, TE, Florida
Notable Miss: Bob Sanders, SS, Iowa [drafted by Indianapolis 44th overall]
Satisfied with the pick at the time: No
Satisfied with the pick now: No

With Erron Kinney still as a Titan - and a reliable tight end to boot - the Titans became infatuated with Troupe's combine numbers and chose them with their first pick. Troupe had a solid year in 2005 with 55 catches, but he never lived up to the potential Tennessee saw in him.

Once All-Pro safety Bob Sanders was still on the board and with Lance Schulters in the last year of his deal, they could have taken the small Iowa safety to plug in after Schulters left in the off-season. Sanders is injury prone but when he's healthy, he's one of the best safeties in the game.


2005

Actual Pick (6th overall): Adam "Pac-Man" Jones, CB, West Virginia
Notable Miss: Roddy White, WR, UAB [drafted by Atlanta 27th overall]
Satisfied with the pick at the time: Yes
Satisfied with the pick now: Yes

Pretty much everyone knew that the Titans would choose either Adam Jones or Antrel Rolle with the sixth overall pick. Andre Woolfolk was looking like a bust in front of the coaching staff's eyes and with Andre Dyson leaving in the off-season to Seattle, they needed a corner to step up immediately. Enter Mr. Jones, who had a decent rookie campaign, but showed All-Pro potential in his second year.

Surprisingly, I am satisfied with the pick still to this day. I wish he wouldn't have gotten into trouble like he did, but when on the field he showed a Deion Sanders-esque game to him. He was an electric returner and blanketed receivers like Terrell Owens and Chad Johnson/Ochocinco/Hachi Go in his second year. The sky was the limit for Pac-Man; sucks he couldn't keep his nose out of trouble though.


2006

Actual Pick (3rd overall): Vince Young, QB, Texas
Notable Miss: Haloti Ngata, DT, Oregon [drafted by Baltimore 12th overall]
Satisfied with the pick at the time: Yes
Satisfied with the pick now: Yes

Young, Leinart, or Cutler? That was the debate as the Titans came up to the podium with the third overall pick. They decided on the Rose Bowl hero Vince Young, whose mentor was current quarterback - at the time - Steve McNair. However, after McNair was traded to the Ravens, Young stepped in early in the season and made a lasting impression with two games - the 24-point fourth-quarter comeback against the Giants and the 40+ yard overtime touchdown run against the Texans - that had Titans fans seeing a bright future.

However, he struggled in his sophomore campaign and by now we all know his struggles in 2008 with the suicide and quitting on his team rumors. This past year he took over for a struggling Kerry Collins after the bye week and led the Titans to an 8-8 record after starting the year 0-6. This season will prove whether he can be a consistently solid quarterback in the NFL, but for now I'll mark this pick as a success. I still expect big things from VY and have hope he can become the next Steve McNair.


2007

Actual Pick (19th overall): Michael Griffin, FS, Texas
Notable Miss: Dwayne Bowe, WR, LSU [drafted by Kansas City 23rd overall]
Satisfied with the pick at the time: No
Satisfied with the pick now: Yes

I personally wanted a big target for Young with the Titans' first rounder, but Griffin didn't really upset me too much. I knew our secondary was shaky and Griffin could immediately upgrade the safety position. He had a good rookie year, picking off three passes in 10 starts, but in 2008 he made the Pro Bowl with seven interceptions and 75 tackles.

I can say that I'm satisfied with the pick, but he still has a few things to improve on. He's got very good ball-hawking skills, but last season exposed his weak tackling and his consistency to bite on pump-fakes. If he can work on those weak areas of his game, he will be a great safety for years to come in this league.


2008

Actual Pick (24th overall): Chris Johnson, HB, East Carolina
Notable Miss: DeSean Jackson, WR, California [49th overall by Philadelphia]
Satisfied with the pick at the time: No
Satisfied with the pick now: Yes

I was absolutely furious with this selection. LenDale White was coming off a 1000+ yard season and I had confidence that he could be our feature back for years to come. Drafting another runningback with all the top receivers still on the board really had me scratching my head. However, Johnson - who has the fastest recorded 40-yard dash time in NFL Combine history at 4.24 - had a great rookie season, rushing for 1228 yards and nine touchdowns. The Titans went 13-3 that season, which shut me up about taking the speedster from East Carolina.

Obviously after a 2006 yard, 14 touchdown sophomore season, I'm satisfied with this pick. I can confidently say that the Titans have the best runningback in the NFL at this point and he will be in Tennessee for years to come. With Young, Johnson and the 2009 first round pick that I will mention in a moment, they will also have a great QB-RB-WR core that should scare many defenses.

2009

Actual Pick (30th overall): Kenny Britt, WR, Rutgers
Notable Miss: Ray Maualuga, MLB, USC [38th overall by Cincinnati]
Satisfied with the pick at the time: Yes
Satisfied with the pick now: Yes

With a weak receiving corps, I was ecstatic that the Titans took the best wide-out on the board in Kenny Britt. After years and years of begging for a receiver, I was finally satisfied they pulled the trigger on their first first-round one since Kevin Dyson back in the day.

Britt had a solid rookie campaign, despite only starting six games. I say that he was the Titans' best receiver last season, despite Justin Gage and Nate Washington having better statistics; because they had more playing time than the Rutgers product. Britt also made one of the best catches of the year, pulling in a fourth-down touchdown pass by Vince Young while taking a vicious hit in the Titans incredible comeback win over Arizona. With more playing time, Britt should become a very nice #1 receiver...something the Titans haven't had in a while.

Welcome to Tennessee: Recapping the Titans' off-season acquisitions and addressing the rumors of a reunion tour.

Obviously the biggest headline of this off-season just happened when Donovan McNabb was traded to the Washington Redskins. However, there have been some other teams that have been making acquisitions as well; just not as high-profile as the McNabb trade.

One of those teams are the Tennessee Titans. Not exactly a free-spending team like the Redskins or Dallas Cowboys, the Titans usually stick with signing journeymen to above-average players to fill their weak spots. So far this off-season has been no different.

Will Witherspoon is probably the biggest signing so far this off-season for the 2008 AFC South champions. At 29, he's younger than injured outside linebacker Keith Bulluck - who I expect will not be a Titan in 2010 - and should start with Stephen Tulloch and David Thornton/Gerald McRath. He's had a couple good years with Carolina and St. Louis before getting traded to Philadelphia last season.

Another Eagle in Jason Babin became a Titan this off-season. The former first-round pick is considered a bust in mostly everyone's eyes, but at 28, he still has some upside to him. With Jim Washburn's coaching, he could make an impact as a rotational defensive end.

And finally Tye Hill, another former first-round pick, singed with the Titans just over a week ago. He adds cornerback depth and is a very explosive player when he has the football in his hands. Out of Clemson, he ran a 4.41 at the NFL Combine just four years ago and provides returning abilites as well.

Eugene Amano and Rod Hood were both re-signed, and Kevin Mawae is looking for a one or two-year deal with Tennessee to back-up Leroy Harris.

But let's address the biggest rumor of them all - which also ties into the introduction of this article - the reacquisition of Albert Haynesworth.

I know what you're thinking; didn't the Titans let him go because they didn't want to dish out the money to retain him? That is 100% correct and I felt like it was the right move during last year's off-season period. However, with the details of the McNabb trade coming out and the revelation of the Eagles denying a McNabb/Haynesworth straight-up swap, the rumors started to spread that the two-time All-Pro defensive tackle was on the market.

Redskins new head coach Mike Shanahan is reluctant to move Haynesworth to the nose tackle spot in his 3-4 defense. His sort of prima-donna attitude wouldn't welcome the change either and their first meeting together didn't go very smoothly.

I'm pretty sure you know what I'm getting at right now. Could Haynesworth be wearing two-tone blue next season again? Absolutely.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d8175f344&template=with-video-with-comments&confirm=true

I'm a little indifferent about acquiring Big Al again. We all know the talent's there; watch his highlights from 2008. The question that should be asked is if he will exert the same effort as he did that year.

That's my main concern. I felt that when I saw Haynesworth struggle with Washington this season, he only played to his potential the previous year to make a big pay day. Now that he has his money, will he return to 2008 form if brought back to Nashville? I can't honestly tell.

The positives out-weigh the negatives, in my opinion. First off, Washington already paid off his $21 million roster bonus, so there's less money for Tennessee to pay if he were acquired.

Then you have to look at the Titans' coaching staff; if there's anyone out there that can bring the best out in Haynesworth, it's going to be Jeff Fisher and Washburn. We already saw what they did with Kyle Vanden Bosch a few years ago when he signed as a journeyman defensive lineman.

And finally, even if he doesn't play 100%, he still will force many double-teams and make the defense better. Besides Tony Brown and Jason Jones - who was injured most of last year - the Titans don't have many defensive tackles that can go out there and get the job done. Jovan Haye was a bust his first season as a free agent signing, so even if you can get something out of Big Al, it'll be better than most interior linemen in the league.

So although I might regret this, let's not make the same mistake that we did when dealing with the Antonio Cromartie rumors; let's bring back Big Al and shore up this defense.