Givens new home a mess? McNair kicked out???

[Digger44]

I was thinking about the Lienart angle and realizing this is just one of several "ripple effects" the whole Chargers-Rivers-Brees-Saints-Culpepper-Dolphins ordeal is going to have over free agency, the draft, etc.

What does that have to do with this thread?

 

[richpats]

What does that have to do with this thread?

I think the unexpected signing of Drew Brees to the Saints created an opportunity for Tennessee to draft Lienart and pair him with his old OC at Southern Cal. I think before the Brees signing, the Titans anticipated the Saints drafting Lienart, and they would go with Young or Cutler, but not immediately start the rookie since McNair has a good year or two left in him.

So restructured contract or no, I believe the Titans had every intention of having McNair as their starting QB in 2006 UNTIL Lienart became "available". They can get a jump on the learning curve since Chow/Lienart know each other and there's a possibility he could start Week 1. The only obstacle to this would be the franchise QB (McNair), who did struggle somewhat with Chow's offense last year.

How this applies to Givens: I would assume he signed his contract assuming Steve McNair was going to be around at least one season. I'm not sure, even for all the extra $$$, that he would go somewhere where the QB situation wasn't secure for a little while. I think if the Titans go with Volek or a rookie this year there will be more pressure on Givens to produce, and he won't have a Pro-Bowl caliber QB to set him up for success.

 

[kolbitr]

So restructured contract or no, I believe the Titans had every intention of having McNair as their starting QB in 2006 UNTIL Lienart became "available". They can get a jump on the learning curve since Chow/Lienart know each other and there's a possibility he could start Week 1. The only obstacle to this would be the franchise QB (McNair), who did struggle somewhat with Chow's offense last year.

I did not follow the Titans at all last year. Could you, or anyone, tell me how their offense compares to the one Chow ran at USC?

Of course, every rookie quarterback will need some adjustment to the NFL's defenses. Some more than others. It could be a frustrating year for Givens, in the end. I will be curious to see how he adapts.

 

[Rene Vallieres]

Givens

How this applies to Givens: I would assume he signed his contract assuming Steve McNair was going to be around at least one season. I'm not sure, even for all the extra $$$, that he would go somewhere where the QB situation wasn't secure for a little while. I think if the Titans go with Volek or a rookie this year there will be more pressure on Givens to produce, and he won't have a Pro-Bowl caliber QB to set him up for success.

Givens is a #2 receiver who got lucky and signed for #1 money. I'm happy for him, especially since he got the big signing bonus. But I really don't think he cares who's throwing him the ball at this point. Just my opinion.

 

[richpats]

I did not follow the Titans at all last year. Could you, or anyone, tell me how their offense compares to the one Chow ran at USC?

Of course, every rookie quarterback will need some adjustment to the NFL's defenses. Some more than others. It could be a frustrating year for Givens, in the end. I will be curious to see how he adapts.

I'm not sure whether Chow's offenses at USC and Tennessee are identical, but if you watched Notre Dame's offense last year, their formations and play-calling were eerily similar to the Pats. I'd expect similarities between the Trojans and Titans as well - Lienart knows the ins and outs of Chows system, so he has a head start on every other rookie QB. Plus Tennessee needs a guy that can execute the system too.

I agree it will be a frustrating year for Givens, b/c unlike in NE, he will be asked to shoulder a bigger load and make more plays.

 

[richpats]

Givens is a #2 receiver who got lucky and signed for #1 money. I'm happy for him, especially since he got the big signing bonus. But I really don't think he cares who's throwing him the ball at this point. Just my opinion.

I agree he did get lucky with his contract, though I wonder if the QB situation was presented differently to him during negotiations. Was he really expecting his new team to BAN his QB from workouts?

 

[bucky]

Yeah... Steve McNair had absolutely nothing to do with the Titans' success. I mean, when he was one of the top 3 QBs in the league, they would win 10+ games every year. When he got hurt, they dropped down to a sub-.500 team. He had nothing to do with it. Just like the Patriots have always won with running and a defense, never needed a good QB.

Steve McNair one of the top 3 QBs in the NFL? Maybe the 1 year he was the MVP. Maybe. The reason the Titans have sucked the last 2 years isn't becaue of McNair, it's because their defense has been pathetic. Obviously, McNair is a good QB. But at this point he's not much better than Volek.

 

[Rene Vallieres]

Givens

I agree he did get lucky with his contract, though I wonder if the QB situation was presented differently to him during negotiations. Was he really expecting his new team to BAN his QB from workouts?

I see your point. It does seem more like the Titans still fully expect him to be starting on day 1. All the talk about him retiring was a lot of hooey. I just read on SI that the purpose of sending him home was to expedite his contract negotiations. Regardless, I have to believe he (David) may actually be happy with the prospect of Matt being drafted by the Titans. He's much more of an intermediate passer and that's where Givens will prove his worth.

 

[Rene Vallieres]

McNair, Volek, and Leinart

Steve McNair one of the top 3 QBs in the NFL? Maybe the 1 year he was the MVP. Maybe. The reason the Titans have sucked the last 2 years isn't becaue of McNair, it's because their defense has been pathetic. Obviously, McNair is a good QB. But at this point he's not much better than Volek.

I agree. My question is, what's up with Volek? He seems to be highly regarded by the Titans and some others in the league asked about him during FA period. At the same time, the Titans seem to be wetting themselves over the idea of drafting Leinart, who is also deemed to be "NFL ready". It would also seem that Volek has trade value (players/draft picks). For some reason, the Titans don't want to part with him. So, in that case, why wouldn't it make sense for the Titans to just keep Volek, dump the higher priced McNair, and sign another veteran as a back-up/tutor for Leinart. McNair has already pulled a Farve and said he's not there to train anyone. I don't understand what the Titans are doing.

 

[Digger44]

Steve McNair one of the top 3 QBs in the NFL? Maybe the 1 year he was the MVP. Maybe. The reason the Titans have sucked the last 2 years isn't becaue of McNair, it's because their defense has been pathetic. Obviously, McNair is a good QB. But at this point he's not much better than Volek.

the only reason he isnt much better than volek is bcs of injury. when healthy he is a top 10. at this point he is better than volek bcs he is healthy.

 

[bucky]

the only reason he isnt much better than volek is bcs of injury. when healthy he is a top 10. at this point he is better than volek bcs he is healthy.

The point I'm trying to make - not very well - is that while McNair is a good QB, he was never the primary reason behind Tennesse's success the way Manning is for Indy. If Tenn can improve their D, they'll be a playoff contender again with either McNair or Volek. Givens can be an important part of that because in addition to being a pretty good receiver, he's also a very good blocker in the running game.