Alterraun Verner spoke with Titansonline.com about how the upgrades in the passing game will benefit the CBs who have to go against them day in and day out. Not sure the logic of that follows, but it makes for interesting enough copy in late May.

After being far and away the fattest guy on the roster last season, Shaun Smith is trying to lose weight before the season starts. Smith has been a longtime practitioner of yoga, so to help lose the weight he's moved over to hot yoga. As a guy who's done yoga off and on for the past few years, I'll confirm for you folks that hot yoga will make you burn calories like hell.

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Chris Palmer, FTW.

Chris Palmer also talked about the QB competition, and assured us that the choice of who starts on week one won't be made quickly.

The Titans are proposing to make one more addition on top of the $25 million in improvements being made to LP Field this off-season: a small stage at the North End Zone where a live band can play before, during halftime, and after the games. We can only play this will severely limit the amount of Tim McGraw that gets played over the loudspeakers as well.

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Jason McCourty is looking forward to filling the leadership void left by the concurrent departures of Bulluck, Finnegan and Hope. With the recent contributions of young guys like McCarthy and Verner, Mouton McCourty shouldn't be alone in setting the tone of this defense, but I wouldn't be surprised if he's the guy has the largest role in that respect.

In this week's installment of Who Gives A F**k, Trent Dilfer, Mel Kiper, Gary Horton and Matt Williamson deliver a forecast of the NFL Power Rankings... in 2015. The sheer uselessness and stupidity of this article is so profound I'm actually surprised it didn't break the Internets. Even Bleacher Report has to laugh at this drivel.

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Veteran FA safeties Abram Elam and Gibril Wilson came in yesterday to workout for the coaches. Elam has connections to new DB coach Brett Maxie, while Wilson was a standout player at UT who started his entire NFL career until 2011. While both guys might help us, I think at this point the Titans are more so looking to update their call list than actually sign a veteran safety who will compete for a spot on the final roster.

John Glennon writes about the DaJohn Harris' surprise diagnosis with a heart condition (patent foramen ovale - a relatively common condition where a hole in the heart doesn't close after birth as it should) at the NFL Combine, and how the UDFA defensive tackle is using the emotional firestorm to drive his quest to make the final roster at one of our more crowded positions.

Kenny Britt is one of the guys Don Banks says could bounce back big after losing most of 2011 to injury:

Kenny Britt, WR, Tennessee -- Turning in a pair of games with at least 135 yards receiving and three combined touchdown catches to start the season last year, Britt was well on his way to eye-popping numbers in 2011 when he blew out the ACL in his right knee in Week 3. If healthy, and the Titans expect to have him back by the regular-season opener, Britt is a legit No. 1 receiver who should make either Matt Hasselbeck or Jake Locker more productive as Tennessee's starting quarterback.

Britt underwent a clean-up arthroscopic procedure on his right knee this week, but it was done to address some swelling he has had in the area, and it's not expected to dramatically complicate his rehabilitation timetable. It might wind up making the Titans treat him with kid gloves in the preseason, but with Tennessee using its No. 20 pick in the draft to select Baylor receiver Kendall Wright, getting the rookie even more playing time in August might be a smart way to accelerate his learning curve and quickly integrate him into the offense.

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After two decades of system-first thinking from Fisher and crew, this is good to hear: Jerry Gray is hard at work tailoring his scheme to fit potentially dynamic guys like Kamerion Wimbley, Akeem Ayers. Gray and Palmer both sound excited to finally have a full off-season to install their full systems, and frankly it's got me excited to see this new-look for the historically conservative Titans.

Amano is still the starter at center, but the coaches and front office are openly acknowledging that anyone who can beat him out for the spot in camp is welcome to take it.

Who's leading the charge to unseat Amano? None other than one Kevin Matthews. Amano is likely out through the rest of OTAs, and the son of Bruce Matthews is filling in for the mean time.

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Who, oh who, will win the Titans starting center spot. Could so many close calls be the challenge Amano needs to live up to his big contract, or will one of the youngsters jump up and unseat the weakest lineman left on the starting group.

Colin McCarthy put on six pounds in the off-season, returning to the 243 lbs he played at in 2009 at Miami. McCarthy's aim was to add strength and prevent injuries, and he feels like he's added the weight the right way thanks to the Titans' conditioning program.

Rob Bironas is lobbying for the Titans to retain FA long snapper Ken Amato, who has been the only long snapper he's worked with since joining the Titans in 2005. Currently, Beau Brinkley and Jake Ingram are the only guys on the roster with any LS experience at the college level.

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This one already came up in the comments earlier, but it's worth putting above the jump: Albert Beer says he's talked with Mike Munchak, and he believes that if the race for the starting QB is a dead heat, Locker may get the nod. Of course, anything you hear from the Titans camp regarding the starting QB competition is a lock to be marinated in a healthy does of CYA. Consider: Munchak could be saying that so he can later say Hasselbeck starting is a testament to how great he's been in camp/practice. Still, taken at face value it's encouraging to hear anything that helps Locker get closer to starting the 2012 season.

CJ's work ethic has seriously impressed Colin McCarthy, and he says CJ's first full off-season in the Titans program since 2008 is exciting everyone around him. Boom, son.

Jeff Fisher is already publicly doting on his Pac Man Jr newest character project at CB.

The NFL off-season may be all about working to get better for most guys, but Rob Bironas most guys. The 34 year-old crack field goal kicker credits his health and consistency to not working on his kicking during the off-season. Apparently, the regimen of relaxation works:

Among players with 100 or more field goal attempts since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, Bironas is the most accurate from 40 yards or longer, making 78.6 percent of his attempts. He set a league record in 2011 with 10 consecutive games kicking a field goal of at least 40 yards.

Bironas is also the NFL's all-time leader as well from 50 yards out, connecting on 72.4 percent (21-of-29). Only David Akers has made more field goals than Bironas since the 2005 season.

Vunce no child now. Vunce very big boy football man today.

FO has a great note on UDFA DaJohn Harris, who we snagged right after the draft ended:

The most intriguing player the Titans managed to pick up after hours was USC defensive tackle DaJohn Harris. Harris, who has ideal NFL size, was part of a tackle rotation for the Trojans and managed 1.5 sacks and seven tackles for loss. A heart condition discovered at the combine dropped him out of the draft, but it doesn't look like it'll be enough to actually keep him off the field.

Yup, this is really a thing here in Tennessee. Worst legislature ever. Also, the guy pictured to the right? He's from the family that is presumed to be in line to buy the Titans after Bud passes on... so we have that to look forward to!

The Titans are working out veteran safeties Yeremiah Bell and Chris Crocker tomorrow, with the hopes of finding some veteran depth behind Griffin and Babineaux. As it currently stands, the only other safeties on the roster are Robert Johnson and Al Afalava. So yeah, we need some help there.

Jay Cutler (still my boy, but damn he makes it hard sometimes) made an appearance at the Nashville-area Iroquois Steeplechase over the weekend, which is the absolute mecca of upper-crust douchebaggery in this town. Of course, nobody locally noticed because the main story was about the winning horse dying of a pulmonary aneurysm right after being run to death as background entertainment for these assholes crossing the finish line.

Behold, the unmitigated genius that is Reggie Watts:

Kendall Wright is busy digesting the first playbook he's ever been given as a football player. Wait... wtf??!?!?!??!

David Climer writes about Mike Martin' unusually diverse life off the field, which includes the time he learned to play the sax just to tag along with his school band's trip to Hawaii, only to be good enough to play in the band during games he was playing in as a football player:

As a high school junior, Martin would dominate things as a lineman in the first half of games, take off his shoulder pads and jersey, and play saxophone with the marching band at halftime. Then he'd switch back into football gear for the second half.

"I'd keep my football pants and shoes on the whole time," he said. "It was pretty cool."

Taylor Thompson was nearly a Vanderbilt signee when he came out of high school, but instead he chose SMU and Brandon Barden went on to have very good, though injury riddled, career as Vandy's tight end. Now, both guys are practicing alongside each other with the Titans.

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And I definitely need a drink, because that headline just made me throw up a little in my mouth. Apparently Munchak threw this little nugget out there, noting that it's very common for guys who have ACL surgery to have a little follow-up arthroscopic procedure. Of course, using Derrick Morgan as the example for how common this is isn't a great comfort.

Sure this is all speculative right now, but it's a bit of a kick in the gut after 8 months of articles and updates about how Kenny's recovery is going super-spectacular. There's nothing scheduled right now, but I can't remember the last time an NFL coach speculated on a surgical procedure like this and it didn't happen. And, even if it does happen it could be a minor setback at most.

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It was has become a comically reoccurring pattern this off-season, yet another veteran players has left a meeting with our front office only to sign with the Denver Broncos. This time the player is veteran CB Drayton Florence. Florence isn't exactly a dynamic, game-changing cornerback, but he is one of the more capable DBs left in the paltry fee agent pool right now.

There's no way you can look at this as a failing of the front office's aggressiveness: if they felt Florence was significantly better than anyone else on the market they would have signed him earlier in free agency, or at least not let Florence leave BSP without inking a contract. Any blame you want to heap on this non-move would have to be put on the talent evaluators.

Expect the Titans to continue their search for a veteran cornerback (looking at you, Andre Goodman) to help round out this group headed into camp, but at this point you're pretty much looking at a camp body who can set a professional example for these young guys, challenge some of the WRs, but ultimately not be a threat. If he surprises the staff, or if injuries start to mount, then the mystery corner could make the team, but it's definitely not going to happen in any of the coaching staff's best case scenarios.

Paul K has a great post where he catches up with Kenny Britt on his rehab, recovery and reaction to the drafting of Kendall Wright. Britt is already talking up Wright's route running and separation, which just gets me more and more excited to see this offense take off this season.

Jim Wyatt has a big read on rookie FB, and Army veteran, Collin Mooney, who made the 12-hour drive from Fort Sill Oklahoma to Baptist Sports Park on Tuesday.

The Titans met with veteran CB Drew Coleman, so look for him to sign with the Broncos or Rams early next week.

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Jake Locker is very familiar with newly-drafted Titans WR Kendall Wright: mostly from when Wright and his Baylor teammates racked up 67 points while beating Locker and the Huskies in his last college start Locker's former teammates in the Alamo Bowl this past December. Wright contributed 7 catches for 91 yards and a TD in that game, plus a few highlight reel additions.

Locker was quite the star during his stint with the Titans caravan in Cookeville back on Tuesday.

Rounding out the Locker-related stories of the day, Paul K weighs in on the pending battle between Matt Hasselbeck and Jake. Paul K, like many of us believe (begrudgingly) thinks it'll take a horrible camp/preseason run by Hasselbeck or an injury for the coaches to go with Locker as the starter. Personally, I'm hoping for the former over the latter, just because I'd rather have a bad Hasselbeck than a great Rusty Smith as my no. 2 option.

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Jim Wyatt has a piece on the friendship between Michael Roos and Matt Hasselbeck, the seed of which were planted back when Roos was at EWU, and would watch Hass in training camp with the Seahawks. The two never met then, but they've become fast friends in Nashville, and Roos might not have a bigger fan on the team than last season's starting QB.

Jim Wyatt has quick hits on Taylor Thompson (philosophy major who likes Chopin... hells yeah) and Coty Sensabaugh (wants to use his NFL salary to start an anti-cancer charity in honor of his deceased brother).

As much props as Jason McCourty gets for his coverage skills, he's also a top 10 CB against the run according to PFF.

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FO has a thorough breakdown of draft grades from 10 respected draft 'gurus', and the Titans landed with the 24th overall grade ranking.

Marc Mariani is spending this off-season focusing on becoming a better WR... and I'm sure the draft only motivated him to train harder. Jimmy and I discussed it on MCM Radio, but the really dicey part when it comes to Mariani is that place kick returners hold very little value now, and Mariani hasn't been nearly as impressive on punt returns. That being said, I still think he makes the roster if for no other reason than the coaches trust him not to botch returns.

The battle for the starting center spot should be one of the top battle in camp. It'll be primarily between Amano, Velasco, Matthews and newcomer Vlachos. Danomite has a piece up regarding Vlachos' signing, and I'll be interested to see if the new guy on the block can win over the coaches enough to unseat Amano. It's not likely to happen, but a brother can hope.

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Pat Kirwin thinks we might have gotten a steal in signing William Vlachos to compete for the Center position.

The Big Ten Network spent draft night with Mike Martin, and here's the video they cut together.

The Titans also went out and added former Texans LB Zac Diles and FB Collin Mooney, who recently completed a three-year stint in the armed forces after playing at Army. Mooney will compete with Quinn Johnson to replace another veteran of war, Ahmard Hall.

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Here's video of Matt Hasselbeck speaking about Kendall Wright at a Titans Caravan stop in White House, TN.

Dan Ariks asks if the drafting of Taylor Thompson puts Jared Cook on the hot seat. The real answer is no. The pressure that Cook is under stems from the fact that he's heading into the final year of his contract, and he's been inconsistent enough that they want to see if Cook can put together a fully productive season for once.

Paul K says that pre-draft visits weren't a big indicator of who was drafted in the AFC South, though the Titans relied on it the most by ending up bringing in over half of their class for visits.

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Tonight Jimmy and I will go in-depth on the Titans' bounty of prospects from this past weekend's draft. We might not talk as much as expected about Kendall Wright since we covered him in last Thursday's show, but you know the addition of a first round WR won't be glossed over either. Some other topics will be how we see some of these guys being used by the coaching staff, and what these picks may say about our scheme in 2012 that we didn't see last year. Is it all highly speculative? Sure. But our goal is to make it highly insightful and entertaining as well.

You can listen to us live here, which is also the location for the live chat room. There's always a party going on in there, so be sure to check it out. If you can't join us live you can always download the show in podcast form via iTunes, or stream it through the BTR site.

Just when you thought our 2012 draft was all over, Reinfeldt and Webster make something else happen. After trading with the Browns to secure the 211^th overall pick, the Titans drafted Rice DE Scott Solomon. At 6'3" and 262 lbs and rather small armed, Solomon is one of the smaller pass rushers we've brought in. But, he's a high motor pass rusher known for his competitive spirit and attitude on the field.

One thing to be wary of with Solomon is his recovery from a serious foot injury that didn't appear to be 100% last season, but it was surely poked and prodded at the NFL combine. Solomon will likely land on the practice squad this season, but he's got the kind of drive and dedication to make an impact one day.

No word yet on what we gave up to make this pick, so leave it in the comments if you know!

[UPDATE]- Titans traded their 6th round pick next year to get Solomon.

With their final selection of the 2012 NFL Draft (barring any trade back to get back into the 7^th round), the Titans selected Oklahoma St. free safety, Markelle Martin. Martin is a speed demon of a safety, and nice size at 6'1".

The thing I like? He actually graded out as Wes Bunting's top overall free safety.

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The wildness that is the final half of the draft is under way, and our beloved Titans have already started addressing their needs at the cornerback with Clemson CB Coty Sensabaugh.

Sensabaugh was rated by Mayock as a 6^th round pick, but he's been rising up draft boards over the past month thanks to a nice combine and a lack of bad game film. However, his primary strengths are his intelligence, fluid hips and a love of contact. However, he didn't start very many games before last season at Clemson, so his main weakness is a lack of experience. That being said, if Reinfeldt and Webster fell in love with what they saw, then hopefully Coty is a quick learner.

He's also the cousin of Cowboys safety Gerald Sensabaugh, so you can expect that he won't be too overwhelmed by the NFL lifestyle.

You can find more tidbits about Coty here and here.

Looks like the front office is going balls in on BPA, and sticking to their board. I wouldn't expect any less from this crew, but I didn't quite think their board would look like this either.

Once more into the breach!

Tennessee Titans select LB Zach Brown with the 52^nd pick in the NFL Draft

If the major national talent evaluators are to be trusted, the Titans couldn't have asked for a better scenario with their 2^nd round pick. Devon Still, one of the top pass rushers, and Peter Konz, universally acclaimed as the top C in the draft were still on the board.

So, of course they went out of left field.

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Jim Wyatt writes about why Kendall Wright was the right pick for the Titans at 20, especially since 7 D-linemen and 4 DBs were already gone when we got on the clock. I can't agree more. I still think we'd have taken Ingram if he fell to 20, but once he was gone DeCastro, Wright or Hill was a no brainer.

Another benefit of us taking Wright: I have no doubt he would have been the pick for Houston if he'd still been on the board. Instead, they took the pass rusher with the highest bust potential in the draft. Of course, rarely does Wade Phillips get a first round guy in the front seven who ends up a true bust, and Merciless has excellent talent around him to relieve some of the pressure to produce right away.

Bucky Brooks has a second round mock draft out, and he has us taking Penn St. DT Devon Still, who Mike Mayock is very high on. Still also makes since because he's a high-floor player who is ready to play right away, even if he isn't likely to become a perennial All Pro.

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If the Titans do as most expect and draft a CB early, it'll be interesting to see if Alterraun Verner ends up getting used like Cortland did last year. ATV played well in the slot his rookie year, and I can't see anyone in the draft unseating him as a starter on the outside right away.

I'm guessing Jimmy will tear up a little if Terry McCormick's mock plays out in real life, where we get Dre'Kirkpatrick and Alshon Jeffery in the first two rounds.

Jim Wyatt writes about the Titans' front office searching for the right fit as a player and a person in the first round.

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Jimmy and I will record the last episode of MCM Radio before the 2012 NFL Draft starts, and this one promises to be a beast. The smoke signals are turning into smoke screens all over the NFL, and there's nary a fire extinguisher to be found. We'll discuss the latest developments, plus hit on some guys we think the Titans should target later in the draft.

Join us at 9:30 to listen live and join in the chat room wildness by clicking here. If you can't make it for the live show, you can always stream it from the BTR site, or download it in podcast form through iTunes.

The practice fields at BSP are back in action, and the the first off-season workouts are already upon us!

Hasselbeck and Locker spoke with the press about their eagerness to get started competing for the starting QB job. Also in this post, Chris Johnson talks about his expectations for this new year, especially with this being the first full offseason he's spent with the team since before his rookie season.

GD I hope Kenny Britt can find a way to stay healthy this year:

Key Stat: Britt has dropped just eight passes since entering the league, while forcing 18 broken tackles.

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So apparently nobody on the Titans tackles well. FO tallies the broken tackle rates, and Griffin, Babineux, Rudd and Ayers are all on the ugly side of that stat.

Former Vandy star and NFL veteran turned draft Guru Corey Chavous says the Titans will likely jump all over Stephon Gilmore, even if Dre' Kirkpatrick is on the board at 20:

"I'd rather have Kirkpatrick all day long - you are not going to find 6-foot-2 corners coming along like him every day," Chavous said. "But Gilmore, I actually wouldn't be surprised if the Titans liked him more than Kirkpatrick. He's a good fit for them. He can blitz, he can cover, and he can do a lot of the things Finnegan did so well for them. He can play nickel, like Finnegan."

Breaking News! The Titans are going to be flexible in the draft, focusing on the best player available.

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Week one isn't just a hellacious match-up for our Titans, it'll also be the first time the McCourty brothers' teams have played each other since the 2009 debacle.

Paul K analyzes our schedule, and he doesn't like those opening four games any more than you do.

Jim Wyatt breaks down Titans/Oilers draft picks since 1994 by college conference. Given the sheer amount of talent the SEC produces, it's no surprise that they lead the way.

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