Is perception reality? Not according to the Titans
The perception is the Titans lack quality wide receivers. The reality, according to the team and pass-catchers themselves, is a lot different, writes Paul Kuharsky.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Justin Gage and the rest of the Titans' wide receivers are well aware of their national reputation.
People think they stink.
A season that included a grand total of nine receiving touchdowns, just eight by receivers, had a way of staining a group, even if it's part of a 10-6 season with a playoff berth.
The simple conclusion: The Titans need to add weapons at the position if quarterback Vince Young is to have a chance to improve.
The Titans' conclusion: The return of offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger, two low-profile additions, the continued growth of the holdovers and upgraded pass-catching options at tight end and running back will be a sufficient cure.
"National perception?" Gage said. "You hear a lot that we should have drafted a wide receiver in the top two rounds, that we don't have any guys that can make the play, or we don't have any go-to receivers.
"All that is fuel for our fire. … The reality is we have a lot of guys in here that can play at this level. We just have an opportunity to prove that to everybody. We do it behind the scenes, and now we need to take it to the field and show the world."
Receivers coach Fred Graves hasn't clipped and posted motivational fodder, but he knows his players are aware of their reps and raps. He also knows every team with a first-round pick, not just Tennessee, passed on a receiver in April.
"The guys know 'this is what people think about you' and 'this is what you've got to do to get rid of all those perceptions,'" he said. "Everybody wanted us to draft a guy in the first round. As it came out, there weren't really any first-rounders. All of them had some kind of baggage. … That's why you saw guys get drafted like they did."
Jeff Fisher's Titans have never been married to the idea of having a true No. 1 receiver. Their best player at the position since the 1997 move to Nashville was Derrick Mason, a shifty, effective pass target who lacked top-flight speed and was an example of how a guy needs a couple years to develop. The run-based offense was content with him, and later Drew Bennett, as its top options.
And the franchise struck out when it spent big dollars (Yancey Thigpen, David Givens) or a big draft pick (Kevin Dyson) at the position. Dyson had the ball in his hands on arguably the two biggest plays in team history -- The Music City Miracle and the final play of Super Bowl XXXIV -- but will also forever be remembered for being taken ahead of Randy Moss.
Gage was a $1 million bargain for the Titans last year. Signed from Chicago's scrap heap, he led Tennessee with 750 receiving yards on 55 catches to go with two touchdowns.
It earned him a second contract, a four-year deal worth $14 million with $6.5 million guaranteed.
The other starter, Roydell Williams, also had 55 catches and led the team with four TD receptions. But Williams, who broke his right ankle in a non-contact drill during preparations for the Titans' playoff game in San Diego, is still rehabbing and expects to be dealing with pain all season.
Another reclamation project, Justin McCareins, is lined up to take Williams' starting job.
A Titans fourth-round pick in 2001, McCareins topped 800 receiving yards and pulled in seven touchdowns in 2003. When Tennessee decided to reward Bennett with a significant contract, it couldn't afford to lock up McCareins, and shipped him to the New York Jets for a second-round choice that turned out to be defensive end Travis LaBoy.
But McCareins was, and is again, a favorite of Heimerdinger's.
Rounding out the receivers: Lavelle Hawkins, the fourth-round rookie out of Cal; Biren Ealy, a well-liked second-year man who was undrafted out of Houston; Brandon Jones, who's been inconsistent and injury-prone in three seasons; Paul Williams, a third-rounder last year who didn't play at all; Mike Williams, who's lost weight but still ranks as a long shot to stick; and Chris Davis, a fourth-rounder in 2007 who can work as a return man but could be squeezed by Hawkins.
The biggest offseason addition was Alge Crumpler. In seven seasons in Atlanta, the tight end scored 35 touchdowns and caught 68 passes of 20 yards or more.
All the passing targets will benefit from Heimerdinger's scheme, which is more aggressive, includes more shots downfield and looks to create and attack favorable matchups. Adjustments to Young's footwork are expected to make him more accurate and should add to yards after the catch.
"For our offense, we've got the right guys," Graves said. "Guys that come to work, blue-collar guys, guys that can make plays for us. … I think people will see different things come out of this group."
This time of year, positive reviews flow in every locker room.
But the ones from Nick Harper for the receivers actually sound meaningful. The veteran cornerback, who as a Colt worked plenty against Peyton Manning throwing to Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne, said Tennessee's revised approach will produce defensive headaches.
"With the route combinations they have on offense, I'm not lying, I haven't seen anything like it," said Harper, who joined the Titans in 2007. "Their route combinations, they've got me baffled right now. I'm still trying to get it down. It's only going to help us as DBs, but it's something you don't see from any team. I've never seen it before and I've been in the league eight years.
"It's going to give some guys fits. I don't think we touched a ball the first week. You were like, OK, he's lining up here, you're expecting to get a certain route, but you weren't getting that route. He was doing something totally different, against the norm. It had everybody scratching their heads. We were wondering, 'Are they lucking up in doing this?' But as the week went on we got to realizing, this is Heimerdinger and what he's teaching these guys."
As for the buzz about the Titans deficiencies at receiver, even the newest guy plans to swat it away.
"I've heard what you've heard," Hawkins said. "It kind of made me laugh and think, 'I'm going to have to show those people.'"
Paul Kuharsky covers the NFL for ESPN.com.
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