by Terry McCormick
TitanInsider.com
Every year at this time for several seasons now, the Tennessee Titans have spoken about a fresh start and how things are going to be different.
That carries up through the opening of training camp and through the preseason – and maybe even a handful of regular season games. Then reality has set in.
Now, as the Titans are involved in off-season work with a new set of rookies and free agents to add to a cast of holdovers, once again optimism is running high that things are eventually going to run back in the right direction.
But should we believe them?
In both of Ken Whisenhunt’s years as head coach, Titans fans were duped by impressive week one wins that eventually proved to be fool’s gold and accounted for 67 percent of his win total in two-tone blue.
As the Titans try to dig out now with new general manager Jon Robinson and head coach Mike Mularkey, what real reasons are there to believe in a turnaround?
Robinson certainly seems to be doing his part, having brought in players like DeMarco Murray, Ben Jones and others to play roles along with what appears to be a promising rookie class. And Mularkey, while not a popular choice among fans at the outset of his hiring, is doing his best to re-establish some sort of identity for a team that has been faceless for several years now.
The key, of course, is getting players to buy in completely to what Robinson and Mularkey are selling.
“I think it’s a different atmosphere here with the coaches and the GM and what we’re doing right now in the OTAs with the phases.” said tight end Delanie Walker, who signed on for two more years last week, showing proof that he is buying in. “It’s a lot different, .. I can’t really say it’s different until we get to training camp and put the pads on.”
Newcomer Ben Jones, who is expected to anchor the offensive line, likes what he has come into, leaving the rival Houston Texans for Tennessee.
“I have all the faith in these coaches and management, and that’s why I’m here. I trust these guys, all these coaches and upper management, because I want to be a part of what they’re building,” Jones said.
The building process has started and stalled many times since the Titans last were a strong contender. Time (and training camp) will tell if the process is finally back on the right track.
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