Titans Grab OG Chance Warmack With 10th Pick In NFL Draft

NCAA Football: Mississippi State at Alabama

The Titans wanted to get more physical on the offensive line, and made a statement with the 10th overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, grabbing Alabama OG Chance Warmack.

The guard has dominating strength at the point of attack, and also has mobility to clear the way for Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram, 2012 top five pick Trent Richardson, and probable first round pick Eddie Lacy over the last three seasons.

His toughness and durability are outstanding, and he grades out as one of the elite talents in the 2013 draft. He will start day one for the Titans, and should be a huge asset for the Titans.

Here’s a summary from Walter Football on Warmack:

Summary: There are some like NFL Network’s Mike Mayock who believe Warmack is the best player in the 2013 NFL Draft. That is lofty praise for an interior offensive lineman, but Warmack was a dominant force during his collegiate career.

Warmack broke into the starting lineup in 2010. The sophomore did an excellent job opening holes in the ground game from the start. Over his junior and senior seasons, he improved his pass protection to be equally effective in preventing pressures. Warmack did a tremendous job in his junior season of opening up running lanes for Trent Richardson as a good defense and tough ground attack carried Alabama to a National Championship.

In 2012, Warmack was an absolute force for the Crimson Tide in a repeat title run. He blasted open holes in the ground game throughout the year. Warmack concluded the season by playing his best football. Against Georgia, Alabama had a lot of success pulling Warmack around the right side to open up holes for Eddie Lacy. Warmack was beaten for a sack by Bulldogs defensive tackle John Jenkins, a potential first-round pick, and that was the only sack this writer recalls Warmack allowing in his senior season.

In the National Championship game against Notre Dame, Warmack put on a clinic. Not only did he own the line of scrimmage against some good Fighting Irish defensive linemen, but he was equally awesome at springing Lacy with blocks on the second level. Warmack had a lot of success taking out Irish linebacker Manti Te’o. The superb game by Warmack capped off a great career.

Warmack should be an immediate starter in the NFL and an asset in the run game. He should upgrade his team’s ground offense. Warmack can blow defensive tackles out of their gap to open up running lanes. He is also great at pulling or firing off the line to hit blocks on linebackers.

The NFL is a passing-driven league and Warmack should be a reliable quarterback-protector quickly. He will have a bigger adjustment getting used to pro speed-rushers than he will in the ground game, but Warmack is so quick, strong and athletic that it shouldn’t be long before he is rock-solid in pass protection. Bull rushes are completely ineffective against him as he has a powerful base with strong hands and great knee bend. While Warmack is shorter than the ideal, it can be an advantage with natural pad level against taller defensive linemen.

It shouldn’t be long before Warmack is a challenger for the Pro Bowl, which could happen as soon as his rookie year. He has the upside and skill set to be one of the best guards in the NFL. Warmack is a very safe pick and that is why he looks capable of bucking the trend that keeps guards outside of the top-20 picks.

Webster Expects WR Washington To Be On Titans 2013 Roster

At the Titans pre-draft press conference, Titans general manager Ruston Webster said he expects wide receiver Nate Washington to be on the roster this fall and dismissed trade talks, Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean reports.

The Titans considered entertaining trade offers for Washington back in March but his cap number for 2013 is $4.2 million. Last year Washington had 46 catches for 746 yards and 4 TDs.

Titans Announce 2013 Regular Season Schedule

Pollard Agrees To Terms On One-Year Deal With Titans

By Brandon Sweeney

Safety Bernard Pollard has not spent more than three seasons with a team in the NFL, but Thursday that didn’t stop the Titans from taking a shot on him with a one-year deal.

Pollard told ESPN’s Josina Anderson: “I’ve agreed to sign a one-year deal with the Titans,” So why has Pollard had such a hard time staying on a football team?

It’s been reported several times that Pollard is more of a problem than he is worth. He has been claimed to be a complainer and an attention seeker.

Maybe someone the locker room could get tired of before his contract is expired. However, Pollard’s play on the field, is hard to miss.

The seven year pro has 584 total tackles in his career. He is known for being one of the hardest-hitting players in the league. His latest big hit being in the AFC Conference Championship, when Pollard put a punishing blow on Patriots’ running back Stevan Ridley.

Titans Say ‘So Long’ To Veteran QB Hasselbeck

The Titans Monday released veteran quarterback Matt Hasselbeck.

“I want to thank Matt for his contributions to our team over the last two years,” said Titans General Manager Ruston Webster. “He was an important part of the transition process – he was a pro at every turn and he provided an example to the rest of the team. I know that we are a better team for his being here and we wish him the best.”

Hasselbeck spent two seasons with the Titans – the first season as the starter and the second as the backup to Jake Locker. In 2011, he produced the fourth-highest passing total in franchise history and the third-highest of his career (3,571 yards).

Safety Bernard Pollard Talks To The Titans

Former Baltimore safety Bernard Pollard visited the Titans on Friday, John Glennon of the Tennessean reports.

The 28 year-old Pollard was a starter on the Super Bowl-winning Ravens team, despite the fact he played most of the season with six cracked ribs.

Pollard, 6-1 and 228 pounds, led the Ravens with 98 tackles last season, adding two sacks, one interception and six passes defended. He was a salary-cap casualty in Baltimore, as the Ravens saved $2 million in cap money by releasing him.

Titans TE Brandon Barden Arrested For DUI

A tight end for the Titans was arrested for a DUI on refusal on Saturday in Lincoln County, Georgia, WRDW News 12 in Augusta Georgia reports.

Lincoln County Sheriff Bruce Beggs says 23-year-old Brandon Barden was arrested after a single-car accident on Highway 220.

Officers say Barden left the right side of the roadway sometime before 4:30 a.m., losing control and hitting a ditch drain before the car flipped one and a half times, landing on its side.

According to the incident report, the reporting officer said he could “smell a strong odor of alcohol.” Barden refused field sobriety testing, roadside Alco-Sensor testing and state chemical testing.

Barden, a Lincoln County native, was charged with DUI on refusal and was booked into the jail. He has since been released on bond

Titans Gab 2013 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Texas A&M DE/OLB Damontre Moore

Athleticism

+Explodes out of stance and across the line of scrimmage, is able to catch the OT often before he is set
+Coils in his stance prior to the snap
+Shows a lot of balance in his rush, is able to rush with speed and power without getting out of control
+Generates a lot of power out of his leg drive
+Stays low out of his stance and gains leverage on contact
+First step is among the quickest I’ve seen all year
+Well-built athlete with long arms and filled out frame
+Closes on the QB like a freight train, like a bull seeing red he finds another gear and erases the distance
-Not a freak physical athlete like a Dion Jordan
-Top end speed is only just above average
-Straight line pass rusher who looks stiff in the hips

Moore is the best pass rusher in this class, in fact you know what I’ll take that one step further he’s the best defender in this draft class. No he’s not a freak athlete like Clowney, Mingo, or J. Jones. Nor is he a tackling machine like some of the best LB’s in the country, but what Moore did this year was special.

He moved down from the 34 OLB spot to the 43 DE spot which most people probably think is easy given how much we easily interchange those positions when it comes to players but it wasn’t just about Moore changing positions. It was how he changed his game, he went from a pass rush OLB to a DE who was the complete package. A force to be reckon with when trying to either run or pass along. All year long teams struggled to figure out how to block Moore.

Moore had only three games all year where he didn’t register a sack and only two games where he didn’t register a tackle for loss. In both of those games Moore was yanked early in the 2nd half due to blowouts. Moore has everything you want in a DE prospect; size, speed, power, and technical ability.

Examiner’s Thoughts on Moore:

Moore is a very gifted athlete who may transition better as a outside linebacker in a 3-4 defensive system rather than a traditional defensive end. His ability to stack at the point of attack against the run while also providing edge pressure as a pass rusher would be an ideal fit as a stand up outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense. He has played the position at Texas A&M and had some success early in his career posting 40 tackles, 5.5 sacks, and forced three fumbles in his freshman season.

He had a tremendous 2012 season statistically playing the defensive end position racking up 80 tackles, 12.5 sacks, and 20 tackles for a loss playing in the Southeastern Conference. The 80 overall tackles and 20 tackles for a loss was very impressive to me. It shows he is very solid pursuing the run and has a knack for getting into the backfield and making plays. Moore is definitely a solid first round prospect and if he gets into the right system he could be a consistent playmaker.

The 6’4″, 250-pound athletic freak of nature led the Aggies in solo tackles (54), total tackles (80), tackles for loss (20.0) and sacks (12.5). Those last two numbers were good enough to rank him in the top five in the entire country.

Moore, who recorded 24.0 tackles for loss and 14.0 sacks during his first two seasons in College Station, didn’t enter the year with much buzz. But after establishing himself as one of the most feared, versatile and unblockable defensive players in the nation, the buzz surrounding the junior couldn’t be, um, buzzier.

Bleacher Report:

Von Miller was the last great defensive end from Texas A&M and Damontre Moore is ready to follow in his footsteps.

Moore, a 6’4″, 250-pound speed demon, had a terrific season this year. He had 12.5 sacks and was consistently in the opposing backfield.

Moore had big games against quality competition, including three sacks against Florida.

He’s the next great defensive end and should be a top-five pick. Many teams will be interested in his services and whoever gets him will be better off for it.