The Beat: Terry McCormick On The Titans
With the season fast approaching, we’re chatting with beat writers from around the league to gain insight on each team’s offseason and how those moves will impact the season ahead.
Now, we continue the series by discussing the Titans with Terry McCormick of the TitanInsider.com. You can follow Terry on Twitter @terrymc13.
Zach Links: After a strange year with the Eagles, do you think DeMarco Murray is poised to be an elite running back once again? 
Terry McCormick: I don’t think he’ll get to the 1,800 yards that he got with the Cowboys two years ago because you have Derrick Henry in the mix, but I do think he’ll be an effective running back for the Titans, much more so than he was with the Eagles. He’ll be in a run based offense and will get plenty of opportunities to carry the football and that was evident from outset in the preseason game. The Titans want to run the football and want to run it often and he’ll be the lead back in that. He won’t put up numbers like he did in Dallas, but his numbers will rebound nicely. I’d look for him to finish the year with something between 1,100 and 1,400 yards.
Zach Links: The Titans signed Andre Johnson late last month. What can he bring to the table at this point in his career?
Terry McCormick: It’s obvious he’s not the Andre Johnson that he was five or six years ago with the Texans, but the trade of Dorial Green-Beckham opens up a spot for him on the roster. He brings not only veteran leadership to the table, but also brings what coach Mike Mularkey wants from his receivers: guys that will run the correct route and get there on time and catch the football. Part of the problem with [Green-Beckham] was that he was too inconsistent. Despite his vast physical skills, you couldn’t always rely on him to do those things. Johnson is a veteran presence and I could see him being the fourth receiver on the team. He definitely looks like he’ll make the roster.
Zach Links: What did you make of the Green-Beckham trade? Did you think the Titans should have tried to get more for him?
Continue reading about the Titans..
Josue Matias Done For Season
- Titans offensive lineman Josue Matias will require season-ending knee surgery and will be placed on injured reserve, head coach Mike Mularkey told reporters (link via the Associated Press). Matias, a 2015 undrafted free agent who spent last year on Tennessee’s practice squad, is facing a six-month recovery.
Reaction To Dorial Green-Beckham Trade
The Titans shocked the NFL world earlier today when they dealt 2015 second-round wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham to the Eagles in exchange for offensive lineman Dennis Kelly. Let’s take a look at some of the reaction to the surprising trade:
- The Titans were consistently disappointed in Green-Beckham’s work ethic, tweets Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports, who adds that DGB repeatedly disregarded instructions to work out harder over the offseason and to enter training camp in the proper shape. Head coach Mike Mularkey confirmed that sentiment, telling reporters, including Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com (Twitter link): “We had many conversations about that and it never did click in.”
- However, DGB never did have issues with missed meetings or lateness, tweets McCormick. Rather, Green-Beckham just never mastered the Titans’ offense during his year-plus with the squad.
- Trade talks between Tennessee and Philadelphia began last week, per McCormick (Twitter links), and general manager Jon Robinson says the deal boiled down to the fact that the club had a surplus at wide receiver and a need along the offensive line.
- The presence of rookie Tajae Sharpe seems to have played a large role in the trade, as McCormick tweets that DHB had lost reps to Sharpe in practice. Indeed, DGB was behind Rishard Matthews, Sharpe, Kendall Wright, Harry Douglas, and Andre Johnson on the Titans’ depth chart, per Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
- According to Robinson, the deal wasn’t intended to send a message to Tennessee’s wide receiver corps, or to make a statement to the team as a whole. Rather, the GM says he was simply trying to improve the Titans’ roster (Twitter link via Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com).
- The Eagles, meanwhile, had been searching for receiver help for some time, and had even offered a “nice deal” to veteran Anquan Boldin before he signed with the Lions, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
- Philadelphia general manager Howie Roseman isn’t taking much of a risk by acquiring DGB given that he can easily be waived, but the trade shows the weak state of the Eagles’ wide receiving group, opines Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).
Eagles Acquire WR Dorial Green-Beckham
The Eagles have acquired wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham in a trade with the Titans for offensive lineman Dennis Kelly, according to announcements from both clubs. 
“Not to speak on Philly’s behalf but they inquired about it,’’ Titans GM Jon Robinson told the team website. “They thought it was a good opportunity for him, and we thought adding Dennis would be good for our football team. We are moving on. I appreciate everything Dorial did when he was here. He bought in to what we were trying to do. But in the end we felt like this was the best decision for the team.”
In high school, Green-Beckham was considered to be one of the best wide receivers in the nation. However, off-field red flags pushed him into the second round of the 2015 draft, where the Titans snagged him with the 40th overall pick. That selection was made by the old regime in Tennessee and the new front office apparently wasn’t thrilled with what they’ve seen on him. DGB still has serious talent, but his work ethic in the NFL has been suspect.Green-Beckham hauled in 32 catches for 549 yards and four touchdowns as a rookie last season.
The Eagles’ wide receiver group is headlined by Jordan Matthews and Nelson Agholor with support from free agent pickups Chris Givens and Reuben Randle plus Chip Kelly holdover Josh Huff. The arrival of DGB could drastically shake up the Eagles’ WR depth chart.
Kelly, entering his fifth NFL season, has appeared in 30 games with 15 starts for the Eagles. The former fifth-round pick has appeared at both tackle and guard and should provide the Titans with some O-Line depth.
“I like his versatility,’’ Robinson said. “He has really good size, he’s versatile, he’s played a lot of positions. He embodies the traits we look for in an offensive lineman – smart, tough, and dependable.”
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Titans Claim Amarlo Herrera From Colts
- The Titans have claimed linebacker Amarlo Herrera off waivers from the AFC South rival Colts, as Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com tweets. Herrera, an ex-Georgia Bulldog whom the Colts chose in the sixth round of last year’s draft, spent most of the season on Indianapolis’ practice squad. The 244-pounder appeared in three of the Colts’ games, though he failed to record any statistics. Herrera’s presence gives the Titans 89 players on their 90-man roster.
Titans S Josh Aubrey Retires
- Titans safety Josh Aubrey has retired, as Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com tweets. Aubrey, 25, appeared in games for Cleveland in 2013 and Houston in 2014.
Titans Notes: Johnson, Huff
- Wide receiver Andre Johnson‘s two-year deal with the Titans is easy for the team to escape after 2016, reports Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com. The contract includes base salaries of $985K and $2MM, and it features a $500K roster bonus due on the third day of the 2017 league year. Johnson will also have a chance to earn $250K in per-game active bonuses (Twitter links), though his pact with Tennessee doesn’t contain any guaranteed money, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
- The league has suspended Titans safety Marqueston Huff for Week 1 because of a substance abuse violation, Zac Jackson of Pro Football Talk writes. Huff has appeared in 30 of 32 regular-season games and made one start since the Titans selected him in the fourth round of the 2014 draft. Most of Huff’s impact has come on special teams, where he participated in 80.8 percent of the Titans’ snaps in 2015.
Titans Waive Bennett Okotcha
- The Titans announced that they have waived/injured cornerback Bennett Okotcha, who will revert to Tennessee’s injured reserve list if he clears waivers.
Titans Claim Tyler Patmon
- The Titans have claimed cornerback Tyler Patmon, off waivers from the Dolphins, as Jim Wyatt of Titans Online tweets.
Roddy White Still On Titans "Radar"
- Roddy White isn’t looking to sign a minimum-salary contract for 2016, writes Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. The 34-year-old is still on the Titans “radar,” even after the team signed veteran wideout Andre Johnson. If things don’t work out with the former Texans star, Florio notes that the Titans could make a harder push for White.
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