Remember the 2008 Tennessee Titans? They were the last undefeated team that season and "stomped out" the eventual Super Bowl champion Steelers to secure home field advantage through out the play offs. Then they ran into the Ravens during the divisional round of the playoffs. The future still looked bright, and it looked as if the 2009 Titans could be even more talented than the 1999 Titans that made it all the way to the big game.
The saying is the NFL stands for "Not For Long" and that would be the absolute truth for the Titans. Within the last month, the Seahawks cut Lendale White; the ongoing Albert Haynesworth saga has fallen out of the ugly tree; and Vince Young has made his strip club brawl another reason to question his maturity. What do they all have in common? You guessed it. They are all members of the 2008 Titans. Those are just the veterans. Add Derrick Morgan's arrest for speeding before he has even signed his first contract to the headache. The losses or demotions of leaders like defensive end Kyle Van den Bosch, center Kevin Mawae, and linebacker Keith Bullock are possible signs to a locker room lacking a true identity.
I respect Jeff Fisher and the job he has done adapting to constantly changing personnel and talent. With all of the recent problems, including the possible Chris Johnson hold out and starting linebacker Gerald McRath's steroid suspension, Fisher might have bigger problems than just turnover. This team needs some of its young talented players to develop into leaders. The NFL isn't the place for rah-rah motivators and coaches. It's a business. The players take care of motivating themselves, and there are certain players that both the players and coaches look to for emotional direction.
The Titans are a great enigma going into next season, and I, unfortunately, believe that these seemingly unrelated stories speak volumes about the state of the Tennessee locker room.
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