Titans see healed players as big boost for defense

It’s called healing up.

The Titans had a total of 14 players miss a combined 98 games in 2004, and the result was a unit that finished the season ranked 27th in the league in total defense. Team officials then had to release veteran end Kevin Carter, cornerback Samari Rolle and safety Lance Schulters for salary cap reasons.

They traded away end Carlos Hall for a draft pick, and had only enough money under the salary cap to sign one lineman — and he has a history of knee troubles.

But Tennessee already looks healthier than at any time last season, and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz thinks that will be the key for a better defense.

“When you get all those guys back from the injuries, it’s like having fresh faces, new players. But when you’re trying to get new players in, you’re trying to teach them the scheme. You experience the growing pains of that,” Schwartz said.

“Getting these guys back, you’re getting guys that have mastered the defense.”

When healthy, the Titans ranked as high as 10th in the NFL 10 weeks into the season before injuries that started in April 2004 finally decimated the defense.

Schulters hurt his left foot and sat out 13 games.

Safety Tank Williams tore his left ACL on Nov. 14, and the Titans, who had allowed only a field goal, lost that game to Chicago on a safety in overtime. Tackle Albert Haynesworth dislocated his right elbow late in the same game and missed the next six games.

Linebacker Rocky Boiman missed the final seven games of the season with a leg injury, while linebacker Rocky Calmus missed 12 with hamstring and back problems. His replacement, Brad Kassell, played 14 games despite making his first start without a single practice because of a left Achilles injury.

With a knee injury to Rolle, reserve Tony Beckham was forced back early from his own torn ACL and played the final five games.

By the time the season ended, the Titans were without five defensive starters. Then came the salary cap losses.

Linebacker Peter Sirmon said general manager Floyd Reese had anticipated this situation by drafting five linemen in 2004 and grabbing cornerback Andre Woolfolk in the first round in 2002.

“They planned well for this day. Now it’s everybody’s opportunity to play as well as they can. All you get in this league is an opportunity,” Sirmon said.

Kyle Vanden Bosch, the 34th draft pick overall in 2001 out of Nebraska, joined the Titans after playing in only 35 games in four seasons with Arizona where he tore both his anterior cruciate ligaments.

The Titans are energized most by the return of Sirmon at outside linebacker opposite Keith Bulluck and the progress made by Williams. Sirmon has been practicing since the start of camp, while Williams is working his way back into drills with his target of being ready to start at Pittsburgh Sept. 11.

Haynesworth called Sirmon, a five-year veteran, the defense’s brain who’s like having Schwartz on the field.

“He knows very little things about the defense and knows their weaknesses and their strengths, so he always gets us straight. It’s great to get him back, and you shouldn’t see as many mistakes as we had last year,” Haynesworth said.

Schwartz won’t be measuring this defense by where the Titans rank in the NFL. He’s more concerned with forcing the fumble to clinch a victory or keeping opponents out of the end zone.

Sirmon thinks the Titans will be ready to do that even if their talent might be good enough to beat offenses one-on-one.

“This year I think it’s going to be a total team effort,” Sirmon said.

Being healthy is the first step.