Titans could field three quality RBs
Titan second-round steal LenDale White is back in camp after rehabbing a hamstring injury and is looking to compete with veterans Chris Brown and Travis Henry.
Given the state of the Titan running attack over the past few years, White could be exactly what the doctor ordered since we are now a far cry from the hey day of Eddie George.
For those who didn?t know, White is a big six-foot, 240-pound bruiser out of USC who played somewhat in the shadow of Reggie Bush. However, White did have some good games of his own, faring better against the Longhorn defense in the championship game last year than did his Heisman Trophy-winning teammate. With that said, he somehow managed to slip to the Titans? second round after he ate one to many Big Macs during the offseason and came in at over 250 pounds.
The weight, along with a sore hamstring, has basically been put into check now as the former Trojan is down more than a dozen pounds and has rehabbed the leg. This means he may give his teammates a run for their money this season.
His first hurdle, of course, will be designated starter Chris Brown, who often struggles with injuries himself. He is a runner in the old Eddie George vein, a big lanky back who tends to be a straight-up runner, meaning he takes a lot of shots. His career work thus far has been disappointing as between injuries he?s failed to live up to expectations. He had 3.8 yards per carry last year, finishing with 851 yards. He has yet shown the breakaway speed which led the Titans to draft him out of Colorado a few years back.
However, Brown is still young so I?ll give him the benefit of the doubt. Also, Brown is known as a good pass blocking back, something which could be important given Billy Volek?s lack of mobility and the lack of an experienced backup quarterback in Nashville.
Meanwhile, Travis Henry is not really known as a pass blocking back. He finished with 3.8 yards per carry too last year, leading me to suspect it could be a run blocking problem within the interior of the Titan offensive line. Henry did have some limited success in the past during his time with the Buffalo Bills before being phased out with the arrival of the next big thing there, Willis McGahee. While Henry is a good hard-nosed runner, he let the squad down last year, getting suspended for four games under the league?s substance abuse policy. It will be Henry who could suffer the most backlash should White adapt quickly and become an impact player in his rookie season since they are similar in styles.
With that said, barring a poor showing in camp by Henry, I foresee all three backs going into the season, sharing time similar to how things were in Philadelphia and even Pittsburgh when we saw Willie Parker, Jerome Bettis and Duce Staley split time. Of course, there is a lingering rumor Chris Brown could be on the trading block, perhaps being shopped for a cornerback or even a receiver.
However, I still believe the Titans have hope Brown will turn the corner, avoid the injury bug and become the back they had hoped he would be. Given the fact he now has competition for the job and could be in jeopardy of becoming a third-down back, this may be his last year to show he can meet his potential.