TEN wants TE's to block more, catch less

[DMD]

Good news for Chris Brown/LenDale White. Less so for Troupe/Kinney/Scaife

 

Titans' o-line grows

New coach wants more blocks, less catches from TEs

 

By PAUL KUHARSKY

 

The Titans went into the NFL Draft in April with a long list of needs.

 

Tight end was about the only position that wasn't on it.

 

Still, a year after their four players at that position accounted for 41.6 percent of the team's pass receptions, Tennessee is tinkering with the spot, asking the group to be a bigger piece of the Titans' run-blocking in addition to continuing to serve as important outlets for the quarterbacks.

 

"Maybe a little more diversified; you know we want to try to run the ball some," offensive coordinator Norm Chow said. "Maybe ask them to do a little bit more. We've got to get better in the run game, so they've got to get better blocking in the run game, and so far they are doing all right."

 

After a nine-year tenure for George Henshaw, the tight ends have a new coach in John Zernhelt.

 

He played tight end at Maryland and coached the Jets' tight ends last year. But much of his coaching background is with the offensive line, including eight college jobs where he oversaw the position.

 

During the early piece of Titans practices, when positions work separately, Zernhelt plans to fuse his unit with the offensive line some of the time to have the tight ends work closely with the tackles.

 

A Pennsylvania native who comes across as a blue-collar guy oozing football, Zernhelt has already won over his guys.

 

"I like Coach Z," Erron Kinney said. "Sometimes it's good to have change. He's definitely a breath of fresh air. He brings a different dynamic, he's a technique guy, he knows the game well, and he's teaching us some things that are going to help us out."

 

Through the first three-fourths of the 2005 season, Kinney was on track for 72 catches. That would have broken Frank Wycheck's single-season franchise record of 70 catches for a tight end, a mark the now-retired Wycheck reached in both 1998 and 2000.

 

But a knee injury cost Kinney two games. Still, he finished with a career-best 55 receptions for 543 yards and two TDs.

 

The Titans will still look to Kinney, Ben Troupe and Bo Scaife in the passing game.

 

The hope, however, is that a higher percentage of balls go to the wide receivers, a group headlined by David Givens and Drew Bennett.

"We were very productive last year as far as receptions, but I think the key to any football team is how well you run the football," Zernhelt said. "So if there is any evolution, with us this year it's just going to be a more conscious effort in running the ball, so that's the area we're focusing on now. …"

 

"It's a multiple position. A tight end is a receiver, he's a motion guy, he's a fullback, he's an off-the-line move guy for us, and in addition to that he's got to be a blocker. There is a lot that goes into this position. Consequently, it's a hard position to find, so we're fortunate that we have guys with the ability to do all that."

 

The tight ends will work more as part of the run-game effort a season after the team topped 100 yards rushing just four times. The Titans didn't get a single 100-yard game from an individual back.

 

Zernhelt said he and Chow aren't asking the ends to do brand new things, just to refine and emphasize things they've always done.

 

"(Zernhelt) has given us a lot of new techniques to help us become better guys in the run game, and I think that was our weakness last year," Scaife said. "So that's part of why they brought him in. We definitely need to run the ball better. Anything we can do to help that, I am sure we're going to do."

[Avernus]

if Henry is getting cut....then Brown or Payton could be a decent pickup for 3rd or 5th RB..

[Big Score 1]

Interesting Chow wants to change up the offense so much.

 

Is this an indictment on how Tenn feels about their passing game? You know, wanting to emphasize the run game more.

 

To be honest, with the pass catching TE's Tenn has amassed, I'll believe they're going to be relegated to blocking for the majority of the time, when I see it.

[Jackass]

if Henry is getting cut....then Brown or Payton could be a decent pickup for 3rd or 5th RB..

 

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could be wrong but i though i read payton was cut or is going to be cut

[The Irish Doggy]

To be honest, with the pass catching TE's Tenn has amassed, I'll believe they're going to be relegated to blocking for the majority of the time, when I see it.

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My thoughts as well. I don't see enough firepower in Givens and Bennett to get the job done.

 

Although when/if Young is the starter, I'm not surprised at all that they would want to run more.

[Perchoutofwater]

Interesting Chow wants to change up the offense so much.

 

Is this an indictment on how Tenn feels about their passing game? You know, wanting to emphasize the run game more.

 

To be honest, with the pass catching TE's Tenn has amassed, I'll believe they're going to be relegated to blocking for the majority of the time, when I see it.

 

1492692[/snapback]

 

 

 

 

I tend to agree, especially if / when VY starts at QB. The last two years at Texas, VY's main receiver was David Thomas, a TE.