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"Three of them -- the Broncos, Steelers and Seahawks -- made it this far in large part because of their running game. All three finished the regular season ranked among the NFL's top five rushing teams. ..."
Wyatt went on to suggest that as the Titans look ahead to the 2006 season, a glance at the teams in this weekend's AFC and NFC championship games should provide another reminder that they need to regain their run-game form.
The Titans added Travis Henry to the backfield with Chris Brown, but neither produced a 100-yard game in 2005. It was the first time since 1986 the Titans didn't have a 100-yard rusher.
The Titans finished 23rd in rushing offense, averaging a measly 95.3 yards per game.
"With an offseason of experience and commitment and the fact that we'll be in the second year of our system, I expect things to improve significantly," head coach Jeff Fisher said.
According to Wyatt, that could mean some different parts within the system with changes in the offensive line, and perhaps at running back.
Fisher said he expects Brown and Henry to be back, but it's not a sure thing.
Brown has one year remaining on his original contract, but Henry's deal is a little trickier. He has a $4 million option bonus that must be exercised by March that would kick in the final four years of the contract.
The Titans aren't expected to pay the $4 million, but could renegotiate the deal to keep Henry instead of releasing him. Henry missed four games due to an NFL suspension and was also slowed by an ankle injury, but he gained just 335 yards in his first season as a Titan.
If by chance USC running back Reggie Bush is still available when the Titans pick at No. 3 in the NFL Draft on April 29-30, Wyatt suggests the backfield situation could really get scrambled.
Henry's agent, Hadley Engelhard, talked with general manager Floyd Reese last Thursday and they are expected to meet this week at the East-West Shrine Bowl practices in San Antonio.
"I would love to stay," Henry said. "I don't talk to the management, but I know my contract is something that is going to be addressed. ... We'll see how it plays out.
"I saw this as a disappointing year for me as far as all the goals I wanted to come in and do. I feel like I got off to a bad start with the coaches and players but I felt I came back and I think I fought and kept my head up through bad times.
"Due to the circumstances, I am excited to see what is going to happen. I think we have something special here and I want to be a part of it for sure."
While Henry's season was a disappointment, especially considering that the Titans gave the Bills a third-round draft pick for him, Brown's season wasn't anything special either. He made it through the season without suffering a major injury, but despite playing in 15 games he gained just 851 yards on 224 carries, and his average per carry decreased as the season wore on.
In 11 games in 2004, Brown gained 1,067 yards on four fewer carries. And while he only missed one game in 2005, he was limited in several games and wasn't able to practice much at the end of the season.
Brown said he's ready for another chance to show he can get the job done with all the run-game weight on his shoulders. But so is Henry, who had two 1,300-yard seasons in Buffalo and is ready for more work.
"I would be lying to you if I told you that I wanted to spend the rest of my career splitting time. I don't. I am a premier runner. I know that. I have done it," Henry said. "So of course that is what I want, but they call the shots. So it is a situation where I have to let everything play out and go from there. ..."
In a semi-related note. ... The Sports Xchange reminded readers this week that in addition to going without a 100-yard rusher all season, the Titans also faked to get even a single 100-yard game from a wide receiver all year.
Tight end Ben Troupe (116) and Brown (105) kept it from being a season shutout for all the team's pass catchers, but the Titans only had two games from wide receivers in the 80s, one from Courtney Roby and one from Brandon Jones. ...
Other news and notes of interest from around the league. ...
In Chicago. ... A season that began with a 36-day holdout and included a six-week absence with a sprained knee ligament ended with Cedric Benson not playing in the playoffs. He rushed for 272 yards on 67 carries.
According to Chicago Tribune beat writer K.C. Johnson, as he dressed following Sunday's playoff loss, Benson offered a candidate for understatement of the season.
"This isn't how I expected my rookie year to go," he said.
Head coach Lovie Smith, however, thought otherwise.
"I would say it's a typical rookie season," Smith said. "Most rookie seasons, the next year is a lot better. And I see it that way for Cedric. He won't miss training camp. He'll be in the off-season program. We like the way he finished, even though he didn't get a chance to show it except in practice."
Johnson went on to suggest that how effectively Benson challenges Thomas Jones will be an intriguing story line to July's training camp.
"Thomas had a great year and is definitely No. 1 in our starting rotation," Smith said. "But all guys know they have to perform a certain way to stay there."
Meanwhile, in an article published Monday, Pro Football Weekly noted that with few pressing needs and some money to invest in upgrading the roster, general manager Jerry Angelo is operating from the catbird seat entering the offseason.
Team observers speculate Angelo could seek a trade partner in search of a running back but will deal only if he finds the perfect offer.
Jones, who signed a four-year, $10 million contract in 2004, has outperformed his current deal, which includes a base salary of $2 million in '06 and $2.23 million in '07. Jones' agent, Tom Condon, told PFW it was too early for contract negotiations and added that none had occurred.
With Benson waiting in the wings -- and scheduled to make a combined $9.3 million in base salary in '06 and '07 as part of deal that expires after the '09 season -- the Bears could afford to make a deal.
PFW went on to suggest they might be looking for either an immediate starter at another position or a first-round pick. ...
Also according to Johnson, Bernard Berrian will take a career-high five-reception game into the off-season. He'll battle Justin Gage and Mark Bradley -- if he's recovered from a knee injury -- for the No. 2 receiver spot in training camp.
"He was the one speed guy we had this past year," Smith said. "Based on what Bernard did (in the Divisional Playoff game), we see him expanding the role he had."
Berrian, who left the loss late with a hip pointer, averaged 18.9 yards on 13 catches this season.
One last note out of Chicago. ... Attempting to break up a pass in the fourth quarter of last Sunday's playoff loss, Muhsin Muhammad suffered a broken bone in his right hand.
Despite the injury, the receiver was able to remain in the Bears' lineup and finish the game. He ended up with three catches for 58 yards on the day.
In an interesting season-ending wrap-up published Wednesday, the Xchange offered the following assessment: "Muhammad did not live up to his $30 million contract, posting pedestrian numbers of 64 catches, 750 yards, an 11.7-yard average and four touchdowns, while proving to be a questionable teammate who cast doubt on teammates while refusing to accept any blame for an impotent passing game.
"Muhammad will make some tough catches and do the dirty work, but he has way too many drops for a go-to receiver and comes off as a phony, shameless self-promoter. ..."
In Baltimore. ... Soon after the season ended, moving and storage trucks were outside the home of running back Jamal Lewis. He can become an unrestricted free agent next month if the Ravens don't designate him the franchise player.
Lewis, in Atlanta, told Baltimore Sun staffer Mike Preston that he doesn't know what the future holds. He says the Ravens have not had contact with him or his agent since the season ended.
"I sold my house. I had to get out from under it because I'm not sure of my future," Lewis said. "I've had that house for six years, but there is no use keeping it if you aren't going to be there. If I end up back in Baltimore, I'll just rent an apartment for six months or less."
Lewis expects the Ravens to put the franchise tag on him, and he has no problems playing in Baltimore again as long as he is the featured runner.
"The players association thought that designation [franchise player] would be a good thing, that it could be used as leverage," Lewis told Preston. "But I think I am more valuable than that. I don't want to come back to a situation where I carried the ball only 10 to 15 times a game like last year.
"I'm used to carrying it 20 to 25 times a game. I want that kind of workload. If the Ravens want to give me that, I'll be more than happy to play in Baltimore again, or anywhere else. ..."
In Washington. ... Patrick Ramsey's future with the Redskins seemed uncertain this week after head coach Joe Gibbs praised the progress of rookie quarterback Jason Campbell.
As Washington Times beat writer Ryan O'Halloran reported Monday, the quarterback situation behind starter Mark Brunell was one of many topics Gibbs addressed during his wrap-up press conference at Redskin Park two days after the team's season ended at 11-7 with a 20-10 playoff loss in Seattle.
While Gibbs dodged queries about LaVar Arrington's future and the need to upgrade the receiver position behind Santana Moss, he gushed about Campbell for nearly three minutes, an indication Gibbs would be comfortable with him as the backup next year. That, of course, would make Ramsey expendable.
Campbell, whom the Redskins selected No. 25 overall last year, played zero snaps during the regular season.
"Had Jason been thrust into things this year, I'm confident he would have played well," Gibbs said. "Do I think it was good he got to sit a whole year? Yes. ... We've seen a lot out of him. Now he needs to play. And we'll get into that."
Ramsey, whom the Redskins chose with their first-round pick in 2002, started the opener against Chicago but lasted only 26 snaps. He is expected to request a trade in the coming weeks.
"Patrick and I had a good talk, and he felt a little bit like I did -- the season is just over with, and he hasn't had much chance to think about anything, and I hadn't either," Gibbs said. "What we agreed to do is talk over the next few weeks.
"He'll probably do some thinking, I'll do some thinking and we'll do some talking."
The read-between-the-lines analysis as provided by O'Halloran: "If Ramsey requests a trade this offseason, the Redskins likely will accommodate him -- if they get a fair offer -- because they feel Campbell is ready to back up Brunell."
Ramsey, who will turn 27 on Feb. 14 and is 10-14 as a starter, completed 15 of 25 passes for 279 yards this season.
"I'd like to play," he said. "That was my concern when everything took place. I would like to play, and if I'm going to develop in this league as a quarterback and play well, it needs to start soon.
"We'll see what everybody has planned, and we'll talk to [Gibbs] throughout the offseason. I don't really know the situation yet. Nothing has really unfolded."
The final six games of the season, some thought, made trading Ramsey less likely. As O'Halloran noted, Brunell had nine touchdowns and six interceptions, and the offense managed only two touchdowns in two playoff games, suggesting it would be wise to keep Ramsey around considering Brunell will be 36 in September.
But Gibbs sounds confident Brunell's performance and health will hold up for another season and that Campbell is prepared to be No. 2.
Gibbs said he jokingly told Campbell yesterday, "Time to take the hat and throw it away. It's time to go to work and time to earn your money."
The coach added, "In my experience, whether it was [Stan] Humphries or [Mark] Rypien or Jay Schroeder, when they went through the process [of watching] and then got put in there, they were amazingly prepared. You watch somebody else [play], and you can learn."
Said Campbell: "I feel like [I'm ready to be No. 2]. I'm going to work hard and look forward to any opportunity that presents itself. ... [Sitting all season] was tough because you don't get the chance to run your teams' plays. But at the same time, you're going against one of the best defenses in the NFL."
Gibbs thought so much of Campbell last season at Auburn that he traded the Redskins' first-round pick this year to move into the first round and select Campbell.
"He's very accurate, he'll be a guy that can really run the football and make plays with his feet, he has a sense of where the pocket is and he's so big he'll be hard to sack," Gibbs said. "I think he had a year where it was probably good for him to hear it, see it and go through it. I'm sure he learned a lot."
Said Brunell: "It's tough to do from the sidelines, but he made some great strides this year. ..."
Also in Washington. ... As his teammates cleaned out their lockers Sunday, injured receiver David Patten made a surprise pronouncement: He says for the last five weeks he was healthy enough to play.
As Washington Post staff writer Howard Bryant suggested, the news carried significant weight because the Redskins' inability to develop a second wide receiver threat in his absence was a major concern for Gibbs and his offensive staff and perhaps the primary reason that the Redskins were not able to advance further in the postseason.
"It was one thing if I was hurt, but I felt 100 percent on the sidelines and I couldn't play," Patten said. "It was one thing that was out of my control. It was frustrating to see us go down like that, but we're right there. No one expected us to do what we did this year, so we have to build off that. This offseason is going to decide what kind of team we are. We're going to see who's really upset about the shortcoming this year."
Patten said he'd been playing injured for a few weeks before being shut down by the medical staff.
Without Patten, even during the five-game winning streak that propelled the Redskins into the playoffs, the lack of a second legitimate threat at wide receiver was the biggest offensive concern. In fact, until James Thrash hauled in a 41-yard pass from Brunell in the Jan. 1 game against Philadelphia, the Redskins had gone two games without a reception from a wide receiver other than Moss.
Patten believes he could have played just a few weeks after being placed on injured reserve, perhaps Dec. 4 at St. Louis.
"I felt like I was ready to go Week 12 or 13," he said. "I felt like I could have played, but unfortunately, the decision was made early on because you just can't tell with injuries, and at the time we needed the roster spot."
Although Patten should be back to form next season, sources told PFW the team almost assuredly will target a big-play receiver in free agency or the draft, perhaps both.
A late-season injuries to Thrash and the disappointing performance of Taylor Jacobs left the team almost completely bare of receivers, limiting what formations coaches could use. ...
One last Redskins-related item. ... The team hired Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Al Saunders and signed the rest of their assistant coaches to contract extensions this week.
The Redskins did not specify what role Saunders would fill or what his title would be, but a team source said he would be the primary offensive assistant, as he had been with the Chiefs.
The Redskins said the team's other offensive coaches will retain their current titles, including Joe Bugel, who is the assistant head coach-offense, and Don Breaux, who is the offensive coordinator.
Bugel also coaches the offensive line under the Redskins' unconventional coaching structure. ...
In Green Bay. ... Because both sides seem agreeable to discussing a contract, PFW advised readers it's possible Ahman Green will remain a Packer this year.
The veteran halfback has a ways to go in rehabilitating from a torn thigh muscle -- the injury occurred Oct. 23 at Minnesota and can take up to one year to fully heal -- an obstacle Green and the Packers have agreed isn't insurmountable.
In fact, Green reportedly wants badly to return to the Packers in '06 and will consider a one-year deal to make it easier on the team.
A team official told PFW in December that the Packers wanted Green to return at the right price.
Of the Packers' top running backs, only rookie Samkon Gado is under contract for next season. In 2005, Gado led the team in rushing with 582 yards and six touchdowns.
Green averaged 1,523 yards and 11 TDs in the two seasons prior to '05, when he ran 77 times for 255 yards and zero touchdowns. ...
Also according to PFW, the Packers expect a decision from Brett Favre on his playing future to come at roughly the same time this year as it did in 2005. Favre last year announced his intentions to play at "Packers Fan Fest," which is scheduled for March 10-12. ...
Following up on an item from last week's Notebook. ... According to Palm Beach Post staff writer Jeff Darlington, "It wasn't exactly a glowing review. Then again, it also wasn't a sign of total disinterest. ..."
Speaking about Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens on Tuesday, Dolphins head coach Nick Saban left the door open about his interest in acquiring the controversial wide receiver during the off-season.
"I think we're interested in anybody who would make our team better," Saban said on ESPN Radio's "The Dan Patrick Show." "Guys who have been proven playmakers in this league are all people we would be interested in."
Saban said he didn't know whether he was willing to make Owens his next reclamation project -- like he did with running back Ricky Williams and wide receiver David Boston -- but Saban noted it might be worth the research to find out.
"(That) can only be brought about by a lot of conversation and getting to know someone," Saban said. "I don't know this particular player well enough to make that determination right now, but it's something we might be interested in the future."
This marked the first time Saban spoke directly about Owens, since league rules prohibited Saban from commenting about acquiring another team's property. That changed when agent Drew Rosenhaus was granted permission by the Eagles to seek a trade for the wide receiver.
For such an acquisition to occur, Saban would need to persuade several of his team's leaders that it would be a wise move.
Tight end Randy McMichael, wide receiver Chris Chambers and defensive end Jason Taylor all have spoken publicly about their desire to keep Owens out of their locker room.
Saban at least understands the need to think this one through.
"The competency and the chemistry that you can create certainly helps make for a good team," the coach told Patrick. "Those are the situations that we would consider relative to Terrell Owens. ..."
In yet another follow-up to a previously reported story. ... SportsLine.com insider Pete Prisco noted on Thursday that much has been of reports there was an altercation between Bengals receiver Chad Johnson and receivers coach Hue Jackson in the Bengals locker room at halftime of their loss to the Steelers in the AFC wild-card round.
The report included that Johnson threw a punch at head coach Marvin Lewis when he tried to intervene.
Was there an altercation?
According to Prisco, Johnson did have a shouting match with Jackson about his not getting the ball, seemingly frustrated about being double-teamed. As he moved to get closer to Jackson, he was separated, and as he flailed to get away from those separating him, Lewis came near, and one of Johnson's arms came close to him, a source at the scene told Prisco.
It was not a punch. "Marvin would have knocked him out if he tried to punch him," the source said. "He wouldn't have taken that. Chad didn't throw a punch at anybody. Who's he punching? That's not his style."
Prisco summed up by confirming that Johnson was angry, and did throw a tantrum, but reports of a punch being thrown at Lewis have been greatly exaggerated. ...
And a few final items this week. ... As Houston Chronicle NFL writer John McClain pointed out last weekend, Raiders running back LaMont Jordan had 12 dropped passes, the most in the league this season.
Tied for second with 11 each were three receivers -- the Giants' Plaxico Burress, Muhammad and the Saints' Donte' Stallworth. ...
Also. ... Cowboys quarterback Drew Bledsoe lost a league-high eight fumbles. Favre and Cleveland's Trent Dilfer lost seven. David Carr was in a group of four that lost six fumbles.
The running back who lost the most fumbles was Baltimore's Lewis with five.