Today, the Tennessee Titans' rookie class joined the veterans for organized team activities.  As with any new group assembling for the first time, there is a transitional phase for the youngsters.  Getting used to a new town, new team, and new terminology can challenge even the most prepared of NFL rookies.  Today, Titansspot.com will focus on three areas of attention during this week's Organized Team Activity (OTA) period.

I hate to be Captain Obvious with the first area of attention, but when you have a 15 year hole at the wide receiver position and FINALLY address the position in the first round of the NFL Draft, it creates a buzz.  Kenny Britt was an attractive pick for the Titans because of his experience in a Pro-style system at Rutgers and the ability he demonstrated to beat press coverage in college.  It is one thing to beat a DB from Pitt off of press coverage, but a different level of accomplishment to beat a Pro Bowl CB like Courtland Finnegan off the jam.  Starting today, the organization and Kenny Britt to a certain extent, will start to learn how close he truly is to contributing to the pass catching corps in 2009.  

The Titans outside linebacker position is where the largest concentration of NFL geriatrics on the roster reside.  Nobody is putting Keith Bulluck and David Thornton out to pasture just yet, but developing a future starter at this position is certainly a hope for the staff.  Enter Gerald McRath, the Southern Mississippi tackling machine.  McRath was a ball hawk from his middle linebacker position in college, but the Titans have projected him as an outside linebacker in their 4-3 scheme.  The quicker McRath grasps his new position, the better for new defensive coordinator Chuck Cecil.

Let’s be honest, the Titans did not draft Jared Cook to be a road grader in the run game.  He was brought in to be a pass receiving threat who can create matchup problems down the center of the field for linebackers and safeties.  However, if you are Titans offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger, you do not want the opposing defensive coordinator to be able to accurately spot tendencies every time Cook enters the game.  Cook’s progression towards being just an adequate blocker in the run game is vital to how involved he can be in the gameplan early on.

In closing, there are a number of other areas of attention that deserve highlighting, such as rookie Ryan Mouton’s coverage abilities outside or how the third running back race between Quinton Ganther, Chris Henry, Javon Ringer, and Rafael Little will shake out.  However, the three areas touched on above are seemingly where the curiosity lies inside and outside of Baptist Sports Park as OTA’s begin.