1. Who will win the QB battle between Matt Hasselbeck and Jake Locker and when will it be decided?
Although the coaching staff insists the competition is 50-50, coach Mike Munchak has had great rapport with Matt Hasselbeck since last summer's free-agent signing and has an inordinate amount of respect for the 14-year veteran. It is likely Hasselbeck's job to lose.
The performance of both QBs in preseason games will have minimal impact on Munchak's decision. Munchak and offensive coordinator Chris Palmer are more concerned with how the QBs handle film sessions, make presnap reads and adjust to the changes with the playbook.
A decision could come as soon as the completion of the Titans' third preseason game against Arizona on Aug. 23.
2. Will Britt be suspended? Will the Titans pursue veteran help?
Kenny Britt narrowly avoided a suspension from commissioner Roger Goodell last summer and is again in trouble after last week's arrest for suspicion of DUI. If Britt is suspended he could be out for the first month of the season. The league is looking into the matter.
If the Titans add a veteran the logical choice would be Mike Williams, who was released by the Seahawks on July 13. Williams was Hasselbeck's favorite target during the Seahawks' improbable playoff run in 2010. After the selection of Kendall Wright in April, though, the Titans have depth at wideout. Second-year WR Michael Preston is rangy and athletic like Britt and is a sleeper to make the 53-man roster.
3. Can CJ bounce back from subpar season?
Chris Johnson can come up with a list of excuses for a career-low in rushing yards (1,047) last season -- a prolonged holdout, poor blocking from the interior offensive line and improved play from several WRs. All are valid. Still, Johnson vows that the season is behind him.
It will be near-impossible for Johnson to reach his goal of rushing for 2,000 yards. The Titans plan using four and five WR sets more often. Johnson ostensibly will receive fewer carries than the 262 he had in 2011. For Johnson to reach the 2,000-yard mark on 225 carries, he would have to average 8.8 yards per rush. At that rate, he could average more than six yards a carry and still not rush for 1,400 yards.
4. What changes are expected on defense?
Expect defensive coordinator Jerry Gray to have a bigger imprint on the defense. The lockout limited Gray's ability to make wholesale changes in his first season with the team. Gray hardly deviated from a base 4-3 scheme -- a staple of Jeff Fisher-run defenses for more than a decade in Nashville.
Gray will ask his OLBs, specifically second-year LB Akeem Ayers to be more aggressive in blitzing off the edge. S Jordan Babineaux could play more in the box as former Redskins S LaRon Landry did under Gray in Washington, and the corners could be more physical on the outside.
5. Will the Titans make the playoffs?
The Titans' quality of play in their second year under Munchak could be improved from 2011, and their record still might be worse than the 9-7 mark from last year. Arguably, no team in the league has a more challenging first six games of the season against New England, San Diego, Detroit, Houston, Minnesota and Pittsburgh. Tennessee will be lucky to start 3-3. An 8-8 record is reasonable. A .500 record likely won't get the Titans into the postseason.
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