Titans Watching Patiently, Eyes on Reggie Bush
For the next three months, the Titans will closely monitor five things: The Houston Texans, the New Orleans Saints, Reggie Bush, Vince Young and Matt Leinart...

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There is a ton of time for things to evolve and shift. But the Titans have two teams drafting in front of them and the consensus is that the April draft holds three stars likely to go in the first three picks.

Reggie Bush would be best, because he would offer an immediate impact. One of the quarterbacks would spend at least a year as an understudy to Steve McNair, who's expected to iron out a new contract with the team. While general manager Floyd Reese and Coach Jeff Fisher will likely be good stewards for the franchise, they'd also love to add an immediate impact player to help turn things around and help their job security.

But even if they wind up with Reggie Bush, the Titans are a lot more than one player away from working their way back towards respectability after a disastrous 4-12 season.

The need playmakers on offense, more speed at linebacker and more football sense at safety. It's actually easier to put together a list of what they don't need than what they do - the group of four tight ends is just fine.

The problems aren't strictly personnel, either. As players cleaned out their lockers, buzzwords like accountability, leadership and character flew around.

"I would like to see a hungry personality out of the team," said linebacker Keith Bulluck. "Those who are hungry find any way to eat. This team is not eating."

"We haven't won back-to-back games in two years," guard Zach Piller said. "For the most part, we haven't played a game that mattered in two years."

Rookie CB Pacman Jones was the team's biggest distraction, and he needs to put in a solid off-season of work while keeping his nose clean.

"You have a lot of young guys that are being thrust into a position where they have a lot of money and a lot of attention and they don't realize this is a blessing, a big-time opportunity that is not given to many, period," tight end Erron Kinney said. "And it can't be taken for granted and you can't disrespect the game, you can't disrespect your teammates or the organization. Those are part of the growing pains and part of the learning process."

Twenty-seven of the 53 players on the Titans roster at the end of the season were in their first or second year. Fisher said he may have overestimated their capacity, as he stuck with the same routines he used with more veteran teams in the past.

So meetings and practice may be tweaked as Fisher and his staff evaluates everything.

The Titans endured a terrible season largely because of the moves they made to get out of salary-cap jail. They will head into the free agency period with money to spend, and while they won't offer a huge name a huge contract, they will add a handful of veterans with the right kind of experience who come at the right price.

"There is a need for experience for guys that have played and been successful and made plays in other systems; there is a need for that," Fisher said. "What comes with that is leadership, not necessarily locker room leadership, but leadership by example."

Piller said the team's character has been slipping in recent years.

He said he hopes everybody that returns and all the newcomers can start out with one unified purpose.

"I just want guys to all find a common goal and be accountable to each other," he said. "That's all I want to be is a teammate, and that's all I want my teammates to be. I want them to know that I am going to lay it on the line for them and I would hope they would respect me and do the same for me."

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