Tennessee titans So here’s the question that will linger for me as we see how the Hasselbeck/Locker pairing works for the Titans this season and beyond: Have the Titans been driven to overvalue personality and intangible traits? Coaches and executives and staff and media will all enjoy working with Hasselbeck and Locker, players who are personable, engaging, driven, hard-working. But has the lure of those qualities led the Titans’ new regime to undervalue the physical characteristics needed to produce in the NFL?
Hasselbeck led the Seahawks to Super Bowl XL at the conclusion of the 2005 season.In the years since, he’s not been well protected and he’s not had great weapons. But since that NFC title, even with an excellent, Pro Bowl 2007 season, Hasselbeck’s posted a 29-34 record and a 77.5 passer rating, completing 59 percent of his passes while throwing 80 touchdowns and 71 interceptions. He also took 147 sacks.In the same span, which takes in Young’s entire pro career, he worked with superior protection and a superior run game and was 30-17 with a 75.7 rating.It tells you a lot about the gap between the two in non-statistical categories, that the Titans are eager to have one and rid themselves of the other.
Locker is viewed by critics as a player who needs a lot of finishing work -- mechanical and decision-making improvements necessary to translate what he does well to the NFL level. He needs to add to a college repertoire where he threw better on the move than from the pocket.Not long after the Titans drafted Locker eighth overall, I said if he doesn’t pan out as a successful NFL quarterback, Young will be partially to blame. The Titans looked to Locker -- and now Hasselbeck -- in large part because of their extreme contrast with Young. They won’t act entitled. They will work hard to earn respect. Mike Munchak and Chris Palmer will have time and energy to devote to pursuits beyond teaching professionalism to their signal-callers.
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