Tony's Titans: Middle Linebackers

With Akeem Ayers now donning a lovely new shade of Titans blue, we hopefully look to shore up a position that has been relatively futile over the last decade or so.

So let's take a peek at our men in the middle, a fairly understocked group from 2002-present. To be frank, it won't quite feature the venerable superstars of other positions.

#2 Brad Kassell
2002-2005

Titans Career
226 combined tackles, 3 forced fumbles, 6 deflections, 1 interception (21 yards, 1 TD)

All-Time Career
283 combined tackles, 3 forced fumbles, 8 deflections, 1 interception (21 yards, 1 TD)

Any 'best of' list that features Brad Kassell is either woefully inadequate, the result of North Texas homerism, or a list made by Brad Kassell himself.

Anyhow, after Rocky Calmus did all sorts of nothing in the middle, Kassell ended up finding himself in the starting role, a role he wasn't really qualified for, but did end up having some beastly performances towards the end of 2004.

Namely a massive 13 tackle, 5 assist game against the Lions, and his sole career interception off the Broncos that he took for a touchdown. That particular touchdown still brings me great amusement, because Keith Bulluck enthusiastically punted the ball into the stands afterwards, much to the chagrin of Kassell, who wanted to keep it. I can't remember Kassell's on-field reaction, but I can just picture the look of horror on his face as Bulluck nailed that sucker off into the fifth row. Ha.

So anyhow, Kassell was severely lacking in speed and skill, and didn't amount to a whole lot, but for his gumption and out-playing his potential, we give him the nod for the lofty #2 slot at middle backer.

#1 Stephen Tulloch
2006-present

All-Time Career
457 combined tackles, 4.5 sacks, 11 deflections, 2 interception (18 yards)

Chalk this one up to a lack of competition more than anything else. I don't mean to slam Tully, who's been a serviceable middle linebacker for five years now, but he's certainly not the feared leader you seek from your MLB. For one thing, were you aware that Tulloch has not once forced a fumble? I hadn't realised it until discovering this on his NFL.com profile. So unless someone in charge of the website is a deceptive anti-Tulloch marauder, it's a rather telling stat.

Odds are, if I were paying attention back in 2002, I'd have noticed the fleeting stint of Randall Godfrey, who put together a couple of solid years with Tennessee. I still had to fight off the urge to include him, if only for the reason that he's bald and all good linebackers are bald (Keith Bulluck, Brian Urlacher, possibly others).

Tulloch likes him some tackling, but he's not the most solid guy in the coverage department, an important quality in a 4-3 MLB for the keen reason that if a pass goes past him, it's also viably gone past seven members of the defence. Sounds pretty bad.

Regardless, I'd prefer to end this on a positive note. So I can definitely say that Tulloch was much better than the last man to don #55, at least. That man was Kassell, in case you were curious. I'm sorry, Brad.