Alge Crumpler will benefit Titans' Vince Young
NFL betting: Former Pro Bowl tight end will help young quarterback's steady development
- Did Tennessee do enough in the offseason to help quarterback Vince Young?
- What are the odds Alge Crumpler regains his Pro Bowl form?
- How it affects your NFL football betting and Super Bowl futures
The Titans (+3500 Super Bowl odds in the online sportsbook) are one of the more intriguing teams heading into the 2008 NFL season. Coming off a 10-win season, they are no lock to make the playoffs. Tennessee entered the offseason with a bevy of questions regarding the roster, and many have gone unanswered.
The biggest question mark for fans of betting on sports, of course, is Vince Young. When Tennessee made Young the third-overall pick in the 2006 NFL draft, they hoped they'd secured their quarterback of the future. So far, he hasn't proved them wrong - but some argue he hasn't proved them right, either.
I think it's incredibly unfair to suggest Young has been a disappointment thus far in his brief career. No, the Titans haven't put up a ton of points with “VY” at the helm, but considering the talent surrounding him, he's made some pretty sweet music in the Music City.
Last year, Young's leading targets were Roydell Williams and Justin Gage, with 55 receptions apiece. I'll wait a moment while you Google the duo to be sure I didn't just make their names up. Surely, you can understand why the 24-year-old quarterback didn't light the world on fire last season. Even Joe Montana would struggle if he was throwing passes to those guys.
That leads us to the Million Dollar Question: what have the Titans done in the offseason to rectify the situation? Unfortunately, not much, which is pretty short-sighted considering how deep the draft was at wide receiver. Tennessee waited until the forth round to selected Lavelle Hawkins, despite 10 wide receivers going in the second round.
Of course, the team will heavily rely on the running game anyway. The Titans finished fifth in rushing a year ago, and with a solid line, a stable of young backs, and the lightning-fast Young in the backfield, more of the same can be expected this year.
One under-the-radar signing that could propel Young's development is Alge Crumpler. Little attention was devoted to the former Falcon's shift to Nashville, but the tight end enjoyed some brilliant years in Atlanta. Crumpler was slowed by injuries in 2007, but he compiled four straight Pro Bowl seasons before that.
Playing with an elusive, scrambling quarterback shouldn't be a problem for Crumpler, as he made his money working with Michael Vick. If he can get healthy - which is not an outrageous bet - Young will benefit tremendously.
I'm betting last season was an aberration for Crumpler. At 31 years old he might not regain his Pro Bowl juice, but he'll arguably be the best target Young has had since his days at the University of Texas.
Will that translate into another playoff berth? The top-10 defence remains intact. The running game should be improved via experience and the draft. And Vince Young enters 2008 with another season under his belt, and potentially a new weapon in his arsenal. There are no guarantees, but odds are the Tennessee Titans will be in the hunt. They'll make a nice sleeper pick for your NFL Super Bowl futures.
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Blake walked onto his college football team and had a brief stint as an assistant coach after he graduated. He brings a sharp mind to the world of sports handicapping. Blake understands the nuances of the game that only someone who has played would understand, and he was one of the few who gave the Giants a chance against the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. Thoughts or questions?
