In 2008, LenDale White and Chris Johnson combined to form Smash and Dash; a running back tandem that consistently wreaked havoc. With White serving as the hammer and CJ providing his world-class speed, the Titans’ rushing attack often ran over and sped past the opposition.
Of course, CJ is still in town to provide the dash in the Titans’ running game, but the element of smash left the building with LenDale White’s offseason departure.
With White no longer around, can rookie undrafted free agent RB LeGarrette Blount follow in his footsteps by stepping up as the Titans’ designated power back?
Due to the “punch seen around the world” at the end of an emotional college football game, LeGarrette Blount’s draft stock plummetted. Despite his sturdy size and running abilities, Blount’s baggage led to him not being selected in last April’s NFL Draft.
After initially agreeing to an undrafted free agent deal with San Francisco, Blount had a change of heart and decided to venture to Nashville to begin his pro career. As a result of White’s exit and the inexperienced depth chart behind Chris Johnson, it made a lot more sense for Blount to sign with the Titans compared to potentially fighting for a roster spot in San Francisco with Frank Gore and Glen Coffee ahead of him.
Through OTA’s and the early part of training camp, Blount’s size and power has been hard to ignore. At 6’0″ and 247 lbs, Blount will have every opportunity to emerge as the Titans’ primary short-yardage specialist in 2010.
According to media reports, Blount was impressive in pads at last night’s practice under the lights. Head Coach Jeff Fisher also had some encouraging words about Blount’s talents:
“You know, he’s what you call a north-south runner. He’s not a straight line, he’s got good change in direction but he doesn’t have the body type to get the edge, so that being said he runs low, he runs behind his pads, he pushes piles and that’s why he’s here.”
If he keeps up the good work and continues to lay the wood on the opposition, there’s a good chance that Blount will emerge as the latest back to provide the smash in the Titans’ rushing attack.
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