A couple of weeks ago, I penned a piece that endorsed Kenny Britt keeping one of the starting WR spots regardless of whether or not veteran incumbent Justin Gage was healthy.
Kenny justified that opinion and then some with his remarkable performance last weekend against Philadelphia.
This week, we’ll examine the conundrum that Jeff Fisher will soon be faced with at one of the starting CB positions.
Jason McCourty is getting closer to returning to the playing field but with rookie Alterraun Verner making big play after big play on a seemingly weekly basis, it’s going to be tough to just hand McCourty back his starting job.
One of the 2010 season’s biggest developments thus far for the Tennessee Titans has been the emergence of scrappy rookie CB Alterraun Verner.
Since he’s arrived in Nashville during OTAs, Verner has constantly made his diminutive presence felt by serving as a magnet to the football. To say this guy has a nose for the pigskin is a drastic understatement, as indicated by either making key interceptions or coming up with crucial fumble recoveries during the few weeks he’s started in place of an injured Jason McCourty.
Speaking of McCourty, prior to his injury, he was well-deserving of the starting CB position that he earned during training camp. In his second year in the league, McCourty’s work in the offseason was highly evident as he returned to the team this year hungry to earn a starting position.
Unfortunately for J-Mac, his injury served as a means of unleashing the genie also known as Alterraun Verner from the bottle and due to the rookie’s strong play, McCourty is facing the reality of potentially losing his starting position.
Of course, with veteran Cortland Finnegan manning the fort at the other starting spot, there’s room for only one guy to start opposite of Finny.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s certainly a good situation to be in when you have three guys who are capable of starting at corner.The scenario is a welcome relief considering the dire straits the team was in just a year before when due to injuries and inexperience, the Titans’ CB position was one of the team’s weakest units in 2009.
Despite McCourty winning the competition to start and playing solid football prior to his injury, in my opinion, the best decision to make is to keep Alterraun Verner on the football field as the starter. Verner’s a special player who despite his rookie status, plays with an uncanny level of poise and maturity and has a knack for making a big play for the defense on a routine basis.
As for McCourty, he’s certainly earned the right to see time on the playing field. I could easily envision him serving in Verner’s role during the first couple weeks of the season, playing some snaps on defense as well as being a constant presence on special teams.
This may be a far-fetched thought and probably wouldn’t take place until the offseason at the earliest, but perhaps McCourty could learn to play one of the safety positions and eventually replace veteran Chris Hope as a starter at that spot.
Your turn, audience. Verner or McCourty: Who should start?
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