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An All-Titans team of players at their peak, no matter when it was

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – While Adrian Peterson spent three weeks on the Titans’ roster, his presence spurred a conversation among my All-22 group: What would an All-Titans team of players at their peak, regardless of when that was in their careers, look like?

Randy Moss

Randy Moss as a Titan in 2010/ Courtesy Tennessee Titans

Such a team wouldn’t include 2021 Adrian Peterson, but 2012 Adrian Peterson, who averaged 6 yards a carry, ran for 2,097 yards and won MVP. In the Titans’ era of Eddie George, Chris Johnson and Derrick Henry, peak Peterson would still qualify as the starting running back.

So here is the rest of the team that would surround him, with the years they were in Tennessee:

OFFENSE

WR Julio Jones (2021) – The NFL’s all-time leader in receiving yards per game with 93.8, 7.7 more than second-place Calvin Johnson. We’ll target the 2015 version, who caught 136 passes for !=1,871, averaging 116.9 yards a game.

TE Delanie Walker (2013-19) – Targeted over 100 times in all but his first year, his peak was 2015, the first of three consecutive Pro Bowl years. He caught 94 passes for 1,088 yards

LT Michael Roos (2005-14) – A super-steady, smart, agile blindside protector who manned the spot for nine seasons after a year on the right. We’ll take the 2008 version, who went to the Pro Bowl and was First Team All-Pro.

LG Steve Hutchinson (2012) – The Hall of Famer finished his career with a 12th season in Tennessee. In seven years from 2003-2009 he was First-Team All-Pro five times. That’s an extended peak. (Mike Munchak was a Houston Oilers institution. But while he was a position coach and head coach of the Titans, he did not play for the franchise after the move, concluding his career after the 1993 season in Houston.)

MawaeBustC Kevin Mawae (2006-09) – Hall of Famer who played his final four years, 2006-09, for the Titans, making the Pro Bowl in his final two season. (Hall of Fame bust pictured.)

RG Bruce Matthews (1997-2001) – Hall of Famer who played all up and down the line during his career. In five years in Tennessee, he played four years at left guard and one at center. So this is our one cheat. To accommodate Hutchinson, Matthews would willingly move back to a spot he played some for the Houston Oilers.

RT Jon Runyan (1997-99) – Tough choice here between Runyan and David Stewart. I was leaning Runyan and went to Blake Beddingfield for his choice. He believes Stewart was consistent for longer but that Runyan had more years of dominant play.

WR Randy Moss (2010) – The Titans had no idea how to use him in 2010. But the Hall of Famer is in the discussion of the most dynamic players in NFL history.

WR Andre Johnson (2016) – A Hall of Fame semifinalist in his first year of eligibility. From 2006-09 his 16-game averages were 106 catches, 1,443 yards and eight touchdowns. He was First-Team All-Pro in 2008 and 2009.

QB Steve McNair (1998-2005) – Shared an MVP award with Peyton Manning in 2003 when he threw 24 touchdowns and only seven interceptions while posting a career-best 100.4 passer rating.

Adrian Peterson

Pool photo/ Donald Page, Tennessee Titans

RB Adrian Peterson (2021) – As mentioned above, an NFL MVP in 2012 who’s heading for the Hall of Fame. He is fifth on the list of all-time leading rushers with 14,902 yards and tied for 11th with 125 touchdowns.

DEFENSE

DE Jevon Kearse (1999-2003) – That stunning defensive rookie of the year guy from 1999 with 14.5 sacks and eight forced fumbles who was a key ingredient in turning an 8-8 team into an AFC Championship team, we will take him for sure.

Albert HaynesworthDT Albert Haynsworth (2002-08) – In back-to-back contract years in 2007 and 2008, prompted by a franchise tag, he was an incredible force in the center of the Titans' defense, a First-Team All-Pro and a Pro Bowler.

DT Jurrell Casey (2011-19) – A unique interior lineman, he concluded his Titans' career with five consecutive Pro Bowls. But his production peak was his third season when he posted 10.5 sacks, a very high number for an inside guy.

DE Kyle Vanden Bosh (2005-09) – A complete reclamation project who arrived as a favor and took off with a work ethic beyond anyone before or since. Peak was 2005 and 2007 when he took the QB down a combined 24.5 times.

OLB Keith Bulluck (2000-09) – Maxed out in 2003, when he was a Pro Bowler and a First-Team All-Pro guy. That Titans’ 4-3 defense didn’t really put outside backers in position to accumulate numbers, but he was a big-time playmaker and tone-setter even so.

MLB Randall Godfrey (2000-02) – Arrived as a big free-agent prize the year after the Titans went to the Super Bowl and probably played the best middle/inside linebacker season the Tennessee-era franchise has seen.

CB Samari Rolle (1998-2004) – Made 23 interceptions and broke up 79 passes in seven seasons with the Titans while matching up with some premier guys on the Colts and Jaguars in divisional matchups. Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro in 2000.

SS Blaine Bishop (1997-2001) – Went to two Pro Bowls as a Titan after two as an Oiler. A thumping tone-setter whose best stat season was that final Pro Bowl season in 2000, when he had a forced fumble, seven passes defensed, eight tackles for a loss and 2.5 sacks.

FS Kevin Byard (2016-present) -- Led the league with eight interceptions in his second season and added two fumble recoveries when he was a Pro Bowler and a First-Team All-Pro. In the midst of another great season right now.

CB Cortland Finnegan (2006-11) – Peaked in his third season, with a Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro season when he collected five interceptions and broke up an additional 17 passes.

Logan Ryan

CB Logan Ryan (2017-19) -- Won two Super Bowls in a three-year span with the New England Patriots before he signed with the Titans where he played quality nickel back.

SPECIALISTS

P Brett Kern (2009-present) -- In 2017, his net average of 44.6 was the fourth-best in NFL history. In 2019 he went to the Pro Bowl and was First-Team All-Pro with a 43.1 net average and 37 punts pinned inside the opponents' 20-yard line.

K Gary Anderson (2003-04) -- You can't have a better peak than his in 2018 in Minnesota. He was 35-for-35 on field goals and 59-for-59 on PATs. Of course, he hurt that perfect regular season (when he helped the Vikings go 15-1) with his first miss. In the NFC Championship Game, he was no good from 38 yards when he could have put his team up 10 with 2:07 left. It lost by 3 in OT to the Falcons.

(I initially had Stephen Goskowki here, and many read this with him in the slot. He was a Titan in 2020 and hit 34 of 37 field goals for the 2014 Super-Bowl Champion Patriots. A two-time First-Team All-Pro and four-time Pro-Bowler. Ninth all-time in accuracy at 86.3.

Returner Pacman Jones (2005-06) -- Absolutely electric with the ball in his hands, which gave him the edge over Derrick Mason. Jones averaged 12.9 yards a punt return with three TDs in 2006 as well as 26.1 yards on kickoffs.

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