April 23, 2010

Cecil Got His Guy In Derrick Morgan

Probably no one inside Baptist Sports Park was happier with the Titans first round selection of defensive end Derrick Morgan than Chuck Cecil.

The Titans Defensive Coordinator needed to add a young pass rusher during the draft to improve a defensive front that produced 12 fewer sacks in 2009 than the season prior when the team finished 13-3. No player tallied more that five sacks in Cecil's first season at the helm of the defensive play calling.

Morgan should be able to immediately step in and help in many different ways, both rushing the passer and stopping the run. He can play at both the right and left defensive end spots and also lined up as a linebacker some during his three seasons at Georgia Tech.

''Well first and foremost he is a quality guy you can count on, both teammates and coaches,'' Cecil said. ''Dependability, I think he brings that right now because that's just the guy he is. From a talent stand point, obviously he can rush the passer and you can't get enough of that.''

''With those two things combined, we were very fortunate in our mind to get him at 16.''

Cecil's defense overcame a very slow start last season to finish the year on an upswing. In the last 10 games, they held the opposition to 17 points or less six times and ranked ninth in the NFL with 19 takeaways. However, opposing quarterbacks threw 31 touchdown passes against Tennessee, some of those scores due to not enough heat on the quarterback.

Cecil said Morgan would fit into the rotation at defensive end with Jacob Ford, Williams Hayes, Dave Ball and newcomer Jason Babin. Morgan's skill set will not only allow him to fit, but he could possibly start. Still, because of the rotation at the position, Cecil said there is not a huge difference between who starts on game day and who comes off the sideline during the first series.

''That's the great thing about the way we rotate our guys here,'' Cecil said. ''I mean absolutely. Thats the nice thing about adding Jason Babin that gave us some flexiability to kind of pick the guy we really wanted there. It didn't have to be a defensive end, it didn't have to be a linebacker, it didn't have to be a corner, so Derrick was sitting there for us. Holy moly, yea lets get that guy.''

''He will just fit right in here. Obviously it could take him a little while to get his feet under him; any rookie is that way. The NFL is always a big jump but you know if there is anybody that is built and wired to do it immediately, it's a guy like Derrick.''

posted by Jonathan Hutton on 4/23/2010 5:31:54 PM