NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The countdown is on for the start of the NFL season. The Tennessee Titans got back on the field Sunday night for their first open practice of training camp.
On day two of camp, the Titans were expecting a good crowd at Baptist Sports Park as many fans are hungry for football after that four-and-a-half month lockout.
The new head coach, Mike Munchak had the Titans pick up their energy on day one, pumping in music through loudspeakers and shuffling players to and from drills. The entire practice lasted less than two hours and afterwards, players commented on the new level of intensity.
"We always did it that way in the O-line sections when Munch was running us. That's the way Munch is. He's get in, get out, and get the work done. There's no point in killing time or wasting time," said Titans Offensive Tackle Michael Roos.
"He's shaking it up. And he's shaking it up in the proper way. He's not whipping us with the whip. He's patting us on the back. And a lot of guys are pushing themselves hard to work for him. I appreciate him, I appreciate the things he's done thus far in the organization," said Titans Receiver Nate Washington.
As players arrived for Titans training camp, all eyes were on this year's top pick Jake Locker, but as practice kicked off Saturday, many eyes shifted to last year's number one pick Derrick Morgan.
The rehab and development of the second-year defensive end may be even more important to the Titans this year than Locker's progress. The 16th overall pick in the 2010 draft, Morgan got off to a good start last season, recording a sack-and-a-half through four games before tearing his ACL. Morgan says he's back close to 100 percent. With the departure of Pro Bowl defensive end Jason Babin, Morgan's eager to get back to running full speed and contributing to the Titans' defense.
There were some new faces on the sidelines. Linebacker Barrett Ruud signed a contract with the team Saturday night, and the Titans agreed to a three-year deal with free agent tight end Brandon Graham.
