Kendall Wright Likes Kenny Britt’s Return, Justin Hunter’s Arrival

Kendall Wright (13) and Michael Preston watch Kenny Britt begin a pass route.

Kendall Wright said Tuesday that Titans receivers have displayed an intense focus on the field and in their meeting rooms during the offseason workout program.

Tennessee is in Week 5 of its nine-week program. The Titans have reached the part where they are allowed to meet with coaches inside Baptist Sports Park and receive on-field instruction during workouts and drills.

Wright, a first-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, said he’s enjoyed working with Nate Washington, Damian Williams, a healthy Marc Mariani, free agent Kevin Walter and 2013 second-round draft pick Justin Hunter.

The best part, however, may be the way 2009 first-rounder Kenny Britt has returned to action more than a year removed from tearing his ACL and MCL in the third game of 2011.

“Oh yeah, he looks way different,” Wright said. “If you’re out there watching him, you can tell. He’s a whole different Kenny. He took his offseason serious and went and got his knee better.”

Britt underwent multiple surgeries before the 2012 season but started 11 of 14 games in 2012. He recorded 45 catches for 589 yards and had moments where he showed the big-play potential that tormented defensive backs prior to his injury.

Wright thinks Britt and Hunter will provide the Titans with vertical threats in the passing game that will create space for other players.

“Justin is real good from what I’ve seen so far,” Wright said. “He’s only going to get better if he keeps listening to the older guys like Nate, Kenny, Damian, Marc and Kevin. If he keeps listening to those guys and pays attention to what they say, he’ll be even better.”

Loggains Wants to Simplify Play Call Verbiage

Offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains wants to shorten and simplify the verbiage for his players in 2013, enabling them to focus more on making plays than thinking about where they need to be on the football field.

“Let them get out of the huddle knowing what to do so they can figure out what they have to do to make the play successful,” Loggains said during an interview Tuesday morning on Nashville’s 104.5 The Zone. “They shouldn’t be breaking the huddle wondering what the play is and where they need to line up…once you break the huddle, now you can think about what you have to do and how you’re going to do it.”

As players become more confident in processing play calls, they will play faster and become more productive, Loggains said.

“I believe that once these guys know where everyone is supposed to be, they can play fast and there will be less reads in the offense than there have been in years past,” he said. “I think that’s the biggest thing — where their confidence can go to the next level.”

Loggains hit on several other topics Tuesday:

(on the development of Jake Locker)

“We wanted to grade Jake on how he really played and the thing that stood out was that once we started getting banged up around him, that’s when he was trying to do too much because he felt it was on him to make a play. I do believe the injury to his shoulder affected him as the season went on.”

(on Locker pressing late in the season)

“I think at the end of the season he was trying to do too much. In the Green Bay game when Mike Otto got sick and we were playing with all those new linemen, I think in his mind if he didn’t step up and have his best game, we didn’t have a chance. I think he put too much on himself. It really slowed him down. And as you know, when you try to do too much, it’s the worst thing you can do because you’re not going to play fast and you’re going to hurt your football team by doing that.”

(on Locker’s accuracy)

“I don’t consider it as big of an issue as people make it out to be. It’s a combination of Jake being on the same page with the receivers, the pass protection holding up and him making the throws that he needs to make. It falls somewhere in between all three of them. When you’re synced up with the receivers and getting protected, it’s your job to make the play and he needs to go do that.”

(on if Titans will incorporate the “pistol” offense like San Francisco used with Colin Kaepernick)

It’s something we’re definitely going to study. It’s not too far off from what we were doing as a coaching staff in 2006 and 2007 with Vince Young. The biggest thing is the quarterback’s ability to run the ball. When you make that kind of commitment that we have a running quarterback and we’re going to do some of that stuff, it can hide the formation a little bit — what side the back is going to and hide what side the zone read is going to be.

(on expectations for Kenny Britt in 2013)

My expectations are very high for Kenny because I know what type of player he can be. He needs to step up and take his game to the next level, both on and off the field because we are expecting a lot from him and he can be a really special football player. When he’s healthy, he’s as good as anyone in the league.

(on things Britt needs to work on)

He needs to work on getting off press (coverage). I think that showed up in the Monday night game against the Jets. He really struggled against Antonio Cromartie. You saw the wiggle that Kendall Wright has, and he separated against Cromartie. That’s the biggest thing that Kenny needs to improve on. Our new wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson is really going to be able to help him with that.

(on his assessment of Kendall Wright’s rookie season)

I thought Kendall played better than what most rookies play. He was a first-year player coming out of the spread offense and gave us a little taste of what he can do. He’s extremely quick and is a really good kid. Football is important to him and we expect him to have a better year than he did last year.

(on getting Chris Johnson back to his 2009 form)

I went back and watched all of our 2008 and 2009 games, and some from 2010 — and the biggest thing for Chris was he was our leading receiver. He had 50 receptions and averaged 10 yards a catch. Watching that film compared to this year, getting him back involved in the passing game will help open up the run game as much as anything. That’s a weapon that is hard to find.

(on potentially adding a bruising running back to compliment Johnson)

I think if you’re going to run to win and you get into the four minute offense where you’re up and you need to start pounding people, it’s really important for us to find that guy that can take a little burden off Chris and maybe play some third down stuff just from the simple fact that’s six or seven collisions that Chris isn’t going to take that will help prolong his career because he’s a smaller guy with speed. During the LenDale White/Chris Johnson “Smash and Dash” season (in 2008), LenDale had 15 touchdowns and took a lot of the burden off Chris. It brings a different element to your offense.

Britt on When he’ll Return: “Sooner than you think”

Wide receiver Kenny Britt was spotted running routes and catching passes following Wednesday’s practice at Baptist Sports Park.

Britt, rehabbing from a torn ACL and MCL suffered last season, is currently on the physically unable to perform list as team doctors and trainers evaluate his progress.

“He’s doing routes now and catching balls,” head coach Mike Munchak told reporters Monday. “He obviously can’t be in with us on the offensive side of the ball until he’s off PUP, but he’s progressing. He’s doing more and more every day with us, and his knees have been holding up well.”

Britt appears to be feeling better, and was all smiles Wednesday when an NFL Network reporter asked him when he would return.

“Sooner than you think,” Britt responded.