First it was Kyle Vanden Bosch, whisked away in the night to Detroit by former Titans defensive coordinator and current Lions head coach Jim Schwartz. Then it was the cold brush off of Keith Bulluck, who has played for ten seasons with the Titans and was always a leader in the locker room. Nonetheless, Keith had the extreme class, even after his phone calls hadn't been returned and he signed a one year deal with the Giants, to take out a full page ad in yesterday's Tennessean thanking the Titans fans and the greater Nashville community for years of loyalty and support. Next day, the Titans give his jersey number to a (albeit highly promising) rookie.
In the middle of all this is the still to be decided fate of veteran center Kevin Mawae, maybe getting a little long in the tooth to tussle with boys fifteen years his junior but, like Bulluck, an undeniable leader. Mawae wants to come back something fierce and none other than Jeff Fisher has promised him a roster spot, even as a backup. But there has been little movement in the front office to facilitate such a deal, and training camp proceeds without many of the familiar faces that have helped lead this team through some dizzying and very recent ups and downs.
I know the NFL is all about money and tough love, but it does seem the Titans in particular have perfected the shallow pocket policy of letting the door hit some very loyal veterans on their way out. Let's just hope Mawae doesn't end up with the Ravens.
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