HEAD COACH JEFF FISHER
(opening statement)
**
You know the draft finished 12 hours ago before it started this morning. We had very little time and it was between the third round and the start of the fourth and there was a great deal of time spent looking at the board. We had a player that we considered, last night on the board when we took Rennie that was still there. During our research and our studies it became apparent that we needed to do whatever we could to move up ahead of several teams to get him, that being Alterraun. We were fortunate to be in a position to hang on to our picks, move several players, move up and get the player that we coveted since late last night. Just to qualify things I got a call from a club immediately after we took him that said congratulations that was our guy sort of thing. It went well for us. We obviously did not want to give up picks and there are lots of good players on the board. We felt like the trade was the most appropriate way to accomplish what we needed to.
(on wether the Titans' moving up was significant enough given the players they traded)
**
Yes it was. It is hard to evaluate value when you are talking about players. We have been shopping both the players since early yesterday. I thought it worked out well. We will move on and we will replace them. Both of them were key members of football team but it is time to move on.
(on LenDale being an easy decision)
**
It wasn't difficult at all, we wanted to go get the player. We have got a terrific running back and I think a very talented backup in Javon and there's still plenty of running backs on the board and there are running backs out there.
**
(on running backs being a need for the team)
We are looking for depth. We are looking for depth but Javon is having a great off season.
**
(on speaking with LenDale during the process)
I haven't spoken to LenDale this offseason. No.
**
(on moving up and trading two key players)
They were contributors to this football team. As I said, it is hard to evaluate value because value is strictly an opinion. That shows you what kind of value it was. We wanted the picks, to hang on to picks so we went ahead and made the trade.
**
(on the trade to Seattle being put together last night)
It was something that came about this morning.
**
(on how long the team was shopping LenDale)
You mean as far as just recent time? We hadn't discussed really any potential for trading anybody prior to maybe a day before the draft.
(on Alterraun Verner and his ability to produce on the field)
**
I'll let Marv [Sunderland] speak on the on the field things, I've seen him play. He is great young man off the field. He is an outstanding person, very, very dedicated to the game. He works hard and his success on the field is largely contributed to his ability to prepare and put himself in position to make plays. Of course Coach [Tim] Hauck coached him there for a year and Tim was very familiar with him
COLLEGE SCOUT MARV SUNDERLAND
(on if he can play inside corner)
**
They used him in matchup corner type things. He is primarily a corner, but they move him over on matchup and best receivers they are going to face particularly in the slot. He can go over on the inside and cover the slots and go back out outside, wherever. Primarily he is a corner. He has great feet, good hips. He is the type of guy that can locate the ball. He has had a ton of breakups through his career there with 13 career interceptions, three of them returned for touchdowns, the longest one being 89 yards, 68 and 70-something yards for returns on touchdowns on interceptions. He is a real smart kid. He is really the poster child for the whole school, not just the football program. They did a video on him at UCLA where he is the one that goes out and sells the school. He is a 4.0 student in applied math. He is great kid, smart and as Coach [Fisher] says he is a top preparer and he is a good hitter.
HEAD COACH JEFF FISHER
(on if he will compete for the starting cornerback position)
**
Yes. He is a very good player. He is a good special teams player. He can catch the ball and catch punts.
(on if he will be in the mix at kickoff returner)
**
Not necessarily.
COLLEGE SCOUT MARV SUNDERLAND
**
(on if he is better at man-to-man or zone)
**
He is a combination of both. He can cover man and zone both. He is a very aware player. The reason they didn't put him on return much, he was their backup in practice. He was too valuable as they saw him to want to put him on return teams. They had a good little kid that was a good returner there. He was the one who practiced for it. He has done it, but primarily worked on it in practice. He has done that
(on Kevin Vickerson being traded and if there is a need at defensive tackle)
**
We have good depth there. If there is someone there, there are players still available. That depends on the positions and how they unfold. We have good depth there and feel good about it. As I mentioned, JJ [Jason Jones] and Sen [Sen'Derrick Marks] are having great offseasons. We have Tony [Brown] going again and extended. Jovan [Haye] is here. We have excellent depth there.
(on Verner is run support)
**
He is a hitter. He is a complete player. He is contact player.
(on if LenDale White fell out of favor)
**
The carries that CJ [Chris Johnson] had last year were a result of the production. It may have been too many carries for CJ, we don't know. We are looking to take a little bit of load off CJ. Javon [Ringer] can do that. There are other guys out there that can do that. As far as LenDale falling out of favor, he practiced, he was prepared to play. I can't blame him for wanting to play more because those are the kind of players you want on your roster. I think considering the circumstances he handled things. There were issues I don't need to bring up. I thought he handled things reasonably well.
(on if the issues involved being late)
**
They were just issues that sometimes players have.
