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The Titans made a good move by bringing in former Bills safety George Wilson. He's a battle-tested veteran who is going to bring much-needed leadership to Tennessee's secondary. He'll elevate the level of play at the position and will lead by example, both on and off the field.
As a short-term fix, it's the perfect fit the Titans, someone that can team with Michael Griffin to improve the overall secondary.
The Titans also have Markelle Martin, who they drafted last year. If he's healthy in 2013, that gives the Titans another strong prospect at safety. They could also consider taking a flyer on a safety later in the draft to improve the depth on the back end. But overall, the signing of George Wilson was a great start to an offseason in which GM Ruston Webster is looking to add talent across the roster.
I think the Titans are off to a great start in free agency. The recent signings of Andy Levitre, Shonn Greene, Delanie Walker, Sammie Lee Hill and Moise Fokou are players that will definitely make an impact on this football team. They are hard-nose players with good character. It reminds me of the Titans' 2006 free agency class when they brought in Kevin Mawae, David Thornton and Chris Hope.
You need leaders like that on your football team. The great teams have leaders in each position group and I think this group of free agents will help add that element to the Titans. In this day and age you have to be a superb athlete, but you also need that veteran guy to show the younger players the ropes. It's the type of player that has enough left in the tank to be effective on the football field, but can also teach the younger players how to be a professional and study the game.
In football, everyone has a role -- and it's about how well you relish that role. Not everyone is a superstar. You have a certain role on the team and everyone has to trust in one another. I think Coach Munchak senses that more than anybody. You don't need lots of players looking to pad their stats so they can get that next fat contract. Ultimately, you're trying to win football games and everyone needs to be working together towards that goal.
The addition of George Wilson stabilizes things in the secondary a little bit more. It helps that he has a background with Gregg Williams and Jerry Gray in Buffalo. Playing in the secondary involves having good communication. It also involves holding your teammates accountable. If you practice a certain way, that's more than likely how you're going to perform on game day. And if you don't, somebody at some point in a good way has to say something to make sure everyone is on the same page. Once that is established, you get to the point where you don't have to communicate and it's just a matter of eye contact. You're trying to get to that level of communication. That's when you know you have a really good team.
Michael Griffin is a great player in the Titans' secondary, but he can't do it all by himself. I think a lot of people took him for granted last year playing with a lot of different safeties. I was a guy that played with a comfort level, and I think that's how Michael Griffin is. He's so talented, but he doesn't need to have hesitation in his game. If you hesitate for a split second, it can cost you. So I think having someone back there that solidifies the secondary, a guy you can trust in, can push Michael and elevate his game to the level he was at two or three years ago is a positive move. I think that's what George Wilson brings to the table.
Overall, I think the Titans can have a much improved defense by continuing to add leadership, which is key. With a couple of more moves, they're real close to becoming a very solid defense in the National Football League. They're going in the right direction and I think it could happen sooner than people think.
*A four-time Pro Bowler, Blaine Bishop retired following the 2002 season, capping an outstanding 10-year NFL playing career. The hard-hitting safety spent nine seasons with the Titans franchise, originally drafted by the Houston Oilers in 1992. Bishop can be heard on the afternoon show, 3HL, weekdays (3-6 p.m., CT) on Nashville's 104.5 The Zone. Follow him on Twitter: @bbishop23
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