Titans roll on with makeover
Tennessee inks deal with WR Andre Johnson
NASHVILLE — The renovations Tennessee started this offseason with a new general manager are making quite the impression, and the Titans proved Friday they’re nowhere near finished as players reported for training camp.
Tennessee added seven-time Pro Bowl receiver Andre Johnson to the roster as the Titans walked into their headquarters to find a swanky, revamped locker room awaiting them along with hallways redecorated in a building that originally opened in 1999. The indoor practice facility isn’t scheduled to be ready until Aug. 10, but the redecorating done in the past five weeks left the Titans impressed with ownership’s commitment.
The roster itself has had changeover with more than 40 percent of the Titans new to Tennessee and Johnson the 37th new player added either through free agency or the draft. Safety Rashad Johnson, who left Arizona to sign with Tennessee, said all the changes amp up the excitement the Titans already felt about training camp starting.
“When you come in and see ownership and the leadership of this organization invests in the building and also invests in us when they do that it just changes the atmosphere,” Rashad Johnson said. “There’s a great energy in the building today. It feels like a refreshness coming back from this time off, and the guys are just really excited. … It’s a great thing.”
Quarterback Marcus Mariota arrived in Nashville a few days before training camp opened and worked with some of his receivers to hone their timing after the break. He said the Titans can’t become complacent with the new surroundings.
“We can’t just let the new facilities be it,” Mariota said. “We’ve got to use that to the best of our abilities and establish some type of confidence going into the year.”
The latest addition is Johnson, the 13-year veteran who ranks eighth in NFL history with 1,053 catches and ninth with 14,100 yards receiving and 68 touchdowns. The No. 3 overall pick in 2003 spent his first 12 seasons with the Titans’ AFC South rival, the Houston Texans, where he is the franchise’s all-time leading receiver. He played last season with Indianapolis, where he caught 41 passes for 503 yards and four touchdowns.
Mularkey said Johnson is in great shape and has only been promised he will compete for a starting job — the same promise made to all of the Titans as training camp opens. Johnson would have led Tennessee receivers with his reception numbers last season and will be a big boost for young players such as Dorial Green-Beckham and Justin Hunter. Johnson should be on the field for the first practice today.