Rusty Webster Talks

Discussion in 'Tennessee Titans and NFL Talk' started by titantrusince82, Feb 4, 2013.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. titantrusince82

    titantrusince82 I'm down with the Titans for better or worse

    6,460
    2,406
    709
    Titans general manager Ruston Webster talks injuries, consistency, free agency

    Monday, February 4, 2013 at 1:59am
    By David Boclair

    In a manner of speaking, the Tennessee Titans officially close the book on the 2012 season this week.

    In the wake of Super Bowl XLVII, members of the scouting staff come to town for pre-combine meetings, which marks the start of final preparations for the draft. Upgrading the talent, through the draft and free agency, is a priority for a franchise that finished 6-10 and the responsibility to do so falls on second-year general manager Ruston Webster.

    In a conversation with The City Paper late last week, Webster declined to comment on any specific personnel decisions, such as the status of running back Chris Johnson, who will be guaranteed $9 million of his $10 million 2013 salary if he is on the roster beyond the fifth day of the new league year. However, Webster addressed the overall state of things from the aging offensive line to the development of quarterback Jake Locker and the chances the Titans actually return to the postseason in the near future.

    In the time since the season ended, what have you done personally to form or reaffirm your opinions on particular players and the overall roster?
    During the season we watch and grade every game. Yeah, I’ll go back and look at our guys a little bit. But for the most part we put a grade on them every week, and I try to rely on those evaluations in making decisions, really. How did they play during the season? What did I think at that point in time? I think if you do that then you kind of find a formula that will take you to what you need to do. So we grade them every, week and I rely on those grades in making decisions.

    Was there anything in particular that was disappointing or surprising about last season in terms of how it did not go as planned?
    This isn’t meant as an excuse in any way, but all the injuries … from that standpoint, it didn’t work the way we wanted it to. Some of that are probably things that we could have avoided and others we couldn’t have. Overall, though, I think just from a consistency standpoint, I would like to have seen us play more consistent football from game to game, play to play, week-to-week, whatever. That’s an area I think that we have to get better as a team and become a more consistently good football team and a team that’s pretty close to the same every week.

    After a 6-10 season do you have to resist the urge to make major changes or do you look at it as if that record suggests major changes are necessary?
    I think you just have to be honest with yourself about what worked and what didn’t and then make the changes that you feel you need to make. Sometimes it’s several. Sometimes it’s one or two. But I think the one thing about it is when you were 6-10, obviously you weren’t good enough, and you have to find ways to improve, to continue to improve, to bring in competition, to add new players and also to help the players you have play better.

    Mike Munchak has talked about how last year’s pursuit of quarterback Peyton Manning bogged down the free agency period. Do you anticipate being aggressive right from the start of free agency this year?
    It’s just hard to say because you just don’t know until you get to that day, when you know who exactly is free, what’s worth doing, what you can do and what you can’t do. Right now, the list looks big. There’s a lot of free agents. But if teams re-sign them prior to free agency and players are franchised, then the list changes drastically. So you really don’t know until it comes down to the day free agency opens.

    In situations like that of Chris Johnson, is it best to wait as long as possible before committing to a decision?
    For me, I like to take as much time as I can to make the decision and discuss things with everybody. Get all the opinions. Then I kind of make the decision together as a team. So yeah, I like taking my time.

    Linebacker Colin McCarthy had several injury issues in 2012. With any player, does the potential for injury factor into the process or do you have to assume guys will play all 16 games and then adjust as needed during the season?
    I think you always have to factor that in. You have to factor in time missed and injuries and all those things, on any player, whether you’re bringing them in from the outside or they’re one of your own.

    Quarterback Jake Locker remains a work in progress. Is it more important when you draft someone to be a “franchise quarterback” to be right than it is with high picks at other positions?
    I think in general it’s more important to be right at that position. That position is the most important position on the football team. There’s not many ways to play around your quarterback — he has the ball on every play. Yes, you want to be right. No matter where you pick them or whether you sign them as free agents, being right on your quarterback is important to your long-term success.

    How much did Locker’s shoulder injury affect him last season?
    I think it’s a combination of things. I think Jake did a lot of really good things and I think Jake is a tough guy who is never going to tell you when he’s hurting or anything like that. He’ll play through whatever. He was obviously banged up there toward the end, and for most of the season, really. Then we had injuries around him, which made it even tougher. Our offensive line being in flux and some things like that, losing our tight end, I think that made it tougher on Jake.

    Part of the rationale for drafting Locker was his experience in a pro-style offense. Now the NFL is moving toward expanded use of the pistol/read-option approach. Are you worried that you could wind up out of step?
    I think the good thing about Jake is that he can do any of that stuff. He did both in college. He had both type of schemes in college. I think he has the skill set to do multiple things and he does have experience in a West Coast-style offense from college. What you hope — and what we think — is that all that stuff will work in his favor.

    You have said the decision-making within the organization is made by consensus rather than a single voice. With the owner’s decision to fire CEO (and former general manager) Mike Reinfeldt recently, do you have any greater responsibility in terms of the decisions that are made?
    I don’t know if it’s more or less. Mike’s not here, so that’s different, but [Munchak] and I make a lot of the decisions together. So I don’t know. It’s hard to say. I would think it’s about the same for me. I’m still making the decisions just like I was last year. I don’t see a whole lot of difference.

    Last season was not your first in the NFL, but it was your first as an NFL general manager. How much of a difference will a year of experience make going forward?
    You can spend a lot of time in the league but I don’t think until you sit in this chair and go through it that you truly understand it all. I’m not saying I understand it all, because I don’t. I’m still learning and probably will be until I’m finished in the league. I do think that I’m more comfortable with the way to do things and the way we want to do things this year than maybe I was at the beginning of last year.

    Is this team closer to being a playoff team again than last year’s record might suggest to most?
    I think that the way the league is set up it can swing quickly. We have to fill some spots that really right now we are hurting in a little bit. And we have to get better in certain areas. We have to get better and more consistent on the offensive line. That was a solid area for the Titans for many years, and last year it was not. We need to get it back to, “Hey, we’re going to have the same guys out there every week and they’re good players and they’re going to help us win games and control the line of scrimmage.” Defensively, we have to continue to get better in every area. We’ll see what happens, but we were 9-7 and on the verge of the playoffs two years ago. There’s a lot of teams in the middle of the pack where, depending on schedule, injuries, the way things go, you can go either way — you can be 9-7, 10-6 or you can be 6-10. I think we’re in that group right now and we need to continue to improve.

    Is there something that typically facilitates a quick turnaround?
    It’s probably different from every team. Sometimes it can be a player. Sometimes it can be a coach, a change in philosophy — offensively or defensively — that fits your personnel better. So it’s multiple things. Our guys will come back with something to prove and looking for a fresh start. I think we have as good a chance as anybody to make those steps and improve, but we have a ways to go.

    Time to earn your money Rusty!!!
     
  2. The Hammer

    The Hammer Ace Degenerate

    51,525
    15,773
    1,439
    There is only room for one Rusty in this town

    [​IMG]
     
    • High Five High Five x 2
  3. Ghost

    Ghost 3 Time US Navy 7th Fleet "Hogging" Champion

    2,297
    1,306
    819
    This guy had better land us the next Ronnie Lott this off season or hes gonna be looking for a job soon.
     
    • High Five High Five x 1
  4. xpmar9x

    xpmar9x The Real Slim Shady

    14,862
    5,085
    809
    Andy Levitre and Chance Warmack.
    Andy Levitre and Chance Warmack.
    Andy Levitre and Chance Warmack.
    Andy Levitre and Chance Warmack.
    Andy Levitre and Chance Warmack.
    Andy Levitre and Chance Warmack.
    Andy Levitre and Chance Warmack.
    Andy Levitre and Chance Warmack.
    Andy Levitre and Chance Warmack.
    Andy Levitre and Chance Warmack.
    Andy Levitre and Chance Warmack.
    Andy Levitre and Chance Warmack.
    Andy Levitre and Chance Warmack.
    Andy Levitre and Chance Warmack.
    Andy Levitre and Chance Warmack.
    Andy Levitre and Chance Warmack.
    Andy Levitre and Chance Warmack.
    Andy Levitre and Chance Warmack.
    Andy Levitre and Chance Warmack.
    Andy Levitre and Chance Warmack.
    Andy Levitre and Chance Warmack.
    Andy Levitre and Chance Warmack.
    Andy Levitre and Chance Warmack.
    Andy Levitre and Chance Warmack.
    Andy Levitre and Chance Warmack.
    Andy Levitre and Chance Warmack.
    Andy Levitre and Chance Warmack.
    Andy Levitre and Chance Warmack.
    Andy Levitre and Chance Warmack.
    Andy Levitre and Chance Warmack.
    Andy Levitre and Chance Warmack.
    Andy Levitre and Chance Warmack.
    Andy Levitre and Chance Warmack.
    Andy Levitre and Chance Warmack.
    Andy Levitre and Chance Warmack.
    Andy Levitre and Chance Warmack.
    Andy Levitre and Chance Warmack.
    Andy Levitre and Chance Warmack.
    Andy Levitre and Chance Warmack.
    Andy Levitre and Chance Warmack.
    Andy Levitre and Chance Warmack.
     
    • High Five High Five x 3
  5. bassplyr

    bassplyr Starter

    58
    34
    224
    You have said the decision-making within the organization is made by consensus rather than a single voice. With the owner’s decision to fire CEO (and former general manager) Mike Reinfeldt recently, do you have any greater responsibility in terms of the decisions that are made?
    I don’t know if it’s more or less. Mike’s not here, so that’s different, but [Munchak] and I make a lot of the decisions together. So I don’t know. It’s hard to say. I would think it’s about the same for me. I’m still making the decisions just like I was last year. I don’t see a whole lot of difference.

    Wow! I find this the most disturbing thing about the whole interview. This is indicative of an organization with essentially no leadership. All I want to see from the Titans right now is a plan, and I fear there really isn't one.

    Jake might have the skills to run the pistol or RO, but do we have a coaching staff that can determine if that is right scheme and can they coach/teach it?

    There is simply no senior leadership here that can establish an identity for the team, then drive decisions that implement the plan.
     
  6. Wraith

    Wraith Starter

    671
    131
    369
    I agree completely
     
  7. xpmar9x

    xpmar9x The Real Slim Shady

    14,862
    5,085
    809
    Get me those 2 and Elam in the 2nd, Titans improve vastly.

    (hopefully)
     
    • High Five High Five x 1
  8. Alex1939

    Alex1939 Space Invaders Champion

    21,253
    8,195
    1,189
    :)
     
  9. SlidePiece

    SlidePiece Starter

    1,368
    693
    219
    I can tell you who is supposed to establish an identity for the team....and in two years, he hasn't done it. I've heard Webster admit that there is no identity for this team.....to me, that's job #1 of a HC.
     
    • High Five High Five x 2
  10. Alzarius

    Alzarius Pro Bowler Tip Jar Donor

    9,227
    4,067
    879
    If you were going to give this team an identity, what would it be.

    There has to be a strength to build around, to form an identity.



    "Our team is a crappy team with good linebackers"

    Thats our identity right now, sadly.
     
    • High Five High Five x 1
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  • Welcome to goTitans.com

    Established in 2000, goTitans.com is the place for Tennessee Titans fans to talk Titans. Our roots go back to the Tennessee Oilers Fan Page in 1997 and we currently have 4,000 diehard members with 1.5 million messages. To find out about advertising opportunities, contact TitanJeff.
  • The Tip Jar

    For those of you interested in helping the cause, we offer The Tip Jar. For $2 a month, you can become a subscriber and enjoy goTitans.com without ads.

    Hit the Tip Jar