Britt sits out most of OTA with slight hammy

A Titans' OTA look-in

<em>Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky</em> <p>NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Titans' rookies mixed with the veterans for the first time Tuesday. Thursday's second go-round was open to the media.</p> <p>Here's what I saw that I found to be of interest:</p> <p><strong>Receivers:</strong> First-round pick <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=12556" target="_new">Kenny Britt</a> had hamstring tightness and did just the individual period and a bit of red zone work. <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=9307" target="_new">Nate Washington</a> was excused and <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=11371" target="_new">Lavelle Hawkins</a> was also limited. That gave <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=10710" target="_new">Chris Davis</a> a chance at a lot of first-team snaps and he took advantage with a solid day. While he had one bad drop, he also had one nice stretching reach for a catch in a seam with no concern for what defenders were approaching (they were late anyway).</p> <p>Davis knows he's on the hot seat and that his fate could depend on winning one or both of the return jobs. But quarterback <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=734" target="_new">Kerry Collins</a> said Davis has improved as much as anyone, a real public pat on the back.</p> <p><strong>Different strokes:</strong> The practice was largely focused on red zone work, and in en early period the quarterbacks threw balls from about 12 yards out to the pylon, over the receivers' outside shoulder as offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger offered very detailed instructions and assessments.</p> <p>Fourth-stringer <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=12821" target="_new">Alex Mortensen</a>, an undrafted rookie, got an earful after he threw one well inside of where Heimerdinger wanted them and was told it was an interception if there was coverage. <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=9589" target="_new">Vince Young</a> threw a very similar ball and Heimerdinger asked that it be "a little more outside."</p> <p>That's the difference between being the third pick in the draft and a camp body. It was one snapshot; I don't want to overvalue it. Young could be regularly getting yelled at when he does things wrong. But this instance struck me as one of those baby-him moments that haven't served him well in the big picture.</p> <p><strong>Double duty:</strong> Third-round tight end <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=12537" target="_new">Jared Cook</a> split time in one period, working with the tight ends against linebackers for a while before joining receivers to go against corners. He's a specimen, and if he can avoid the drops -- he had some, even with defenders tugging on him -- he sure looks like a guy who can be a weapon.</p> <p><strong>Ball-security message:</strong> After the last OTA I saw, <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=9631" target="_new">LenDale White</a> talked about how he is still haunted by his costly fumble in the playoff loss to Baltimore. So I was struck when he joined the coaches' chorus urging guys to lock the ball up. Maybe that's a topic he should stay quiet for now.</p> <p><strong>Dropsies:</strong> Running backs did not catch the ball particularly well. I saw drops by <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=11258" target="_new">Chris Johnson</a> and <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=9832" target="_new">Quinton Ganther</a> and a bobble that may have turned a pass into an incompletion by rookie <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=12520" target="_new">Javon Ringer</a>.</p> <p><strong><a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=4601" target="_new">Justin Gage</a>:</strong> Justin Gage looks good. He made the sort of aggressive play Titans receivers too often lack when he snatched what looked to be a <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=9801" target="_new">Cortland Finnegan</a> interception away from the cornerback for a touchdown from about 12 yards out. Later Gage made a nice play to stop and cut in front of overmatched rookie corner <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=12797" target="_new">Jeremy Haynes</a> for another TD reception from Collins.</p> <p><strong>Rowdy:</strong> Tight end <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=11708" target="_new">Matthew Mulligan</a> and linebacker <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=6102" target="_new">Ryan Fowler</a> brawled during a special-teams period, with Mulligan attempting to knee Fowler in the belly or chest. Both landed several blows and their helmets came off, but it ended when they both stood with their hands in fighting position waiting for the second round. Mulligan told <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=9847" target="_new">Colin Allred</a>, a linebacker a good distance away, how he wasn't going to back down.</p> <p>Right tackle <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=8527" target="_new">David Stewart</a> and defensive lineman <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=11139" target="_new">Larry Birdine</a> also came to blows. The fights and some other intense moments gave the session the feel of a second-week training camp practice, not the second full-team OTA.</p>

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