DE Kenny Holmes: One of 5 Restricted Free Agents

Season Ends; Work Begins

The premature end to the season Sunday means the Titans get an early jump on the off-season.

With five unrestricted free agents to sign, nine restricted free agents to tender, at least $10 million in salary cap room to find, and a draft to prepare for, Tennessee may need the extra time.

'This system is about making choices and we know we're going to have some very difficult choices to make,' Titans President Jeff Diamond said Monday. 'We know that we are going to lose some veterans off this team.'

The Titans have until March 2 to trim an estimated $10 million in order to get under the projected 2001 salary cap of $67.5 million, up from $62.5 million this season. Diamond said the team will need more room, however, to sign rookie draft picks as well as undrafted rookies come training camp.

'We can certainly accomplish that,' Diamond said. 'It may be difficult but we're not in as bad a situation as some of the other teams that have been pretty well reported. It's a difficult year because the cap is not going up very much percentage-wise this year.'

Diamond said the team's first priority will be getting deals with unrestricted free agents Derrick Mason, Kenny Holmes and Dennard Walker, not getting heavily involved in free agency.

'We're going to have to direct most of our resources to sign as many of our guys as we can,' Diamond said. 'If we do lose somebody, then maybe we can jump in. We're going to try to keep as much of the core of this team as we can.'

In addition to Mason, Holmes and Walker, cornerback Michael Booker and offensive lineman Scott Sanderson are unrestricted free agents meaning they can sign with any team once free agency opens. The Titans have nine restricted free agents: offensive linemen Benji Olsen, Kevin Long and Genarro DiNapoli; linebacker Greg Favors; cornerbacks George McCullough, Samari Rolle and Dainon Sidney; safety Perry Phenix; and defensive lineman Joe Salavea. The Titans can match any offer made to a restricted free agent.

As for specific players and possible moves, both Diamond and head coach Jeff Fisher said work had just begun on the evaluation process. Fisher retiterated his faith in kicker Al Del Greco but admitted the veteran kicker would likley have competition for the job next season.

'I don't think Al's situation is really any different than any other situation on the club,' Fisher said. 'We're always looking to upgrade the team. It most likely will be a very competitive situation. That's just one of those things you have to go through every once and awhile. You have to be as objective as you can.'

Also an off-season question: the future of offensive lineman Bruce Matthews and will he return for a 19th season. Matthews dealt with turf toe in the two weeks leading up to the Ravens game and then twisted the same ankle.

'Bruce is pretty sore...it's not a good time to talk to him about his future,' Fisher said.

Much of the offensive focus will be on the wide receiver corp. Speculation has centered on the team releasing both Yancey Thigpen and Carl Pickens as part of salary cap moves. Thigpen's large salary combined with his inability to play a 16-game season makes him a costly receiver. Pickens would be due a large bonus if he remains on the roster in March.

'We just didn't get the production because of the injury,' Fisher said. 'When he did come back, the other guys were making plays. I told Carl this is the first time as long as I've been a head coach that a guy lost a job because of injury.'

Meantime, Kevin Dyson's rehab from major knee surgery continues to go well. Doctors expect Dyson to begin running in the next several weeks.

'I think not having Dyson was a significant loss for us this year and the potential he has to make a lot of big plays down the field,' Fisher said.

The Titans also hope to gain some salary cap room by negotiating a new deal for quarterback Steve McNair. McNair's contract expires after the 2001 season and a new deal would keep the quarterback out of free agency as well as reduce his salary cap cost in 2000. Diamond called the new deal 'a major priority'

In addition to work in free agency, the Titans front office has already begun gearing up for the 2001 draft. Diamond said he hopes to avoid the pitfalls faced by teams like San Francisco and Dallas by placing a heavy emphasis on the draft.

'You've got to be able to replentish through the draft because you are going to lose some people,' Diamond said. 'The key is to draft well.'

Tennessee does hope to keep its coaching staff in check as Fisher said he would not initiate any changes, but said job offers from other teams could force his hand. The Houston Texans have requested permission to interview defensive coordinator Gregg Williams for their head coaching spot, but no meeting has been set.

'We notified him upon receiving the request, but he hasn't heard anything,' Fisher said. 'Our understanding now is they won't be hiring a coach until next year. If it is the case, I'd say it's quite likely Gregg would be here next year.'

While the pain of the Baltimore loss remains, the work now begins to keep the Titans among the AFC's elite.

'We've got a good football team and we've got to work hard this off-season to get better,' Fisher said. 'I don't see the window closing at all.'