In a move so inevitable it didn't occur to me to mention the possibility he'd make the team in yesterday's roster prediction, the Tennessee Titans on Thursday released veteran center Eugene Amano.

Amano, a 2004 7th round pick out of Southeast Missouri State, first cracked the lineup as a full-time starter at left guard in 2008 after impressing in relief when Kevin Mawae went down in 2007. He played left guard in 2008 and 2009 and shifted to center when Kevin Mawae retired. It was that offseason that the Titans, apparently deeply worried about the possibility of other teams' willingness to massively overpay an okay starting left guard who could also play center on a very thin free agent market, decided to preemptively massively overpay Amano, inking him to a five-year, $26.25 million deal. Amano then proceeded to play in 2010 and 2011 like an okay starting center before a torn triceps injury last August cost him the entire 2012 season. When Fernando Velasco played more or less adequately in his stead, the Titans apparently realized you didn't absolutely have to pay every single offensive line starter at least $3 million a year and Amano's release just became a matter of him being healthy enough he would be unlikely to pursue an injury settlement.

For his play at center in 2010 and 2011, Amano became a popular answer to the question "what's wrong with Chris Johnson," leading entirely too many fans to call for the return of Kevin Mawae, Pro Bowler. This was, in a word, absurd, and for a number of reasons.

First, Mawae's 2009 Pro Bowl trip in particular is one of the most egregious ones in the long and inglorious history of completely undeserved, on name recognition only, total joke trips to the Pro Bowl. Both of Vince Young's trips were significantly more worthy than Mawae's 2009 nod.

Second, as I noted at the time, Amano at center didn't change much when it came to the Titans' (in-)ability to run between the tackles. Rather, the Titans were bad between the tackles in 2009 and bad between the tackles again in 2010. It was just that nobody cared the Titans were bad between the tackles in 2009 because CJ did so much damage to the outside, particularly the right. It was only when he stopped doing damage on the edge that anybody really noticed and, well...

Third, ironically, Mawae's miserable play in 2009 in some ways actually helped the Titans; if CJ could avoid the defender who'd pushed him 3 yards into the backfield, that penetration sometimes created a free gap in the defensive scheme he could exploit, often on the cutback. Amano's anchor but lack of push instead led him to be blamed when replacing Mawae with him would have upgrade about every team's running game.

Anyway, here endeth the strange Titans career of Eugene Amano. His 2013 and 2014 salaries of $3.935 million and $4.1875 million come off the books. By releasing him after June 1, the Titans take a hit of $2.0675 million in dead money from his prorated bonus on the salary cap in both 2013 and 2014. The Titans went from $6.3 million in 2013 cap room to $9.7 million, though of course signing the remaining draft picks will eat into that somewhat.

I'm still in Football Outsiders Almanac 2013 writing season, but my head is a little higher above the water now so I'll be back here on a somewhat more frequent basis than I have been lately. Even if I were writing regular weekday posts, though, I wouldn't be spending much, if any, time on what I like to think of as "O T ephemerA." They're grist for the mill for other sites, and that's fine, but to me transitory reports of things like Moise Fokou practicing with the first team at middle linebacker or Michael Roos or Kenny Britt practicing every other day only start to approach particularly meaningful if they're still true come August 1.

I've tended to do my first roster prediction when training camp opens, but wanted to do it earlier this year. The Titans return plenty of players off last year's team and with all the new additions between veteran free agency and the draft, there are a large number of what would in other years be serious candidates to make the roster.  O T ephemerA will still be mostly O T ephemerA, but some of it can provide clues into how the various fault lines on the roster might shake out. Thus, this prediction.

In making this prediction, I'll stress that understanding what choices the Titans have to make is more important than my actual roster prediction. Subsequent roster moves and injuries (a big factor last year) will change how things shake out. As with any early prediction, if I get 48 of the 53 right, I'll be relatively satisfied. That said, here's my call:

To conclude my series writing in more detail about the Titans' 2013 draft class, I'm going to take a look at all three defensive backs: third-round cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson from Connecticut, sixth-round cornerback Khalid Wooten from Nevada, and seventh-round safety Daimion Stafford from Nebraska.

The watch-word for the corners that were projected to go in the second and third round of this year's draft was "eye of the beholder." There were a lot of corners who could go in that area (12 of those 65 picks ended up being corners), and the group offered something for everyone. The Titans indicated before the draft they might be looking for press-man-type corners with good size, and found one of those in Wreh-Wilson. He has good size at 6' 0 3/4", 195 and ran a 4.53 40 at the Combine.

Watching Wreh-Wilson, he was used almost exclusively as an outside corner. When there wasn't a wide receiver to his side, he tended to align in an over the top position like a safety rather than play on the inside. There's about one snap in the slot in four games, against Louisville's 4-wide set, of him in the slot (he gave up a slant). Like all college corners, he'll have an adjustment to make to the NFL's illegal contact rules and contain his contact to the first 5 yards. That makes it tough for me to judge college corners' long speed, as they can disrupt or slow down receivers in a way they won't be able to in the NFL. Wreh-Wilson isn't slow, but his ability to recover is still an open question to me.

ED: I'm in the midst of Football Outsiders Almanac 2013 writing season, which means I've written a couple thousand words about the Titans this week but you don't get to read them yet. Blogging rate will be light for potentially the next month or so.

Quote dump today, since I'm short on time and these have been sitting on my computer for a while. First, Russ Lande in a podcast with Mike Tanier before this year's draft:

Jake is a guy that when you look at everything he has, it's rare except for one thing, and that's his accuracy. He can't hit the broad side of a barn. And I mean, I sat there at the Senior Bowl with two quarterback coaches, and we watched him. And they both turned to me and they said, "Russ, I don't mind taking on a quarterback who's inaccurate, but he better have a mechanical flaw. This kid has no flaws. He's perfect mechanically, and he still can't hit the broad side of a barn." He said, "How am I supposed to fix him?" That's the issue. Some coach saw something, I think it was Chris Palmer, and felt he could correct something, but it is so tough to correct a flaw to change the accuracy. ... It's really a shame, because he's really what you want in a quarterback. He's tough. He'll come and play through any type of pain. He teammates love him because he takes command of the huddle. I mean, he's a great athlete. He's got a tremendous arm. He can fit the ball into tiny pockets. But the problem is he doesn't know when he's going to throw into that pocket correctly, and that's the biggest issue because the ball goes everywhere.

Second, Greg Cosell talking to the Midday180 on 104.5:

Let’s talk about what I think you can do with him. What you can do ultimately with Jake Locker, and I think this is what they’re trying to get accomplished, is you want to get the run game going and be a play-action quarterback because play-action defines and clarifies reads a lot better and therefore you can take some shots, defined shots down the field. Then you hope because he’s athletic that when you get into the third-and-8s and third-and-9s that he can make enough plays with his legs to sustain some drives. I think everybody would agree that he’s not going to be a 66 or 67% passer. He’s never been that. He’s not going to wake up one day and that’s going to happen. You try to craft an offense in which you can take advantage of your entire offensive personnel and what Jake Locker is. Don't forget they had a very poor defense. That’s the other part of this equation.  I don’t think Jake Locker will be effective if he has to put up 30 points on a weekly basis.

Good luck, Dowell Loggains.

The Titans continued their roster shuffling on Wednesday, adding a veteran and a quasi-veteran in running back Alvester Alexander and linebacker Greg Jones. To room for Alvester and Jones, the Titans waived recent undrafted free agent signee running back Stefphon Jefferson, while the other roster spot came from the departure of Canadian OT Matt Sewell.

Alvester spent the final week of 2012 on the Titans' practice squad, an appearance so memorable I'd actually forgotten about it until news of the signing broke. He spent most of 2012 on the Colts' practice squad. A Houston native who attended the University of Wyoming, he has yet to appear in an NFL game. If I've seen him play (last preseason, probably), I've forgotten about it. Jefferson was a highly productive collegiate back I thought might have had a chance to beat out Jamie Harper, but that was more a reflection of what I thought Harper's role was than any particular like for Jefferson's game.

Jones, not to be confused with the fullback of the same name who also played for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2012 (and is now a member of the Houston Texans), was a sixth-round pick in 2011 by the Giants out of Michigan State. A highly productive tackling machine in college, he started five games at middle linebacker as a rookie as an injury fill-in but failed to make the team in 2012. The Jaguars picked him up during the season. He was credited with four tackles in six games before ending the season on injured reserve. Jacksonville waived him earlier this offseason. Throw him somewhere in the mix with Patrick Bailey and Tim Shaw as potential key special teams players the Titans would prefer not to have on the field for too many snaps.

The additions of Alvester and Jones come a day after I suggested the Titans look at adding competition at running back, linebacker, and cornerback rather than the already-crowded defensive line scramble they added Antonio Johnson to. It's rare for teams to change how good they are in May, and most of the times that news is unfortunately, like that out of San Diego. More competition, hey!

The Titans on Monday brought back a familiar name, signing defensive tackle Antonio Johnson to a one-year deal. He spent 2012 with the Indianapolis Colts.

The man known as Mookie was a fifth-round pick by the Titans back in 2007 who failed to make the 53-man roster. The Colts plucked him off their practice squad in 2008 and gave him 46 starts over the next five seasons. In their transition to the 3-4 last year, he primarily played nose tackle for a defensive line that was probably worse than the Titans'. He's a better fit as a 4-3 defensive tackle than as a 3-4 nose, but 1.5 career sacks and the fact that he's on the street in May should give you an idea of precisely what kind of player the NFL sees Johnson as.

The big question is what does this mean for the defensive line mix? I've written before on my struggles to figure this group out. Johnson gives the Titans 11 defensive linemen who spent 2012 on an NFL 53-man roster. That does not include Zach Clayton, who spent all of 2011 on the Titans' roster, or fifth-round pick Lavar Edwards. The Titans will be cutting at least three of those 13 players. The watchword that was trotted out was "competition," and the Titans certainly have a lot of that on the defensive line. If I were an irredeemable cynic, I'd suggest linebacker, cornerback, and running back as positions that could use more competition. I'm also not sure what niche Johnson fills that wasn't met. At 6'3", 310 pounds, he's slightly larger than some of the other defensive linemen, but he's also not a plus-size player of the type that Sammie Lee Hill is and Jerry Gray has wished for. But, hey, competition!

With rookie minicamp starting this weekend, the Titans finally announced their undrafted free agent signings, all of which had been previously reported. That means it's time for me to write about them.

First, the Titans have been one of the hardest teams for an undrafted free agent to make. Until long-snapper Beau Brinkley and defensive tackle DaJohn Harris made the team last year, no rookie undrafted free agent had made it through the entire season on the 53-man since 2006. With the sheer number of additions this offseason between veteran free agency and the draft, I would say it's more likely than not that no undrafted free agent makes the team this year.

Second, apparently the Titans don't plan to throw the ball at rookie minicamp, since they did not bother to sign a quarterback among their undrafted free agents. Given the presence of players like wide receivers and tight ends who might be expected to catch the ball, I find that strange. Whatever. It's an oddity, not something important.

Anyway, here's the breakdown:

Eloy Atkinson, C, UTEP-Multi-year starter in the middle of the offensive line. NFL Draft Scout's 43rd-rated center. Given the depth on the interior, camp body.
George Baker, CB, South Florida-Ran a 4.31 at his pro day, which is obviously a good time. Haven't seen anything else that indicates he's a serious prospect.
Maikon Bonani, K, South Florida-The mandatory kicker to give Rob Bironas's leg a rest.
Stefan Charles, DT, Regina-The 10th overall pick in this month's CFL draft and a player who may have gone higher had the Titans not already shown interest in him. Big man (listed at 6'5", 325 pounds) who was a Canada West all-star in 2011 and listed as the top overall prospect by CFL Scouting Bureau in September. Throw him somewhere in the complicated defensive line mix, and don't forget the Titans gave Mitch King one of the biggest bonuses of any UDFA and he didn't make the team.
Jack Doyle, TE, Western Kentucky-Three-year captain and starter for the Hilltoppers. A bigger player at 6'5" and 254 pounds, he also indicated in a radio interview he played a lot of move tight end rather than in-line as his size would suggest. Was at the Senior Bowl, where he was dinged for a lack of speed. Could be in the mix with Brandon Barden to be TE4, which is not a job that's guaranteed a spot on the 53.
Travis Harvey, WR, Florida A&M-A possible BCS recruit until he broke his ankle in high school, Harvey played only one year of college football due to academics. The Titans have too many bodies at receiver to keep on the 53 already.
Stefphon Jefferson, RB, Nevada-Highly productive his final year at Nevada, rushing for 1,883 yards. Watching him I thought he was no more than a replacement-level back. Okay quicks, marginal at best long speed, doesn't make people miss, doesn't run with much power. I thought he could push Harper for the RB3 spot, but will need to show he can do things other than carry the football to challenge Parmele.
Oscar Johnson, G, Louisiana Tech-Big man (6'5", 331) who played both guard and left tackle in LaTech's passing spread attack. Marginal foot speed, which is why he's a guard rather than a tackle (probably). Could be a practice squad guy, could just be a camp body.
Nigel Nicholas, DE, Oklahoma State-Played end and tackle for the Cowboys. Oklahoma State listed him at 269 during the season, but he was 253 at his pro day, so yeah, he's an end rather than a tackle. I haven't seen anything that indicates he's a serious threat to make the team.
Matt Pierce, CB, Valdosta State-Had a kickoff return for a score in the D2 national championship game his team won. Winning championships is awesome. Nothing I've seen indicates he's an NFL corner.
Rashad Ross, WR, Arizona State-Twitter name TheRocketRashad indicates what he's about. Ran a 4.36 at his pro day. Needs a lot of work to do outside of running go routes all day, including catching the ball. Like every other wide receiver will not make the 53, but he has a shot at the practice squad.
Matt Sewell, OT, McMaster-Big (6'8, 335) developmental tackle. Selected in the first round of the CFL draft. Highlight video on his CFL Combine page is all coaches' cam-style shots, which I wish would be the case for every prospect. Probable camp body. If he doesn't make the 53, does he go to the practice squad or the CFL? Probably the CFL.
Dontel Watkins, WR, Murray State-Local kid (Antioch H.S.) who went to Utah State and juco before ending up at Murray. Haven't seen anything that gets me too interested, though I didn't dig that deeply.
Jonathan Willard, LB, Clemson-Aka "Tig." Productive college player, multi-year starter, still a longshot to make the team.
Tom Wort, LB, Oklahoma-English native who emigrated to the U.S. in junior high. Had a year of eligibility remaining (injury redshirt), though having his degree and not enjoying Mike Stoops' scheme had something to do with coming out early. Multi-year starter at MLB for the Sooners. Doesn't seem to have plus size, speed, or strength.

Perma-disclaimer I may not repeat as often as I should: All these guys are way, way, ... way, way better football players than I ever was and tougher and strong and could probably beat me up without breaking a sweat. The 53 is far from set in stone at this point, and it's not out of the question one or more of these guys could impress and make the team. I'll be watching with interest this August to see if any can surpass my expectations and make an impact.