Titans hope Chance Warmack anchors successful offensive line

The additions of Chance Warmack and Andy Levitre could be the perfect fix for the Titans offensive line.

Jul 2, 2013, 3:59 PM UTC

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Frederick Breedon

The Houston Oilers completely revamped their offensive line in the early 1980s with the selections of Mike Munchak and Bruce Matthews in the 1982 and 1983 NFL Drafts. The addition of the two future Hall of Fame guards changed the team from a perennially weak offensive team to one that earned seven consecutive trips to the postseason between 1987 and 1993.

More: For extended coverage of the Titans, visit Music City Miracles

It would be unfair for Chance Warmack to be held to anywhere near those standards 30 years later, but there is certainly an expectation that he'll help turn around an offensive line that struggled plenty in 2012. While Fernando Velasco, Michael Roos and David Stewart played well at the center and tackle positions, the Titans struggled to find quality play at the guard positions.

Seven-time Pro Bowler Steve Hutchinson wasn't nearly his former self in 2012, providing the Titans with below-average play at left guard before retiring after the season. The combination of Leroy Harris and Deuce Lutui was even worse at right guard, allowing a combined 25 quarterback hurries, per Pro Football Focus.

With the additions of Warmack and Andy Levitre, the Titans can't help but have expectations much higher than 2012 when the team finished in the bottom 10 of the NFL in points scored and yardage gained.

Compounding those expectations has been the strong performance of Warmack during his first couple months with the team. On Monday, Titans head coach Mike Munchak spoke to John Glennon of The Tennesseean about Warmack’s ability to adapt to the fast-paced practices he has seen so far.

“He’s seen about everything he’s going to see in the regular season already, so he’s prepared that way,” Munchak said. “And for linemen, if you can block guys in practice, the game’s a lot easier.”

Training camp is still a few weeks away for the Titans, but the combination of Levitre and Warmack could inject some talent into an offensive line that was desperate for strong play at guard in 2012.