"They'd much prefer to be playing in the postseason, but as the Titans cleaned out their lockers earlier this week, they could at least look forward to what should be a far more productive offseason than last year.

In 2011, the NFL lockout wound up cancelling all OTAs and mini-camps, which meant the Titans didn't start interacting with their new coaching staff until training camp began in late July.

So a full complement of offseason practices should be especially beneficial for a team like Tennessee:

Coordinators will be able to implement more plays than they could in a limited time last year; assistant coaches will do more teaching; young players will have more opportunity to grasp systems; and even veterans like quarterback Matt Hasselbeck will get chemistry-building time they were deprived of in 2011.

"The one thing you always crave is just more time," said Hasselbeck, who spent 10 years in Seattle before signing with the Titans just before training camp. "You get a good amount of time with the receivers (during the season), but the other guys like running backs, fullbacks, tight ends — just being out there and running routes without defenders is helpful.

"You want to get to the point where you don't have to look at the receiver until the very last second. The great passing combinations have that kind of stuff, that kind of chemistry. That's really built in the summer."

Titans Coach Mike Munchak said he's most eager to see the impact a full offseason will have on the team's linemen. The offensive line excelled in pass protection this season but took part of the blame for a poor rushing attack, while the defensive line finished second-to-last in sacks."