You look back through the years, and you can’t ever really say the Tennessee Titans were a speed team. This franchise (at least during its tenure in Nashville) has never really had a “speed guy” on offense other than Chris Johnson. Even with CJ2K, that team wasn’t really a “speed team.” When the Titans signed Dexter McCluster prior to the 2014, it was supposed to be an answer to that.
Literally, the team had just released Johnson, and they needed someone in the backfield to provide some sort of spark…a guy that could serve as the home run threat. It certainly wasn’t going to be rookie Bishop Sankey or Shonn Greene. But, McCluster was a lot more than that – he was a return man and receiver to boot. He was the type of player that you just found ways to utilize.
That’s why, to this day, McCluster’s run in Tennessee remains one of the biggest mysteries surrounding the Titans in the last several years. Signing him in 2014 was a huge deal. That was a splash signing! Dude had just come off of a 2013 campaign that saw him lead the NFL in return yards and return touchdowns. He also had a career high 53 receptions that year for 511 yards and two touchdowns. For his efforts, McCluster was elected to the Pro Bowl and was named second team All-Pro.
By all means, winning the McCluster sweepstakes should have ushered in three years of fast and dynamic play. Signing him was a good get.
For whatever reason, Ken Whisenhunt and his staff just didn’t use the guy – he went from being targeted 83 times in 2013 for the Chiefs to being targeted 36 times in 2014 for the Titans. There was absolutely no reason for the team NOT to have gotten McCluster involved in the passing game. We all know the Titans history at receiver…it’s not like there wasn’t room for him to get the ball in 2014. But, he was also miscast in the run game, too. I really don’t mean this as disrespect to Greene…he was a great player in his prime, but 2014 was NOT his prime….there was no reason for Greene to get more than TWICE as many carries as McCluster that season.
2015 wasn’t much different – Antonio Andrews was the workhorse at running back, meaning there wasn’t any room for McCluster to get carries. He was the fifth most-targeted Titan in the passing game (Anthony Fasano had more targets than McCluster that year). Though he handled punt returns regularly, he began to split kickoff returns with Tre McBride.
Why?
It’s like they gave this guy a three year $12M deal, and had NO FUCKING CLUE how to use him.
Looking back, it’s easy to place the blame on the incompetence of the Whisenhunt era Titans. It’s a shame that people probably remember McCluster as a bust, and perhaps it’s fair to say that coming to Nashville to play for Whisenhunt effectively killed what was otherwise going to be a promising career. I just don’t see how you get that 2013 season out of him only to follow it up with those two years in Tennessee – it shows what a lack of creativity those Titans offenses had.
The Titans waived McCluster in 2016, before the final season of his three-year deal. He signed with the San Diego Chargers and played six games before a fractured forearm put him on the sidelines. He never played in the NFL again.
Career stat line:
- Rushing: 250 carries, 1,042 yards, two touchdowns
- Receiving: 236 receptions, 1,993 yards, seven touchdowns
- Returns: 207 kick/punt returns, 2,942 yards, three touchdowns
- Totals: 693 touches, 5,977 yards, 12 touchdowns
After the NFL, McCluster played a couple of seasons, one in the CFL and one in the NAL.
TENNESSEE TITANS THROWBACK THURSDAY ARCHIVES
Drew Bennett
Keith Bulluck
Eddie George
Lavelle Hawkins
Albert Haynesworth
Chris Henry
Chris Hope
Brandon Jones
Derrick Mason
Steve McNair
Samari Rolle
Alterraun Verner
Ken Whisenhunt
LenDale White
Vince Young
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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