Beware the fall of the Titans.

I'm worried about the Titans. Seriously, people. The signs are right in front of our faces. Arguably, the two worst franchises in the NFL are the Cincinnati Bengals and the Detroit Lions. There are a few things that have to happen to your franchise before it falls apart and all the accomplishments from seasons past go down the drain. Here are three steps that signal a franchise is falling apart. All three of these steps have already been completed by the Lions and Bengals. Looks like the Titans are on their way next. Ready for this?

Step #1: Draft poorly. In the 2005 NFL Draft, the Titans held the 6th overall pick, needing a top cornerback to solidify their defense. To EVERYONE's surprise, the Titans selected West Virginia product Adam "Pacman" Jones, a diminutive player with a knack for returning punts and beating up women. Still waiting to be drafted was Antrel Rolle, a superb talent out of the "U" (that's Miami, FL, for the sports-illiterate). Rolle was selected 8th overall by the Arizona Cardinals, and has developed into one of the top cornerbacks in the League. Selected 9th overall was Carlos Rogers, another top cornerback prospect out of Auburn, who is now a star defensive player for the Washington Redskins. Then in the 2006 Draft, the Titans went in needing a QB. This has to be my favorite Titans' pick of all time. With the USC-groomed Matt Leinart sitting nearby and local hero Jay Cutler waiting patiently, the Titans went beyond all logic to take over-hyped Texas star Vince Young (Refer to my post from Sept.10 to see just how well that has gone). Leinart was selected 10th overall by the Cardinals and Cutler was selected 11th by the Denver Broncos. And one more question here: What the hell ever happened to the Titans 2007 first-round pick, Chris Henry? Oh yeah! He was such a bust that the Titans drafted another running back in the first round of the 2008 Draft. Also from the 2008 Draft, the Titans drafted LB Stanley Keglar out of Purdue, even though Keglar had three (3!) pending misdemeanors hanging around his neck (for disorderly conduct, rioting, and interfering with officials), which brings us to Step #2...

Step #2: Have a reasonable percentage of your roster get arrested. Adam "Pacman" Jones is the new NFL poster-child for players who have absolutely zero idea how to handle their own celebrity status. Defensive Tackle Albert Haynesworth was suspended 5 games in 2006 for stomping on the head of a helmet-less Dallas Cowboys player. Defensive End Jevon Kearse got a DUI in June. Wide Receiver Brandon Jones was arrested in June for unlawful possession of a firearm. And while this year Vince Young didn't get arrested, he did find himself in the middle of a controversy when he went on a hiatus many observers feared would end in suicide. Even assistant coach Chuck Cecil got into the fray this past March, pleading guilty to reckless driving.

Step #3: Have your coach lose control of the team. In the 2006 Draft, Coach Jeff Fisher (USC graduate) and Offensive Coordinator Norm Chow (USC graduate) got muscled around and were forced to deal with the selection of Texas Longhorn Vince Young, not USC's prototype Matt Leinart. The entire "Pacman Jones Saga" showed exactly how much control Fisher had over this team. Not only did he allow Jones to continue playing before the NFL commissioner stepped in and suspended him from the League, he was going to allow him back on the Titans' roster before a trade offer from the Cowboys came calling. Last week, the Titans suffered their first loss of the season. And I'm not going to knock Fisher for losing a game. I am, however, going to knock him for losing control of his locker room. After the 34-13 thumping by the New York Jets, running back LenDale White whined to reporters about his lack of involvement in the game. He went so far as to say he stopped paying attention to the game. He "didn't care." Then yesterday, when the Titans drummed the hapless Lions 47-10, White was a key figure in the Titans' offense. My sister said it best yesterday: the squeaky wheel gets oiled first. I hope I'm not the only one who sees the major problem with this. This sends a wonderful message (albeit wrong, in case you didn't pick up on my sarcasm) to the rest of the Titans players and kids who aspire to one day play pro football: complain like a child and you'll get exactly what you want! Congrats, Fisher, on that wonderful coaching decision.

So there we have it. There's the list. The list above has severely plagued the Lions and Bengals organizations over the past few years. And for a point of reference, the Bengals' problems really got started in 2005, when they finished with a record of 11-5, their best in more than a decade. The Titans are currently enjoying their best season in franchise history. Since the Bengals' 11-5 record in '05, their record has fallen to 8-8 in 2006, and 7-9 in 2007. And so far this year, the Bengals are dismal 1-9-1. And, by the way, the Lions are 0-12. Are the Titans headed in this direction??