We've all had to deal with the Psycho Ex-Girlfriend (or ex-boyfriend). The one who cuts up all of your pictures. The one who tries to steal your dog. The one who lies about being pregnant. The one that you come home to find naked and weeping in a huddled mess in your shower. Tough times.

Well, the Titans turned into the psycho ex-girlfriend this offseason with regards to former franchise quarterback Steve McNair. McNair has played in just 22 games over the past two seasons as Tennessee has spiraled through a 9-23 disaster. The 12-year veteran, whose salary cap number was $23.5 million, was banned from the Titans training facility and then dragged into a nasty grievance hearing. He was eventually traded to Baltimore for a fourth-round pick, but not until all of the bridges were burned.

And who do you think that the Titans host on November 12? Yup, the Baltimore Ravens.

Bitter feud aside, this offseason was actually a highly productive one for the Titans. They acquired several key free agents that make them immediately more viable, while also securing the future of the franchise by drafting Vince Young and LenDale White. All in all, I expect a much more competitive club to be fielded by Jeff Fisher. The Titans were blown out in five of their 12 losses and their -7.6 scoring differential was the fourth worst in the league.

However, Tennessee has already been racked with injuries this preseason. They lack depth at just about every position outside of running back (and even that will likely be reduced when they get rid of Chris Brown), and they are in a division featuring three more talented teams. Again, I see a some hope here and expect the Titans to put up a fight, but a playoff berth may be a bit too optimistic.

Here's Doc's 2006 Tennessee Titans Preview

2005 Record: 4-12 (3-5 home, 1-7 road)
2005 Rankings: 17th offense (9th pass, 23rd run); 19th defense (17th pass, 22nd run)
2005 Against the Spread: 6-10 (4-4 home, 2-6 road); 9-7 vs. total (5-3 h, 4-4 r)
2006 Odds: 105/1 to win Super Bowl, 65/1 to win AFC, 20/1 to win AFC South, 5 as wins O/U
2006 Strength of Schedule:6th (.527 opp. win %)
Key stat: Tennessee's nine interceptions was the third-worst total in the NFL.
Returning starters: 15 (7 offense, 8 defense)
Key acquisitions: Kevin Mawae, C (from NYJ); David Thornton, LB (from Indy); David Givens, WR (from N.E.); Chris Hope, S (from Pitt); Steve Tulloch, LB (draft); Vince Young, QB (draft); LenDale White (draft).
Key departures: Steve McNair, QB; Brad Hopkins, LT; Justin Hartwig, C; Tank Williams, S.

Offense: Tennessee will desperately miss Hopkins, but Mawae will attempt to fill the leadership gap. The Brown situation is lingering, but with White and Travis Henry on the roster the Titans should trade the disgruntled back for a wideout or draft picks. Billy Volek has been productive in his limited action, and I think he is a legit NFL quarterback. The trouble is he has limited weapons and just an average line. They need to improve on a putrid 34.4 third-down conversion rate.
Defense:The Titans forced just 29 turnovers last season, which was the fifth-worst mark in the NFL. With Kyle Vanden Bosch, Albert Haynesworth, Keith Bulluck and Thornton, the Titans have four big-play guys. But now they just need to be put in positions to make plays. Having Hope will help secure an incredibly young and inexperienced secondary.
X-factor: Pacman Jones. The hot-headed corner needs to have an impact similar to what DeAngelo Hall has had in Atlanta. Last season he was unreliable, and the secondary suffered because of it. Teams completed 64 percent of their passes against Tennessee, 26th in the league.
Outlook: About the best thing you can say about them is that they gained more than they lost. That right there screams improvement to me. Fisher is a fantastic football coach and will squeeze what he can out of his club. Though the schedule is not kind, I expect a 4-4 home mark.

Questions or comments for Robert? E-mail him at robert@docsports.com or check out his Insider Page here.