The newly reinstated Gregg Williams will operate under the microscope in Tennessee, but any help he brings to the Titans' defense will be welcomed by a group of players who've finished dead last in points allowed last season.
One of those players, defensive end Derrick Morgan, told "NFL AM" on Friday that the shaky past of their newly hired senior defensive assistant isn't a focus with the Titans.
"(The bounty scandal is) something we need to move forward from, (Williams) is part of the Tennessee Titans now and it's time for him to move on and get his reputation back a little bit," Morgan said. "He is part of our team, so we are going to move forward with him."
The question for the Titans is how Williams will interact with Jerry Gray, the embattled defensive coordinator who might feel as though a babysitter has been hired. But Gray and Williams preached cooperation during Thursday's joint news conference, and Morgan doesn't seem interested in team politics.
"I don't really know how he interacts with the defensive line too much," Morgan said. "I'm hoping he brings that spark, just kind of more guidance and direction for our defense and I think it's going to be a successful situation."
Williams spoke repeatedly Thursday of being a changed man. What hasn't changed, he said, is his desire to compete, to outmatch offenses and get the most out of his players. It will be interesting to see how that plays out with Gray in the fold, but the Titans can use every ounce of available help in 2013.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
