Nick Harper's Broken Arm Adds to 0-5 Titans' Woes

Cornerback Nick Harper will miss four to six weeks because of the broken forearm he suffered during Sunday night's loss to the Colts. By the time he returns, it's fair to wonder if it will be worth starting him.

Because of the injuries to Harper and Vincent Fuller (who also has a broken forearm) and Courtland Finnegan (hamstring), rookies Ryan Mouton and Jason McCourty are getting much more playing time than the Titans had expected when the season began. That may be bad news for a pass defense that has been one of the worse in the league, but with the season quickly heading towards "wait til next year" it's actually pretty useful to get the rookies some playing time in the hopes of getting them ready to contribute in 2010.

Relying on a pair of rookie corners with Tom Brady and Randy Moss next on the schedule isn't exactly good news. But with Harper in the final year of his three-year deal as a 34-year-old. If McCourty and Mouton show anything over the next month, they will paving the way for Harper to head out of town after the season.