When Chris Johnson watches LeBron James, the Titans running back sees himself in the reigning NBA MVP. Last season James, like Johnson, signed a new contract and took a lot of criticism when he fell short of his goals. This season Johnson says he, like James, plans to prove he's the best in his sport. "I feel just like LeBron -- a lot of people are going to be back on the bandwagon," Johnson said. "He had a lot of haters out there, a lot of people saying he wasn't good and things like that and just to see how he overcame that and came back this year and won the championship, it shows his hard work and dedication."

Titans running back Chris Johnson missed practice on Tuesday, but coach Mike Munchak says it is not a concern. "He hasn't missed any (OTAs) ... We asked him to be four days a week at least at a minimum, since we started the program, and he has done that," Munchak said. "Like I said last week, a lot of the weeks he has been here five out of five days, so it has been good. This is something that we knew he would need some time off for, so he will be back (Wednesday)."

The Titans are expected to start veteran Matt Hasselbeck at quarterback this fall, instead of youngster Jake Locker. Tennessee coach Mike Munchak has called it an even competition all offseason. The snaps are split up 50-50. Yet no one around the Titans thinks Locker will win despite his draft pedigree and impressive spot play last offseason. David Climer of the Tennessean writes that rumors of a true battle have been "exaggerated." "I suspect Hasselbeck is solidly ahead of Locker entering the final minicamp sessions," Climer writes, later simply stating that Hasselbeck "is the quarterback."

The Titans have agreed to terms on a multiyear deal with safety Michael Griffin after tagging the five-year veteran as their franchise player back in March. The Titans announced the deal Tuesday shortly after the end of their first session of a three-day minicamp.

The Titans lost a significant contributor when Cortland Finnegan signed with the Rams as a free agent, but Mike Munchak isn't overly concerned. "That's the fun part," Munchak said last week. "Everyone gets worried about when we lost Finnegan and we have to go get a veteran. But a lot of times we feel comfortable with the guys we have." Jason McCourty will return to the starting lineup at cornerback. Other options include Alterraun Verner, Tommie Campbell, Chris Hawkins and rookie Coty Sensabaugh.

Chris Johnson has packed eight to nine pounds of muscle on his frame as part of his strong commitment to Tennessee's offseason program. Last year, Johnson missed nearly the entire preseason while holding out for a contract extension. "I just know when I have been through the same things as everyone as far as camp and being on the same page as my offensive line, I feel like I am the best back in the league," Johnson said.

Chris Johnson had a disappointing 2011 season, but he still believes that he is the best running back in the NFL. "I feel I am still the best back in the league, and I have no problem saying that," Johnson told Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. "None of the active backs have done anything that I have done in the first four years, even though I had a bad year last year. So I still feel like I am the best back in the league." Johnson gained the most yards in the league over the last four years.

The Titans are splitting quarterback snaps between Matt Hasselbeck and Jake Locker during team activities. "The advice I give to guys over the years is you're not really competing with the guys at your position," Hasselbeck said. "It's probably a faulty view of things. At this level, you're competing with everyone in the world they could find to replace you with whether they're here yet or not, and you know I almost learned that lesson the hard way this offseason. That's just reality." Tennessee coach Mike Munchak said that Hasselbeck and Locker will split snaps 50-50 while both will work with as many players as possible, and the Titans are even splitting up the days when each quarterback speaks to reporters.

The million-dollar home of Eddie George and his wife Tamara will be auctioned off June 7 -- to the surprise of the Georges. An accountant for the couple tells The Tennessean the Georges have been trying to modify their loan for several months. Larry Goodman says he was shocked to learn the auction was set. For the past seven months he has been negotiating with IndyMac Mortgage Services to establish new terms for the George's mortgage. They stopped making payments several months ago, Good said, because the mortgage company refused to discuss the matter with them because they were current on their payments. "We're not trying to walk away from anything," Goodman said. "They love living there; it's a great house. Like anybody else who buys an expensive house, it flipped on him."