The Tennessee Titans must allow Steve McNair to work out on their property as long as he has a contract with the team, an arbitrator ruled Wednesday. Arbitrator John Feerick heard more than seven hours of testimony May 16 on charges that the Titans breached McNair's contract by barring him from working out at the team's headquarters. The union filed the grievance, arguing he should be allowed to work out on the property or be released. General Counsel Richard Berthelsen called it a victory for the NFL Players Association and McNair, but he said it was unfortunate they had to go through this process. "We've said since the beginning that this was a clear violation of his contract with the club," Berthelsen said.

Titans general manager Floyd Reese said, despite the ugliness of how the Steve McNair situation has devolved over the past few months, with the quarterback prohibited from working out at Baptist Sports Park for the past seven weeks, his preference would be to find a workable solution for McNair in Tennessee. When asked if there is a chance the two sides could work out a deal that would prevent McNair from being traded or released, Reese replied, ?Absolutely.?

The Titans turned down the Ravens' offer of a fifth-round pick for Steve McNair on the second day of the draft. Titans general manager Floyd Reese has since insinuated that his previous demand of a fourth-rounder has gone up. The consensus among former NFL executives is McNair only merits a second-day draft pick, a selection ranging from a fourth- to a sixth-round selection. "If [the Titans] get more than a fourth-round pick, they ought to give Reese a big raise," said Gil Brandt, a former Dallas Cowboys executive and now a senior analyst for the NFL's Web site. "People are smart enough to know that he is going to be released unless they can redo his contract. There's no purpose to trade and give up the store for that guy."

Arbitrator John Feerick hoped to return a decision by June 1 on the Steve McNair case. The union argued that McNair should be allowed to work out or be released. ?Every player has a right, we believe, to be on club property to participate with his teammates. That's the only place where a player is protected in terms of if he's hurt and gets his salary,? Berthelsen said. ?For a team to say, 'You can't be on our property because we don't want to have that risk,' then the risk is unfairly shifted to the player.? The Titans want protection from the potential liability of a $23.46 million salary cap hit if McNair is hurt, or they want a new, cheaper contract to reduce that cap number.

An arbitrator will hear Steve McNair's case today and eventually decide if McNair should be allowed to be released from his contract with the Titans. Arbitrator John Feerick will hear arguments at the Titans' headquarters that the team breached McNair's contract April 3 when a trainer told the 2003 co-MVP that he could not work out on the property until he reworked his contract. The union wants McNair to be allowed to work out or be released. The Titans have denied any breach, and the problem here is money. They want protection from the potential liability of a $23.46 million salary cap hit if McNair is hurt or a new, cheaper contract to reduce that cap number for a player who has missed 10 games the past two seasons. McNair and his agent, Bus Cook, see a quarterback who completed 61.3 percent of his passes in 2005 and deserves a multiyear extension. "It's an ugly part of the game nobody likes to talk about, or nobody likes to address," new Titans center Kevin Mawae said Monday.

Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth surrendered to authorities Friday to face a charge of reckless endangerment after another motorist complained he tried to run a car off the highway with his large truck. Smith County authorities issued a warrant for his arrest after James J. Bond filed a police report about a Sunday incident. Haynesworth was released on $1,000 bond.

Cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones left Tennessee in mid-April for a break because he said he feels he's being smothered by constant public scrutiny and media attention in Tennessee. "I can't even breathe in Tennessee," Jones said. "Everybody acts like I killed somebody or something. Everything that's happened, it's either been a rumor or I wasn't involved. But I've been a target ever since I've been there. I'm used to it. I just hope it gets better."

Tennessee Titans General Manager Floyd Reese said Tuesday he would be surprised if he heard anything from Steve McNair or his agent Bus Cook before next week?s grievance hearing. Last week, Titans coach Jeff Fisher said he was holding out hope the Titans and McNair might some way resolve their differences. Fisher wants to find a way to keep McNair from going to Baltimore.

The Titans were ready to trade Steve McNair to the Ravens during the second day of the last week's draft. They wanted a fourth-round pick; the Ravens were offering a fifth-rounder. A deal will likely get done within the month when the Titans need to clear McNair's base salary off their cap so they can sign their rookies. The Ravens may wait for Tennessee to cut McNair, but that may not be until July. A trade would get him there sooner. McNair's $9 million base salary is part of his astronomical $23.46 million cap number.

The Titans took their first look at Vince Young this week. "We've talked about this. We want him to tell us if it's all meshing together and if it's too much," Fisher said. "We're adding things. We're adding things each day. We'll add some things tonight and tomorrow, and then we'll send him home and he'll be back on the 16th and he'll be able to digest this and we'll move on."