Category: Titans training camp

Titans’ Treylon Burks shines in practice, takes accountability for conditioning issue

Titans WR Treylon Burks took accountability for not being ready conditioning-wise earlier in the offseason.

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Treylon Burks has drawn early concerns after he had apparent conditioning issues earlier in the offseason, but he answered the bell in a big way in his first training camp practice on Wednesday.

According to multiple beat writers, Burks looked very good in his first camp practice, and it was clear he had lost weight since the last time we saw him on the field at rookie minicamp.

Per Ben Arthur of The Tennessean, Burks took on a full load and made two notable grabs during the session, including a deep ball from Ryan Tannehill.

After practice, Burks revealed he has indeed lost weight, and he admitted he wasn’t totally ready conditioning-wise earlier in the offseason.

“I would say yeah,” Burks answered when asked if he could have done more to prepare, per Paul Kuharsky. “That’s just being accountable; I should have taken a better attack on that and now that I am, you can tell a big difference.”

A recent report from ESPN’s Dianna Russini suggested Burks was righting the ship ahead of training camp, and today we saw that in the flesh. Also, it was a great sign of maturity for Burks to take accountability for his issue.

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Titans provide updates on WR Robert Woods, CB Caleb Farley

Titans CB Caleb Farley received some praise from head coach Mike Vrabel for the work he has done since reporting.

When the Tennessee Titans hit the practice field for the first time in training camp on Wednesday, the team will be cautious with two key players leading up to the start of the regular season.

Wide receiver Robert Woods and cornerback Caleb Farley, both coming off torn ACLs, have been limited in their offseason workouts, and they will continue to be limited at the start of training camp.

“They’re probably participating in 90 percent of the stuff that we did the first couple of days,” Titans head coach Mike Vrabel said via AllTitans at SI.com. “There’s some things that we’re holding them out of. But the nice thing is that, when we’re doing those drills, they go (off to the side) and find ways to work for a few minutes with each other, which kind of makes it nice. They’re both going through the same process in their mirrored positions.”

Rookies and injured players reported to camp over the weekend. Woods and Farley have a head start on their teammates, and neither was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, which is a good sign.

Vrabel specifically praised Farley for his work since reporting, noting that the second-year corner had two interceptions during practice on Monday and reminded the team how long he is.

Vrabel noted that neither Woods nor Farley are taking part in the team’s open field tackle drill. At this stage of the offseason, it’s simply not worth the risk, given how vital each player is to their respective side of the ball.

So, what are they doing instead? According to Vrabel, it’s a strategic mix of individual training and what the team has identified.

“They can go over and they can work releases or they’ll work something else,” Vrabel added. “We’ve asked them to come to us with a plan that they would like — we’ve given them a couple of things — and also ask them to kind of think of some things that they can do to work with each other.”

When healthy, Woods was one of the most productive wide receivers for the Los Angeles Rams over the last five seasons. The Titans will be counting on him to be their No. 1 wide receiver in place of the departed A.J. Brown.

Tennessee hasn’t seen much of Farley to this point. The former first-round pick was limited to just three games (one start) last year. He also sat out the COVID-19-impacted 2020 season at Virginia Tech before undergoing back surgery prior to the NFL draft that year.

Having both players healthy and ready to go for the regular season would be a massive win for a Titans team needing some positive vibes.

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Titans mum on Jeffery Simmons contract but expect him to practice

“We expect Jeff to practice,” Titans head coach Mike Vrabel said on Tuesday.

When training camp officially opens on Wednesday, the Tennessee Titans expect defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons to be among those participating.

The 24-year-old was not present at voluntary OTAs, which is not unusual for veteran players. Simmons did attend mandatory minicamp last month but did not participate, leading to speculation about him possibly holding out or not fully participating in practice until he gets a new deal.

The Mississippi State spoke at minicamp, noting that his plan was not to hold out and that he would attend training camp. He also indicated that he was leaving contract negotiations to his agent.

Titans head coach Mike Vrabel says he expects to see Simmons out on the practice field but did note he may have a different plan than other players.

“We expect Jeff to practice. We’ll see how he feels and see how it looks and figure out what’s best for him,” Vrabel said via Paul Kuharsky. “He may be one of those guys that would have a somewhat different plan potentially. But I imagine everyone that’s healthy will be out there ready to go tomorrow.”

The Titans exercised Simmons’ fifth-year option for the 2023 season, which will pay him $10.75 million. Whether or not he plays under the fifth-year option money without a new contract beforehand remains to be seen.

After Vrabel spoke, general manager Jon Robinson was asked about Simmons’ contract extension but wouldn’t go into detail.

“We’ve got an understanding of where we’re at and he’s excited to be back and ready to rock and roll,” Robinson said.

According to Spotrac, Simmons is projected to a receive a four-year, $84.1 million contract ($21 million annually), which would make him the second highest-paid defensive lineman in the NFL based on annual average.

And that’s the floor. If the Titans wait longer to extend Simmons, the price will only go up.

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Titans’ Jon Robinson, Mike Vrabel talk Treylon Burks’ conditioning

Titans GM Jon Robinson revealed Treylon Burks did well in his conditioning test.

One of the hottest topics of the Tennessee Titans’ offseason thus far has been the status of wide receiver Treylon Burks, who has had issues staying on the practice field.

After being in and out of practice during rookie minicamp due to asthma and apparent conditioning issues, Burks wasn’t available for either of the Titans’ open practices at mandatory minicamp.

Adding to the concern, we also found out Burks’ conditioning issues are nothing new, as his former head coach Sam Pittman detailed recently.

However, we got some good news this week, as ESPN’s Dianna Russini reported that Burks has lost weight, is in shape, and has shown “so much growth already” going into training camp.

The good news continued streaming in on Tuesday, as general manager Jon Robinson revealed Burks passed his conditioning test, while also noting Tennessee is excited about how things are going with the young wideout.

As far as his college conditioning and asthma issues go, Robinson said Burks was upfront with the team about that.

Head coach Mike Vrabel said Burks has “made good progress” since reporting to camp and doesn’t expect him to have any limitations.

“He has put together two good days, but I am not going to predict who is going to be out there every day right now,” Vrabel said, via Jim Wyatt of Titans Online. “We’re focusing on daily improvement with each and every player.”

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Biggest takeaways from Titans GM Jon Robinson’s first training camp presser

Find out what Titans GM Jon Robinson said in his training camp press conference on Tuesday.

On the same day the last of the Tennessee Titans players reported to training camp, general manager Jon Robinson met with the media and discussed a number of topics.

All of Tennessee’s players are now in the building after rookies and injured players reported on July 23, and the rest of the team on July 26. The Titans will hold their first practice of training camp on July 27.

Robinson wasn’t the only Titan to speak on Tuesday. Both head coach Mike Vrabel and vice president of player personnel Ryan Cowden also talked to the media.

You can check out the highlights from Vrabel’s presser right here.

Robinson spoke about defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons’ contract, wide receiver Treylon Burks’ conditioning, and much more. Here’s a look at the biggest takeaways from Robinson’s presser on Tuesday.

Biggest takeaways from Titans HC Mike Vrabel’s first training camp presser

Find out what Mike Vrabel had to say in his first press conference of Titans training camp.

We are just one day away from the Tennessee Titans taking the field for their first practice of training camp, and on the eve of Day 1, head coach Mike Vrabel addressed the media, touching on a number of topics.

Tennessee’s players are already in the building, and some of them have been for days. The Titans’ rookies and injured players reported on July 23, while everyone else showed up on July 26.

The Titans will hold their first practice on July 27. You can check out the full training camp schedule, complete with dates and times for practices, right here.

It didn’t take long for Vrabel to say something noteworthy, as he started off the presser by revealing veteran cornerback Buster Skrine had retired. That was just one of the many topics Vrabel covered on Tuesday.

Here’s a look at the rest of the important things Vrabel spoke on during his first training camp press conference.

Tennessee Titans 2022 training camp schedule

A look at the Titans’ entire training camp schedule for 2022.

The 2022 NFL offseason is about to officially pick up this week as the Tennessee Titans will begin training camp with their first practice on Wednesday, July 27.

Prior to the first practice, rookies and injured players reported on Saturday, July 23, and the rest of the team reported on Tuesday, July 26, the same day we’ll also hear from head coach Mike Vrabel and general manager Jon Robinson.

Tennessee will hold joint practices with two teams, including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Arizona Cardinals, both of whom the Titans host during the preseason.

There will be three cutdown dates once again this year, with each one coming after a preseason game. First, Tennessee will have to trim its roster from 90 to 85, then 85 to 80, and then 80 to 53.

Now, here’s a look at the entire training camp schedule, complete with dates and times for each practice and cutdown day.

Note: All start times are 9:30 a.m. CT unless otherwise noted.

Get ready for Titans training camp with our positional previews

Get ready for Titans training camp with our positional previews.

The Tennessee Titans are prepared to embark on the next step in the process of whittling down their roster to the final 53 players when training camp begins this week.

Tennessee’s rookies already reported on Saturday, July 23, and veterans will follow on Tuesday, July 26. From there, the Titans will hit the practice field for the first time on Wednesday, July 27.

The Titans will have plenty of intriguing position battles to watch, but none more interesting than those that are set to occur at two starting spots along the offensive line at left guard and right tackle.

Tennessee will also have a hotly-contested battle at the wide receiver position, which is a wide open situation after the A.J. Brown trade.

Those are just three of the positions we’ll be keeping an eye in training camp. Find out everything else you need to know about training camp by checking out our positional previews below.

Titans 53-man roster projection going into training camp

With Titans training camp just days away, Shaun Calderon tries his hand at a 53-man roster projection.

Training camp for the 2022 Tennessee Titans is finally upon us, as rookies reported on July 23, while the veterans will report on July 26th. The team will then hold its first training camp practice on July 27th.

For the last couple of seasons, the Titans had been considered legit Super Bowl contenders as training camp began. Unfortunately, they have a few more question marks this season than they have had in years past, particularly on offense.

However, those questions aren’t a guaranteed death sentence for the Titans’ season. This is an extremely talented and well-coached team that was the No. 1 seed in the AFC last year despite using an NFL record of 91 players.

Over the next few weeks, Titans head coach Mike Vrabel and his staff will be tasked with trying to figure out the best, most reliable 53-man roster that can help set Tennessee up for another playoff season.

With everything we know as of right now, I went ahead and predicted Tennessee’s final 53-man roster prior to training camp.

This first prediction is aimed toward how I personally feel things will shake out, but these opinions and/or predictions are likely to change once pads come on and players start to separate themselves in camp.

With all that said, let’s take a look at my initial 53-man roster projection.

Titans training camp preview: Can starting specialists be unseated?

A closer look at the Titans’ specialists ahead of training camp.

In our final installment of Tennessee training camp previews, we take a look at the specialists: kicker, punter and long snapper.

The Titans entered the 2021 campaign with a problem that has become all-too-familiar for the team in recent years: they had an issue at kicker.

After Sam Ficken went down with an injury before the start of the season, the Titans were forced to scramble and ended up signing Michael Badgley, who lasted only one game.

After the Badgley experiment failed, Tennessee handed the reins to Randy Bullock, which proved to be a good move. Bullock went on to stabilize the position, making 83.9 percent of his field goal attempts.

At punter, Brett Kern missed three games due to injury, but when he was on the field he continued his downward trend, as he saw his yards per punt decrease for the second straight year.

Looking ahead to training camp, is there anyone who can unseat Bullock or Kern? Let’s find out.