Titans training camp – Page 20

Titans’ biggest position battles to watch when training camp opens

A look at the three biggest position battles to watch when Titans training camp opens next week.

It’s that time of year again: we are just about past the dead period of the NFL offseason and heading straight into training camp. The Tennessee Titans will hold their first practice on July 27, with all players reporting before that.

Coming off a 12-5 season and a first-round bye in the postseason, head coach Mike Vrabel’s club will look to improve upon their disappointing ending to last season with the playoff loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Unfortunately, Tennessee is faced with more questions than answers at multiple positions on the offensive side of the ball, but competition also forces players to elevate their games.

A.J. Brown and Julio Jones are both gone. Robert Woods was acquired and is expected to be the No. 1 wide receiver on the roster. Beyond that, well, the wide receiving corps. lacks proven talent.

Here’s a look at the key battle that will take place at wide receiver and two more of the biggest position battles to watch in training camp.

Titans training camp preview: Backing up an elite safety duo

A closer look at the safety position for the Titans ahead of training camp.

In our latest installment of training camp previews for the Tennessee Titans ahead of training camp, which begins on July 27, we’re taking a closer look at the safety position.

Tennessee enjoyed great success from their starting safeties in 2021, as Kevin Byard returned to his elite form after a shaky 2020 campaign, and Amani Hooker made a big leap in his first full season as a starter.

But not only did the pair play well, they were among the best safety duos in the NFL in 2021, as evidenced by their earning two of the top-five overall Pro Football Focus grades at the position in 2021.

Recently, Byard was ranked as the No. 1 coverage free safety by PFF, and Hooker the No. 6 all-around safety. Also, NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks gave Tennessee’s duo the label of the second-best safety tandem in the league.

While Tennessee is set at the top of the depth chart, the team still has some things to figure out behind Byard and Hooker. We take a closer look at that and more in our training camp preview for the safeties.

Titans reveal dates for 2022 training camp practices open to fans

The Titans have announced the dates for two training camp practices open to fans.

On Monday, the Tennessee Titans announced they will have two training camp practices at Saint Thomas Sports Park open to the public in 2022.

Three days after the Titans hold their first practice of training camp on July 27, the team will let fans in for a session on Saturday July 30, and then once again on Friday, Aug. 5. Both practices will span two hours, from 9:15 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. CT.

Click here for more information on how to claim a free ticket, but it would appear they are already gone. Here’s additional info you need to know if you plan on attending:

Shuttles will take fans from the parking lot to Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park and cycle between the two locations throughout the event. Shuttles will begin at 9:00AM.

All Training Camp practices require a free, mobile ticket for entry, available on a first-come, first-served basis. Fans may reserve up to four (4) tickets per order. Tickets must be reserved in advance and will not be available on site.

Fans will have both indoor and outdoor viewing opportunities at training camp and are encouraged to plan ahead for limited seating. Light food and beverage will be provided.

The NFL Clear Bag Policy will be in effect for all practices. A prohibited items list can be found here: [link]. Should practice be affected by inclement weather or other unforeseen conflict, public access will not be rescheduled. Please note that autographs are not guaranteed and are based on player availability.

Tennessee last held a training camp practice at Saint Thomas Sports Park that was open to fans in 2019, but due to construction at the facility and the COVID-19 pandemic, that hasn’t been possible the last two years.

The Titans have instead opted for an open practice at Nissan Stadium. It remains to be seen if Tennessee will do that again in 2022, though.

We’re still waiting on the release of Tennessee’s full training camp schedule, which will reveal the practices that are open to the media. That should be coming this week.

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1 burning question at each position entering Titans training camp

One burning question at each position for the Titans ahead of training camp.

As training camp approaches, the Tennessee Titans have no shortage of question marks up and down their roster.

Most of those question marks come on offense, a unit that struggled in 2021. The Titans will have several new faces at wide receiver and tight end, and two new starters along the offensive line.

The defensive side of the ball is much more secure with 10 of 11 starters coming back following a sensational 2021 season for the group, but Tennessee does have a major question mark in that one new starter.

With the start of training camp less than 10 days away (rookies report on July 23, veterans on July 26, and the first practice will be July 27), let’s take a look at one burning question for each position group.

Tennessee Titans’ roster locks ahead of training camp

The list of Titans we believe are roster locks going into training camp.

The Tennessee Titans are less than two weeks away from their first training camp practice, which will take place on Wednesday, July 27, four days after rookies report on July 23 and one day after veterans report on July 26.

As far as when the Titans will hold open practices are concerned, we still don’t have that schedule, but beat writer Paul Kuharsky recently revealed Tennessee will release its full training camp schedule next week.

Recently, we compiled a list of the Titans players we feel are on the team’s roster bubble going into training camp, but now we’re focusing on the players we believe are roster locks.

Take a look:

Training camp previews – QB | RB | WR | TE | OL | DL | LB | OLB

Titans’ full offseason roster by jersey number

Titans training camp preview: Tennessee mostly set at OLB

Outside linebacker is one of the more set positions on the Titans’ roster ahead of training camp.

In our latest installment of 2022 training camp previews for the Tennessee Titans, we take a look at the outside linebacker position.

Tennessee’s best outside linebacker last season was far and away Harold Landry, who had a career year in his fourth season, which was a contract year.

Landry answered the bell with a career-high and team-high 12 sacks and was a major part of the team’s defensive revival, which was fueled by a pass-rush that tallied 43 sacks, tied for the ninth-most in the NFL.

The Titans rewarded Landry with a five-year, $87.5 million contract earlier this offseason.

There wasn’t much to talk about outside of Landry, though.

Tennessee’s big offseason signing, Bud Dupree, simply wasn’t himself in his first year back from a torn ACL, but the good news is he began to round into form later in the season, giving hope for 2022. Dupree says he’s feeling much better in his second year removed from the injury.

“It’s way different, man, way different,” Dupree said. “Feels way better. Confidence is a different level. That’s all it takes to play this game. Your confidence is high, you’re going to play at a different level.”

The team’s 2021 fourth-round pick, Rashad Weaver, was limited to just two games because of injury, and Ola Adeniyi was a serviceable backup who played a big role on special teams.

With all that in mind, let’s take a look at Tennessee’s situation at outside linebacker going into training camp, and we’ll make a prediction for how things will shake out on the 53-man roster.

Titans’ offseason roster by uniform number ahead of training camp

A look at the Titans’ offseason roster, sorted by uniform number.

After taking part in the offseason program the past few months with rookie minicamp, organized team activities and mandatory minicamp, the Tennessee Titans are set to embark on training camp later this month.

Tennessee’s rookies will report on July 23, and veterans will follow on July 26. The very next day, the Titans will hit the practice field for the first time. The team is expected to release its full training camp schedule next week.

The Titans have plenty of interesting position battles to keep an eye on, some for starting roles and others for backup spots. Those competitions have begun somewhat already, but as coaches will tell you, evaluations don’t fully begin until the pads come on.

We recently listed the players who are on the roster bubble going into training camp, which you can check out right here.

Now, let’s take a look at the Titans’ offseason roster, sorted by jersey number.

Titans who are on the roster bubble going into training camp

A look at the Titans players who are on the roster bubble going into training camp.

The Tennessee Titans will take their next step in figuring out the initial 53-man roster for the 2022 season when the team takes part in training camp later this month.

Tennessee’s rookies will report to camp on July 23, and the veterans three days later on July 26. The Titans will then hold their first training camp practice on July 27.

We are still waiting for Tennessee to release it’s full training camp schedule, which will tell us which training camp practices are open to the media.

While evaluating players for the initial 53-man roster no doubt began during the offseason program, coaches will tell you the real evaluations begin when the pads come at on training camp.

Of the 91 players on the Titans’ offseason roster, we believe 52 of them are cut candidates, although some certainly have a better shot to make the roster than others. Here’s a look at all 52 of the players on the bubble.

Titans training camp preview: The backup battle at ILB

The Titans will have one or two spots up for grabs at ILB going into training camp.

In our latest installment of training camp previews, we take a closer look at the Tennessee Titans’ inside linebacker position, which doesn’t have many question marks.

The Titans saw a changing of the guard at the position in 2021, as former starters Jayon Brown and Rashaan Evans were unseated by Zach Cunningham and David Long, both of whom played well.

Cunningham was an absolute steal after being claimed off waivers and he quickly secured a starting role. The writing was on the wall as far back as 2020 that Long would become a starter at some point, and that’s just what happened in 2021.

Even before the 2021 season started, the Titans began looking to the future up the middle by drafting Monty Rice, who appeared in 10 games before suffering a season-ending injury.

Looking ahead to 2022, the Titans are mostly set at the position but do need to figure out who takes at least one reserve spot. Let’s take a closer look.

Titans training camp preview: D-Line among Tennessee’s biggest strengths

The defensive line will be among the Titans’ biggest strengths in 2022.

The Tennessee Titans’ defense improved greatly in 2021 from where it was in 2020, and the defensive line played a big part in that resurgence.

Both Jeffery Simmons and Denico Autry had career years and combined for 17.5 of Tennessee’s 43 sacks, a total that ranked tied for ninth in the league. The pass-rush was just one part of the story upfront, though, as the Titans sported the No. 2 run defense in the NFL, also.

Tennessee once again managed to find a diamond in the rough in undrafted free agent signing Naquan Jones, who is the second good defensive lineman general manager Jon Robinson has found following a draft since 2020, with starting nose tackle Teair Tart being the other.

With all four of those players returning in 2022, there isn’t much room for the rest of the defensive linemen on the team to secure a spot on the 53-man roster.

Let’s take a look at the players who are roster locks, on the bubble, and then we’ll talk about the competitions set to take place and share our prediction for how things will shake out on the 53-man roster.