Category: Titans training camp

Biggest question Titans have at every position before training camp

The Titans have a slew of spots up for grabs ahead of training camp.

When the Tennessee Titans begin training camp on July 27, the team will be facing several questions at different position groups up and down the roster ahead of the 2021 campaign.

Not only are there several depth spots up for grabs, but the Titans also have to figure out who gets the nod to start at some positions, like at tight end, defensive line and kicker, for example.

These competitions have already begun somewhat during voluntary OTAs and mandatory minicamp, but it’s hard to really gauge things when players are running around in shorts and t-shirts.

Business will really pick up once training camp begins and the pads go on, which is something NFL coaches always point out when asked about positional competitions prior to the start of training camp.

With all that in mind, here’s a look at the biggest question the Titans have at every position group ahead of training camp.

Tennessee Titans 2021 training camp preview: Wide receivers

The Titans figure to have at least two spots up for grabs at wide receiver going into training camp.

Before the acquisition of superstar wideout Julio Jones, the Tennessee Titans had major concerns at the wide receiver position, as it was sorely lacking depth behind A.J. Brown and Josh Reynolds.

However, now that Jones is in the mix, everyone has been pushed down a spot on the depth chart, giving the Titans much better depth than they had beforehand.

While we can lock-in four spots at wide receiver on the Titans’ 53-man roster when you include 2021 fourth-round pick, Dez Fitzpatrick, the roles beyond Tennessee’s top three (Brown, Jones, Reynolds) are up for grabs.

As we take a closer look at the position ahead of Tennessee’s training camp, we’ll try to sort things out with what is a crowded but uncertain situation at wide receiver going into training camp, which begins on July 27.

Note: In case you missed our other training camp previews, we’ve linked to them at the bottom of this article.

Tennessee Titans 2021 training camp preview: Running backs

How will things shake out behind Derrick Henry for the Titans in 2021?

As far as the Tennessee Titans’ running back situation is concerned, you can pretty much start and end the conversation with Derrick Henry, who has been the team’s workhorse back since the end of the 2018 season.

Henry has won back-to-back rushing titles, rushed for 2,000 yards, and won an AP Offensive Player of the Year award while owning the vast majority of snaps out of Tennessee’s backfield.

His dominance on the ground the past two years is unmatched in this era, and as a result experts have been forced to rank him as the best running back in the NFL despite a lack of production in the passing game.

The other backs on Tennessee’s roster will be fighting for scraps behind Henry, but exactly which ones will get those scraps? And who will be the team’s insurance policy in the event that Henry gets hurt?

We’ll try to answer those questions and more as we preview the Titans’ situation at running back going into training camp.

Titans’ Craig Aukerman gives update on kicker competition

It appears the Titans have a close race for the starting kicker job.

After Monday’s practice, Tennessee Titans special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman gave an update on where things stand with the team’s kicker competition.

The Titans are trying to decide between Greg Joseph and 2020 UDFA Tucker McCann for the starting job after a 2019 campaign that saw Tennessee have the worst field goal unit in the NFL.

According to Aukerman, the two kickers are currently “neck and neck” for the starting job.

Based on the last count we saw on Friday from Jim Wyatt of Titans Online, Joseph was 24-for-26 on his attempts overall, while McCann was 22-for-25. Those numbers certainly spell out what Aukerman is saying.

Going into training camp, Joseph was considered the favorite over McCann after ending the 2019 season as the team’s kicker and having an advantage in the experience department, but clearly McCann is making it a close race.

There is still a possibility that the Titans bring in a veteran to add some experience to the competition, as Joseph only has 21 career field goal attempts and McCann is a rookie.

We’ll get an idea just how much confidence the Titans have in their current options in the weeks to come based on whether or not Tennessee brings in another kicker.

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Titans’ Mike Vrabel mic’d up at practice is as entertaining as you’d expect

Mike Vrabel has been mic’d up at Titans practice, and it’s as entertaining as you’d expect.

The Tennessee Titans have head coach Mike Vrabel mic’d up during practice at training camp, and if you expected that to be entertaining, you won’t be disappointed.

When he isn’t sitting in front of the media at a presser being asked questions about injuries or Jadeveon Clowney, Vrabel is actually a funny, down-to-earth guy, which is something Titans fans have learned over the years.

On Wednesday, The team released the video and recording of Vrabel running practice. Take a look and listen.

So far, the Titans have run four full-squad practices, including two with pads on. Tennessee will hold 12 more padded practices before the start of the season, the next of which will take place on Thursday.

The Titans will then add an interesting wrinkle to their training camp sessions by holding Friday’s practice at Nissan Stadium. For some of Tennessee’s players, that will be the first time they step foot on their home field.

Once training camp concludes, the Titans will have to cut the roster down from 80 to 53 players. When the dust settles from that, the Titans will look ahead to their regular season opener, which takes place on September 14 against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High.

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Titans’ Dennis Kelly still helping Isaiah Wilson despite competition

Isaiah Wilson is still receiving help from Dennis Kelly even though the two are in a competition.

One of the biggest Tennessee Titans training camp battles to watch is the one at right tackle between veteran Dennis Kelly and 2020 first-round pick, Isaiah Wilson.

But even though both players are vying for the starting job that was vacated after Jack Conklin signed with the Cleveland Browns in free agency, Kelly is still lending a helping hand to his younger competition.

After practice on Sunday, Wilson revealed that things aren’t awkward between he and Kelly despite the competition, and instead the veteran is guiding him in the right direction whenever he makes a mistake.

This echoes what Kelly said after practice on Friday, per Erik Bacharach of the Tennessean.

“There is a little bit of a challenge, just because those two things conflict …But I’m not going to push him away. If he has questions, I’m going to talk to him.”

For a guy who has spent his career as a backup and is facing competition for what is the best chance he’s ever had to be a full-time starter, Kelly’s willingness to help Wilson is impressive and should be commended.

We haven’t gotten much insight as to who has been doing a better job in the early stages of training camp, but one would assume that Kelly has the clear advantage thanks to his experience in the Titans’ system, combined with the fact that Wilson is behind after OTAs and mini-camp were canceled.

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Titans training camp: News, notes, video from Day 1 of media access

Some news, notes and video from Day 1 of media access at Tennessee Titans training camp.

The Tennessee Titans opened their training camp up to the media for the first time this year on Friday, and we got a look at players going through drills during practice, among other things, in what was the first full-squad practice of the year.

Long story short: it feels so good to be watching real live football again, even if it’s just practice without pads. By the way, padded practices begin on August 17.

Before we get to the video, here’s a look at news about some of the players who didn’t participate or left practice early, as well as notes on other things that went down on Friday.

News and Notes

  • Running back Dalyn Dawkins, defensive back Dane Cruikshank and outside linebacker Kamalei Correa were absent from practice, but it isn’t clear exactly why (John Glennon).
  • Wide receiver Corey Davis, who was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list at the start of camp, was on the a side field working on light route running (Turron Davenport, ESPN).
  • Outside linebacker Vic Beasley, who is currently on the NFI list, also worked on a side field (Terry McCormick, Titan Insider).
  • Safety Kenny Vaccaro left the field early with a trainer, but there’s  no word on why (John Glennon).
  • Kickers Greg Joseph and Tucker McCann both went 4-of-5 on field goals (Paul Kuharsky).
  • The Titans sang “Happy Birthday” to head coach Mike Vrabel, who turned 45 on Friday (John Glennon).
  • During punt return drills, wide receivers Rashard Davis, Cameron Batson, Adam Humphries, Mason Kinsey and Kalif Raymond all saw work (Turron Davenport, ESPN).
  • ESPN’s Turron Davenport had this observation of outside linebacker Harold Landry: “Harold Landry looked explosive off the ball. He flashed a swift spin move and an inside counter to his outside speed rush.”

Photos and Videos

One of the precautions the Titans are taking due to COVID-19 is to give each running back their own ball for drills.

As is tradition, the Titans started off practice by playing Sir Charles Jones’ “Friday” — and helmet on a stick is back!

Here’s a look at some of the Titans’ rookies putting work in. One thing of note here is the progress 2020 seventh-round pick Cole McDonald has been making with his throwing motion.

Now here’s a look at some of the veterans in action, including running back Derrick Henry and quarterback Ryan Tannehill, as well as some of the team’s most notable defenders.

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Best photos and videos from Titans training camp so far

The best photos and videos from Titans training camp so far.

With limited to no media access in training camp this year, it’s harder than ever to follow along closely with what’s going on with the Tennessee Titans on the practice field.

However, the team has started to release some photos and videos on social media that at least gives us a look into what the players are doing and how the rookies look in their practice jerseys.

The Titans are currently in the midst of the ramp-up period in training camp, but will finally put on the pads for 14 days of practices starting on August 17. It’s at that point that the real evaluations for who will make the 53-man roster will begin.

The best photo from training camp we’ve seen thus far has to be of 2020 first-round pick and offensive tackle, Isaiah Wilson, who looks like a massive human being out there on the field.

Here’s a look at that photo, as well as all of the rest of the best photos and videos from Titans training camp so far.

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Skadoosh 🐼

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Keep’em Rollin 🤫🎬 #TitanUp

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Day by day ⚔️ . . . . . . . . #titanup

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This feels good 😁

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Living the Dream ✨🙏🏽

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X’s & O’s

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GM 🤝 @last_king_2

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⚔️😷⚔️

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Kalu clownin’ 😄

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Rookies & QBs in the building ✌🏽

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😷 @kriss1_ 😷

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Watch: Titans players take part in training camp drills

In a year full of uncertainty, it’s great to see Titans players on the practice field.

We normally wouldn’t get too excited about Tennessee Titans players taking the practice field to take part in drills at training camp, but this year is anything but normal.

With all the uncertainty that still surrounds the upcoming season due to the coronavirus pandemic, it’s great to see players simply getting ready for the start of the 2020 campaign.

The Titans released this video of their guys taking part in drills, and we get a glimpse of three of the team’s rookies, first-round pick, Isaiah Wilson, second-round pick, Kristian Fulton, and third-round pick, Darrynton Evans.

Take a look.

Players have yet to put pads on, as teams are still in the ramp-up period. The Titans are slated to have their first padded practice on August 17 if all goes well between now and then.

While the season is currently set to take place as scheduled, remaining on track will be determined by how well teams can adhere to COVID-19 protocols in order to avoid outbreaks.

So far, the Titans have had two players land on the Reserve/COVID-19 list in Wilson and veteran defensive lineman, Jack Crawford. That means they have either contracted the virus or have been quarantined after coming in contact with someone who has. The former has since been removed, while Crawford was just added on Friday.

Tennessee does have an enforcer to make sure players are following protocols, as tackle and player rep Dennis Kelly has taken it upon himself to make sure his teammates are sticking to the guidelines — and stringently, I may add.

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Best Titans Twitter follows for 2020 training camp

This list of best Titans Twitter follows will have you covered for training camp.

Being able to follow along with the Tennessee Titans’ 2020 training camp will be harder than ever this year thanks to limited media access due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but we’re here to help you out with that.

There are some outstanding Twitter accounts to follow if you want to get the latest news and insight into everything Titans during training camp, the first of which, of course, is ours (@TheTitansWire).

Aside from us and the Titans’ official account (@Titans), here’s a list of Titans beat writers and other accounts who will also have you covered with everything from the latest breaking news to analysis.

Beat writers and other important follows

Jim Wyatt, Titans Online (@jwyattsports)

Turron Davenport, ESPN (@T_DavenportNFL)

Erik Bacharach, Tennessean (@ErikBacharach)

Teresa Walker, Associated Press (@TeresaMWalker)

Paul Kuharsky, PaulKuharsky.com (@PaulKuharskyNFL)

John Glennon, Broadway Sports (@glennonsports)

Terry McCormick, Titan Insider (@terrymc13)

David Boclair, Sports Illustrated (@BoclairSports)

Buck Reising, AtoZ Sports Nashville (@BuckReising)

Luke Worsham, AtoZ Sports Nashville (@luke_worsham)

Crissy Froyd, Titans Wire (@crissy_froyd)

John Lowell, Titans Wire (@JohnLowellNFL)

Mike Herndon, Broadway Sports (@MikeMiracles)

Titans Film Room (@titansfilmroom)

Titans Tape (@TitansTape)

Justin Melo, The Draft Wire (@JustinM_NFL)

Titans247 (@NFL_Titans247)

Amie Wells, Titans Online (@TitansAmie)

Touchdown Wire, USA TODAY (@TheNFLWire)

USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports)

Titans Radio (@titansradio)

Allan Bell, CBS SportsLine (@AllanBell247)

For the latest breaking NFL news

Ian Rapoport, NFL Network (@RapSheet)

Adam Schefter, ESPN (@Adam Schefter)

Tom Pelissero, NFL Network (@TomPelissero)

Mike Garafolo, NFL Network (@MikeGarafolo)

Dianna Russini, ESPN (@diannaESPN)

NFL Update (@MySportsUpdate)

Best player accounts to follow

Titans players don’t do a lot of tweeting during training camp and the season, but these accounts are good follows nonetheless.

Taylor Lewan (@TaylorLewan77)

A.J. Brown (@Brown1arthur)

Derrick Henry (@KingHenry_2)

Ryan Tannehill (@ryantannehill1)

Kevin Byard (@KB31_Era)

Kenny Vaccaro (@kennyvaccaro)

Adoree’ Jackson (@AdoreeKnows)

Rodger Saffold (@Rodger_Saffold)

Dennis Kelly (@DennisKelly67)

Isaiah Wilson (@_LayZay_)

Kristian Fulton (@Kriss1_)

Darrynton Evans (@ItzLiveee)

Jonnu Smith (@Easymoney_81)

Corey Davis (@TheCDavis84)

Jeffery Simmons (@GrindSimmons94)

DaQuan Jones (@RidQulous98)

Malcolm Butler (@Mac_BZ)

Harold Landry (@HaroldLandry)

Jayon Brown (@JayonBrown12)

Brett Kern (@brettkern6)

Derick Roberson (@DerickJRoberson)

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