Tag: Calvin Ridley

Top WR tandems list ignores Titans’ key offseason addition

The Tennessee Titans were recently identified as an “honorable mention” in CBS Sports’ top WR tandems list, ignoring Tyler Boyd’s presence.

The Tennessee Titans certainly left no stone unturned when it came to addressing their wide receiver group this offseason. DeAndre Hopkins was the only wideout on the team last year who recorded more than 30 catches — 75 to be exact — on an overall underwhelming position group.

As such, the Titans were proactive in bolstering the wide receiver room to surround second-year quarterback Will Levis with a surplus of weapons. On paper, Tennessee’s wide receiver group is the best entering a season in quite some time.

However, one outlet is not completely sold.

Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports recently published his “Top WR tandems of 2024.” He has the Titans listed in his honorable mentions section.

Here is his analysis:

If it were 2018, this grouping might be top-five on the list. Hopkins is still a crisp route-runner, and Ridley can still fly. But injuries have already struck the former at age 32, and Ridley’s debuting in a new system.

While Benjamin notes the obvious, he omits the addition of Tyler Boyd, which certainly cannot be ignored. It’s not exactly a coincidence that the Titans’ offense clicked in Wednesday’s practice, with Boyd returning from a bruised foot.

The 29-year-old has yet to achieve the 1,000-yard mark since the 2019 season, aligning with the emergence of superstar wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase during his time with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Boyd, who signed a one-year contract in free agency, accumulated 667 yards last year, the lowest since his 2017 season. However, the former University of Pittsburgh standout does not need to be the leading receiver in Brian Callahan’s offense.

That likely belongs to Calvin Ridley or DeAndre Hopkins. Yes, the latter is recovering from a knee injury, but by all accounts, Hopkins should be good to go for Week 1 in Chicago.

No doubt about it: second-year quarterback Will Levis will spread the ball around, which could materialize into an overall positive season for the Titans.

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Watch: Titans’ Will Levis threads the needle

Titans quarterback Will Levis connects with Calvin Ridley on a highlight reel play.

The Tennessee Titans returned to the practice field Wednesday, with quarterback Will Levis and the offense taking center stage with some highlight-worthy plays.

Known for his big arm and grit, the second-year quarterback is still finding his rhythm with the revamped wide receiving corps. These struggles are understandable to a degree, with top target DeAndre Hopkins out with a knee injury and new addition Tyler Boyd battling through a bruised foot. Still, the struggles with prized free agent acquisition Calvin Ridley have caused some angst. Not on this play!

The play may only be a snapshot of what fans can expect from this passing game, especially when the receiving corps returns to full health. It should also be enough to stir some excitement. Levis has a strong arm that can make every throw on the field. When coupled with a talented group of wide receivers that have the skills to keep defensive coordinators up late, this offense has the potential to be something special. 

Creating chemistry with Ridley is a giant step for the quarterback and the offense. We will all see if that carries over when the team takes on New Orleans in the preseason finale, where the starters are said to play about three series, 

Riq Woolen continues to make plays at Seahawks-Titans joint practices

Riq Woolen continues to make plays at Seahawks-Titans joint practices

Another day, another post about Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen. Easily the breakout star at training camp this summer, Woolen looks revived after an up and down sophomore season as he heads into his third year.

This week, the Seahawks have been engaging in joint practices with the Tennessee Titans. I wrote on Wednesday about how Woolen was shutting down Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley. On Thursday, this trend continued with Woolen being the clear victor.

As I mentioned in the Wednesday article, Ridley is one of the better receivers in this league. Where Ridley excells is his route running. The fact Woolen has not only been able to keep up step for step against him, but outright beat him, is a remarkable thing to behold.

Head coach Mike Macdonald has already made it clear not many starters will play on Saturday against the Titans. So what we have witnessed for the last two days at camp may be our best indicators of how players like Woolen will handle the best Tennessee has to offer.

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Do Titans have one of the best RB-WR-WR trios in the NFL?

CBS Sports recently ranked the top RB-WR-WR trios in the NFL and the Tennessee Titans were among those who made the cut.

This offseason saw big changes for the Tennessee Titans, especially at the skill positions. While they decided to let Derrick Henry depart in free agency, they replaced him the Tony Pollard and added a big-name receiver in Calvin Ridley.

The move away from Henry should make the Titans more balanced headed into Will Levis’ sophomore season.

CBS Sports recently ranked the running back-wide receiver-wide receiver trios across the league and the Titans checked in at No. 10 overall with a trio of Tony Pollard, DeAndre Hopkins, and Calvin Ridley.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C-qCeEUxJl2/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Ironically, the Titans, Chicago Bears, and Houston Texans all acquired two of their three players at some point this offseason.

Obviously, there are major question marks regarding which version of Tony Pollard the Titans will be getting. However, if he plays anywhere close to the level he was playing at two years ago, the Titans are in for a top-15 running back in the league.

Adding Ridley to the mix is a huge upgrade for the Titans as they move Treylon Burks down on the depth chart. The combination of Ridley and Hopkins could certainly be one that does damage in 2024.

The ranking of the Titans’ trio doesn’t necessarily mean that the offense will improve in 2024. However, they have set up Levis to succeed in the TItans’ offense this season.

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Watch: Seahawks CB Riq Woolen clamps down on Titans WR Calvin Ridley

Watch: Seahawks CB Riq Woolen clamps down on Titans WR Calvin Ridley

For the first time since 1991, the Seattle Seahawks are engaging in a joint practice session. Today, they have taken the field against the Tennessee Titans ahead of their preseason game with them on Saturday.

It is fascinating to see these teams go at against one another in a non-game scenario, seeing how both are able to handle the other. One of the more interesting battles going on today has been the Seahawks’ secondary versus the Titans wide receivers. Tennessee has a talented receiving corps, such as former Falcons and Jaguars pass catcher Calvin Ridley.

Unfortunately for Mr. Ridley, he is not finding much success against Seattle’s Riq Woolen.

Riq Woolen has been one of the standouts at camp for the Seattle Seahawks this summer. An up and down sophomore season had some ponder if his rookie season was a one-hit-wonder. Woolen is doing everything in his power to prove this was not the case, and so far he seems to be succeeding in this endeavor.

Last season in Jacksonville, Ridley played in all 17 games, hauling in 76 receptions for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns. Needless to say he is still a rather talented receiver in this league. For Woolen to be making life difficult for him, even at practice, is no small feat.

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NFL analyst predicts Titans will make the playoffs in 2024

Despite having low expectations ahead of the season, one NFL analyst believes the Tennessee Titans will be a surprise playoff team in 2024.

With the NFL season inching closer by the day, it’s officially prediction season. For the Tennessee Titans, a team with low expectations entering the year, there aren’t many who are predicting them to be playoff-bound.

However, one NFL analyst believes the Titans will sneak into the playoffs as a wild card team.

Dakota Zientek of the Pro Football Network predicted the Titans as the seventh seed with a 9-8 record:

AFC South

  1. Houston Texans (13-4)
  2. Tennessee Titans (9-8)
  3. Jacksonville Jaguars (8-9)
  4. Indianapolis Colts (4-13)

After C.J. Stroud’s historic rookie season, he and the Texans return to a similar spot, winning the AFC South with a staggering 13-4 record. In Stroud’s sophomore season in the NFL, he leads the Texans to a league-leading 444 points and a point differential of +78 points.

In their first full season with Will Levis as the starting quarterback, the Titans make the playoffs, just squeezing in as the No. 7 seed.

Surprisingly, both the Jaguars and Colts ended the season with losing records, meaning neither team qualified for the postseason. While Anthony Richardson is expected to have a strong bounce-back season, this simulation had a different idea.

With Will Levis entering his sophomore season and first full season as the starting quarterback, the Titans offense is going to look much different.

After seeing long-time workhorse running back Derrick Henry sign with the Baltimore Ravens, the Titans added running back Tony Pollard in free agency. They also signed wide receiver Calvin Ridley, who should make for a strong wide receiving corps playing alongside DeAndre Hopkins.

The Titans’ offense will likely be much more pass-heavy than it has been in recent memory.

With a brand new coaching staff, the Titans are one of the more difficult teams to predict ahead of the season.

Of course, there are high expectations for the Houston Texans, who most believe will win the division. However, with the rest of the division being a mixed bag, it’s not out of the realm of possibility for the Titans to finish second in the division and sneak into the playoffs.

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Revamped Titans passing game offers fantasy hope

A revamped passing game and system offers fantasy promise.

Coming off another sub-.500 season, the Tennessee Titans fired head coach Mike Vrabel and didn’t re-sign longtime stalwarts like running back Derrick Henry and quarterback Ryan Tannehill. It felt like the end of an era as the club hired Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan to replace Vrabel and signed veteran wide receivers Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd to jumpstart a passing attack that ranked 29th in the NFL last year (180.4 yards/game) and hasn’t finished in the top 20 since 2011.

That duo joins three-time All-Pro WR DeAndre Hopkins and 2022 first-rounder Treylon Burks in a receiver room that now boasts talent and experience. Questions remain, however, as QB Will Levis enters 2024 as the starter following an uneven showing as a rookie — he threw four TDs in his debut and then managed just four scoring strikes over his remaining eight games. Behind him are QBs Mason Rudolph and Malik Willis, neither of whom have lit up scoreboards in limited opportunities.

So, with the caveat that improved play from Levis is crucial to Tennessee’s receivers delivering the goods for fantasy football owners, let’s look at what Tennessee has to work with this season.

CBS likes Titans QB Will Levis’ chances for success in 2024

Only one unproven non-rookie QB ranked ahead of Levis.

Longtime CBS NFL writer Pete Prisco had some major praise for Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis last week. Prisco said Levis compared favorably to Buffalo Bills star Josh Allen due to his physical traits.

Prisco wrote:

That quarterback is Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills. Like Allen, Levis didn’t have big-time completion numbers and accuracy was something many scouts said would hold him back. Like Allen, I thought he would get past it. I see a similar trajectory for Levis as Allen. Yes, that’s high praise, but I believe that’s where he is headed.

This offseason, Tennessee general manager Ran Carthon went all-in on his second-year quarterback. The Titans signed wide receivers Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd and running back Tony Pollard in free agency. Tennessee also added one of the NFL’s top centers, Lloyd Cushenberry. In the NFL draft, Tennessee used a top-10 pick on left tackle JC Latham.

Perhaps the most significant move was the hiring of former Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan as head coach. Callahan has a solid track record of working with young quarterbacks.

With these moves, some think Levis has an excellent shot at success in 2024. Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports recently ranked five unproven quarterbacks and their chances of success this season. Levis was ranked second, behind only Green Bay’s Jordan Love, who recently became one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in NFL history.

Arguably no team — outside of maybe Chicago — made more of an effort to surround their quarterback with talent than the Tennessee Titans. This offseason, the franchise spent big in free agency, adding receivers Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd to pair with DeAndre Hopkins, while also signing running back Tony Pollard. Then, the team invested in the offensive line, utilizing the No. 7 overall pick to bring aboard left tackle JC Latham.

That’s the type of surrounding cast that should make life easier for any quarterback and, so long as Levis himself takes a leap in Year 2, the Titans should be a far more competitive club. Levis did flash his potential after taking the starter job, including a four-touchdown performance in his first-ever start, but there were also some rookie lumps mixed in. After spending the entire offseason and summer preparing to be the full-time starter and Tennessee boosting the roster around him, Levis could surprise people with just how big of a leap he takes.

Former NFL star Dez Bryant with high praise for Titans WR Treylon Burks

Dez Bryant likes what he sees from Titans WR Treylon Burks.

In two NFL seasons, Tennessee Titans wide receiver Treylon Burks has just 49 receptions for 665 yards and one touchdown — in 21 career games.

To say the No. 18 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft is entering a make-or-break would be an understatement. This offseason, the Titans, tired of waiting for Burks to become a quality starting wide receiver, paid big money to Calvin Ridley in free agency and followed that up by also signing Tyler Boyd.

Two other things going against Burks: General manager Ran Carthon arrived one year after the Titans drafted Burks. Secondly, the Titans hired a new head coach this offseason (Brian Callahan) who has no investment in Burks.

Burks is in a similar position as cornerback Caleb Farley, minus the injuries.

A week into training camp, Burks’s performance has opened some eyes. One rep shared on social media caught the attention of former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant.

The former Dallas star was impressed.

The Titans are in a good position with Burks. They’ve added enough talent around him to not be dependent on him in 2024. Currently, Burks is Tennessee’s No. 4 wideout behind Ridley, DeAndre Hopkins, and Boyd. However, Burks’ combination of size and athleticism could help take the Titans’ offense to another level.

 

Titans WR Calvin Ridley injures ankle but returned to practice

Ridley suffered an ankle injury on Saturday, but Brian Callahan said he’s fine.

The Tennessee Titans have big plans for wide receiver Calvin Ridley. Tennessee signed Ridley to a four-year, $92 million contract in the offseason to serve as its No. 1 wide receiver.

Ridley suffered an ankle injury during the Titans’ open practice at Nissan Stadium on Saturday. The good news is that he returned to practice.

After practice, head coach Brian Callahan gave an update on Ridley:

“Calvin Ridley had a little slight ankle issue, he was out for a little bit,” Callahan said. “He came back; he was fine.”

That’s excellent news for Tennessee, which has avoided injuries during the first week of camp, outside of cornerback Chidobe Awuzie.

The Titans need Ridley on the field as he works on developing chemistry with Ridley. Levis threw his first interception of training camp on Saturday in a pass intended for Ridley. It was terribly underthrown. Ridley initially had his man beat but had to stop and wait on the football.