Tag: Cole McDonald

PFF ranks Titans’ backup QBs among worst in the NFL

The Titans have one of the worst backup quarterback situations in the NFL.

After having one of the best backup quarterback situations in the NFL last season, the Tennessee Titans are on the opposite side of the spectrum in 2020.

Last year, the Titans acquired Ryan Tannehill to be Marcus Mariota’s backup, and Tannehill eventually ended up replacing Mariota, leading to the Titans turning their season around and making a deep playoff run.

Tennessee went on to ink Tannehill to a four-year, $118 million extension after his sensational season, but also lost Mariota in free agency, leaving a less-than desirable situation behind the former No. 8 overall pick.

The Titans will have a competition for the position in training camp between Logan Woodside and 2020 seventh-round pick, Cole McDonald, two signal-callers who have never taken a regular season snap in the NFL.

Because of the lack of upside Woodside brings and the overall lack of experience he and McDonald have, it’s no surprise that the Titans’ backup quarterback situation was ranked as one of the worst in the NFL by Pro Football Focus’ Ian Hartitz, who placed the Titans at No. 31.

The Titans narrowly avoided being the league’s single-worst backup QB room by devoting at least a single draft pick to the group. As one of the few people on this planet who watched every AAF game back in the spring of 2019, I can assure you that Woodside is not an answer. He was largely out-played by backup QB Marquise Williams with the San Antonio Commanders. And then we have McDonald, who threw for 70 touchdowns and 8,032 yards during his three seasons at Hawaii. The dual-threat talent was selected in the seventh round and possesses a fun style of play, but to call him raw is a vast understatement. An injury to Ryan Tannehill would likely lead to an even more-robust workload for Derrick Henry.

For a team like the Titans that has Super Bowl aspirations and a starting quarterback with an injury history, the backup situation is a bit troubling. Should Tannehill miss any time with an injury, it could end up derailing Tennessee’s season.

That’s why Tennessee must consider bringing in a veteran backup option, which is something general manager Jon Robinson has hinted could be a possibility at some point.

However, the longer the Titans wait to do so, the less options they’ll have.

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Titans’ veteran backup QB options in free agency are dwindling

If any team knows how important a viable backup quarterback is, it’s the Titans.

With a lack of experience at the backup quarterback position behind Ryan Tannehill, the Tennessee Titans need to make a move to bring in a veteran option at some point before or during training camp.

General manager Jon Robinson hasn’t ruled out such a move, but it’s clear he’s willing to at least give the team’s current options a shot before pulling the trigger on anything.

If nothing changes, a competition will take place between Logan Woodside and 2020 seventh-round pick, Cole McDonald, two players who have never taken a regular season snap in the NFL.

That situation is troubling considering the Titans, a team that has Super Bowl aspirations in 2020, could see its season derailed if neither Woodside nor McDonald are capable backups and Tannehill has to miss even one game.

It’s important to note that Tannehill’s injury history is far from spotless. He missed three games in 2016, the entire campaign in 2017 and five games in 2018.

The only problem with waiting much longer is the fact that the options the Titans have are dwindling. Another potential option, Matt Moore, reportedly re-signed with the Kansas City Chiefs on Friday, taking him off the table.

From here, it’s pretty slim pickings. Here’s a look at the five-best options available on the open market at the moment.

  1. Blake Bortles
  2. Trevor Siemian
  3. Brandon Allen
  4. Drew Stanton
  5. Cody Kessler

Not exactly an intriguing group.

I place Bortles at the top of the list because of a combination of a big arm, athleticism and experience, including in the postseason.

The former No. 3 overall pick gives the Titans the best chance to continue running their offense if Tannehill goes down to injury for any length of time, and he could really thrive in the quarterback-friendly offense the Titans sport.

If any team knows just how important it is to have a viable backup quarterback after last season, it’s the Titans — and right now, we simply don’t know if Tennessee has that guy with both McDonald and Woodside being the definition of wild cards.

The Titans need to do something and fast, or they could be left with nothing.

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Titans QB Cole McDonald’s Madden 21 ratings revealed

Cole McDonald should be fun to use in Madden 21 based on his speed rating alone.

With Madden 21 set to be released on August 25, ratings for players are slowly being revealed, with rookie quarterbacks being up first — and Tennessee Titans quarterback Cole McDonald is obviously part of that group.

McDonald is tied atop the list of rookie quarterbacks in both speed (86) and acceleration (89), but his overall rating of 60 is in the middle of the pack.

Here’s a look at the most important ratings for McDonald, courtesy of the Madden 21 official site.

Speed: 86

Acceleration: 89

Agility: 80

Throw Power: 80

Throw Accuracy Short: 78

Throw Accuracy Medium: 75

Throw Accuracy Deep: 73

Play Action: 68

Throw on the Run: 78

Throw Under Pressure: 67

Stamina: 79

Toughness: 87

Based on McDonald’s speed rating alone, the Hawaii product could be some fun to play with. All in all, those ratings aren’t too bad to start for a seventh-round pick, and all ratings are updated as necessary during the season.

Of the rookie quarterbacks, Cincinnati Bengals signal-caller Joe Burrow has the highest overall (76), followed by the Miami Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa (73), the Green Bay Packers’ Jordan Love (71), the San Diego Chargers’ Justin Herbert (70) and the Philadelphia Eagles’ Jalen Hurts (68).

McDonald is set to compete for the Titans’ backup quarterback job behind Ryan Tannehill with Logan Woodside in training camp — and it’s a competition that should add a little spice to the team’s preseason.

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Titans ranked among teams least prepared to lose QB to COVID-19

Will the Titans add a veteran backup QB option before the start of the season?

You know we’ve gone full 2020 when the Tennessee Titans, along with the rest of the NFL, have to prepare for the possibility that their quarterback will catch COVID-19 and be forced to miss a game or two during the season.

Unfortunately, for the Titans, as it stands now, they are not in a good position to absorb such a blow.

In what really amounts to backup quarterback rankings, NJ.com’s Zack Rosenblatt ranked the Titans 30th out of 32 teams based on how prepared they are to replace their starting quarterback in the event he gets COVID-19.

30. Titans (Logan Woodside): The Titans went from one of the best QB situations (Ryan Tannehill/Marcus Mariota) to one of the worst. Tannehill was great last year, but what if that was an anomaly? Woodside has yet to throw an NFL pass since being drafted in the seventh round of 2018.

Pandemic or not, the Titans also have to keep in mind that Tannehill has missed his fair share of games during his career because of injury.

The former Miami Dolphins signal-caller missed three games in 2016, the entire season in 2017, and five games in 2018 — and as Titans fans know, a quarterback missing just one game can be the difference in a season.

As Rosenblatt points out, Woodside’s lack of experience is the reason he’s a major wild card. The Toldeo product has never taken a regular season snap, so we have no idea what to expect if he ever takes the field.

The only competition Woodside will face in camp is against 2020 seventh-round pick, Cole McDonald, who possesses an intriguing skill set but is still very raw and will need time to develop.

For a team with Super Bowl aspirations, a competition between Woodside and McDonald simply isn’t enough. The Titans need to have a better insurance policy.

General manager Jon Robinson would be wise to add a veteran to the mix at some point before or during camp in order to ensure he has the best man for the job. Thankfully, Robinson hasn’t ruled out doing so.

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Predictions for Titans’ biggest training camp competitions

Here’s a look at some predictions for how the Titans’ most important training camp battles will shake out.

The Tennessee Titans are going to have an interesting training camp later this month, as the team will have competitions at several different positions, with six in particular being the most important to watch.

As the start of training camp approaches on July 28, let’s take a look at each of the biggest training camp competitions set to take place and which players will emerge as the winners.

Right tackle

Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Titans are set to have a new starting right tackle in 2020 after Jack Conklin departed the team in free agency and signed with the Cleveland Browns.

After drafting Isaiah Wilson in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, general manager Jon Robinson made it clear that the rookie would battle it out with Dennis Kelly for the starting job.

Wilson will enter training camp at a disadvantage in this particular competition for a few reasons.

Not only did he not have the benefit of a mini-camp in June, he also doesn’t have experience in the Titans’ offense that Kelly has, nor does he have the trust of his coaches yet.

Kelly, who proved to be a viable starter in place of an injured Conklin in 2018, should come away with the job.

Prediction: Kelly wins the starting job.

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2020 Titans training camp QB preview: Chemistry and a competition

In our first positional training camp preview, we’re taking a look at the Titans’ quarterback situation.

While the Tennessee Titans have found themselves a starting quarterback for the foreseeable future in Ryan Tannehill, there are still things to be settled at the position when training camp begins on July 28.

Tannehill currently heads the Titans’ quarterback depth chart, with Logan Woodside and 2020 seventh-round pick Cole McDonald filling in behind him.

Let’s take a closer look at the starter and what he needs to work on in camp, as well as the competition behind him and the biggest question the Titans have to answer at the position.

The starter: Ryan Tannehill

(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

What he needs to work on: Chemistry with pass-catchers

The Titans locked Tannehill up with a four-year deal worth $118 million this offseason after he helped revive the offense and take Tennessee on a 7-3 run that turned a 2-4 start into a playoff berth in 2019.

In 2019, Tannehill didn’t have the benefit of getting a full complement of reps with the starting unit, as Marcus Mariota was the starter in training camp. That will obviously change in 2020.

Tannehill getting more reps with the starters in camp should help build chemistry, which will be important considering the Titans will have to spread the ball around more now that A.J. Brown is likely to receive extra attention from opposing defenses after a sensational rookie campaign.

One player Tannehill has talked about improving chemistry with is Corey Davis, so expect that to be a point of emphasis in camp. He has also been working with tight end Jonnu Smith regularly during the coronavirus pandemic, giving the pair a head start for getting on the same page.

Up until this point, Tannehill is doing everything right in terms of building chemistry, and it’s a process that will no doubt continue into training camp.

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Titans agree to terms with 7th-round pick Cole McDonald

Cole McDonald is the third 2020 NFL Draft pick of the Titans to sign.

The Tennessee Titans have inked their third of six 2020 NFL Draft picks.

According to Jim Wyatt of Titans Online, Tennessee has agreed to terms with seventh-round pick, quarterback Cole McDonald.

McDonald was taken No. 224 overall out of Hawaii and is one of two quarterbacks who will be vying for the backup job behind Ryan Tannehill, with Logan Woodside being the other.

The Titans have now agreed to terms with three of their 2020 NFL Draft picks, as both fifth-round pick, defensive lineman Larrell Murchison, and seventh-round pick, defensive back, Chris Jackson, have both also signed.

The three rookies who remain unsigned are first-round pick, offensive lineman Isaiah Wilson, second-round pick, cornerback Kristian Fulton and third-round pick, running back Darrynton Evans.

At this point last year, the Titans had all of their draft picks signed, but it doesn’t come as much of a surprise that things are different this year with the coronavirus impacting all aspects of life.

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Titans OC Arthur Smith avoids question about adding veteran backup QB

Who will play backup to Tannehill?

The Tennessee Titans have struggled at quarterback — both backup and starter — for much of recent history.

But the team seems to have finally gotten it together at the position after the success Ryan Tannehill had when he was named the starter over Marcus Mariota in Week 7 of last season.

The Titans never looked back, and were tasked with finding the right man to put at the No. 2 spot when Mariota departed to the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason.

As expected, the backup spot behind Tannehill is anticipated to be taken by rookie Cole McDonald or former Alliance of American Football signal-caller Logan Woodside.

Woodside technically has the edge in experience, though he’s yet to take a regular season snap.

McDonald, a seventh-round pick from the 2020 NFL Draft, may be a rookie, but could overtake Woodside based on physical traits. Woodside doesn’t exactly wow anyone with his size at 6-foot-1 and 213 pounds.

Smith is looking forward to seeing how much Woodside has progressed.

“I’m excited to see when we get on the field how much he’s grown,” he said.

In a situation like this, it’s plausible for a team to add a more seasoned player the position.

Smith didn’t directly answer the question when asked if the team could potentially add a veteran presence, saying that he wants to see Woodside and McDonald compete for the time being.

It will be interesting to see how things ultimately shake out at the position as the Titans prepare to make another Super Bowl run this season.

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Breaking down Tennessee Titans backup QB option Logan Woodside

What does Logan Woodside bring to the table for the Titans?

The Tennessee Titans seem to have found their match at quarterback in former Miami Dolphins signal-caller Ryan Tannehill, but history has shown the backup position also holds a lot of weight for the team.

The Titans have two other quarterbacks currently on roster ⁠— Logan Woodside and a newly drafted Cole McDonald.

Here’s a look into the former.

Pros 

Woodside’s abilities at the NFL level remain mostly unknown considering we’ve only seen him play in the preseason.

But he did make a splash in the short-lived Alliance of American Football, tying quarterback Garrett Gilbert for the most big-time throws at one point. So, we know Woodside has the ability to come in clutch for his team.

Between his time in the league and his college career at Toledo, Woodside appeared to have the mental makeup a team looks for in a quarterback, showing leadership ability and the ability to anticipate routes and get his receivers open.

He finished out the season, which ended prematurely when the league folded, with a completion percentage of nearly 58 percent for 1,385 yards, with seven touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Woodside also carried the ball 26 times for 45 yards, fumbling once.

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Titans’ Logan Woodside talks backup QB competition, Cole McDonald

Logan Woodside is eager to work with Cole McDonald.

Tennessee Titans quarterback Logan Woodside is entering his third season in the NFL, and it’s by far the biggest of his young career as he’ll have a chance to compete for the backup quarterback job behind Ryan Tannehill.

In 2019, the backup job was already taken by Tannehill, who eventually went on to become the team’s starter over Marcus Mariota.

The best shot Woodside had at making the roster was to be the third string behind Tannehill and Mariota, but he ended up landing on the practice squad instead. His season would later come to an end early thanks to an elbow injury.

Woodside did show some flashes during the preseason, though, which certainly gives him something to build on in 2020.

This year there is no clear-cut backup on the Titans’ roster, which leaves an opening for Woodside to make the team as the No. 2 quarterback.

However, he’ll first have to deal with a competition in training camp with seventh-round pick, Cole McDonald, and there’s a chance the Titans add a veteran signal-caller to the mix at some point before camp.

Regardless, according to Jim Wyatt of Titans Online, Woodside sees the chance to become the team’s backup as “a big opportunity”.

“It is definitely a big opportunity, and I am very grateful that the Titans have invested some time in me,” Woodside said. “The best thing I can do is control what I can control and that is my attitude – study the game, and put in the preparation. With all those things, you have to try and find a way to be successful.”

Until he can return to the practice facility, Woodside has been working out at home. Wide receiver A.J. Brown recently revealed he and Woodside have also been getting together to practice, and the Ole Miss product recently endorsed his workout mate on Twitter.

While McDonald could potentially derail his quest to become the backup, Woodside says he’s eager to get to work with the rookie, who he has watched tape of.

“I am excited for him and for all the rookies to get here and get to work,” Woodside said. “I’ve seen good tape on him and I’m excited to get to work with him.”

Woodside has the slight edge in experience over McDonald based on the fact that he has played in preseason games and knows the Titans’ offense, but the Toledo product has still never taken a regular season snap.

What Woodside doesn’t have is the kind of skill set McDonald brings to the table. The Hawaii product has great size, a strong arm and the kind of elite athleticism that Woodside doesn’t; although the progress McDonald makes on fixing his throwing motion could make or break him.

There’s no telling which way this competition will go, but there’s no question it adds a bit more intrigue to training camp and the preseason.

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