Titans offseason preview at safety: Pending free agents, biggest needs

In our latest offseason preview for the Titans, we take a look at the safety position.

The Tennessee Titans transitioned to somewhat of a new era at the safety position last season after parting ways with a long-time starter.

Tennessee traded Kevin Byard to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for Terrell Edmunds and two picks in the 2024 NFL draft, one in the fifth and one in the sixth.

At the time, the trade didn’t look all that great, but it looks a whole hell of a lot better after Byard struggled during his 11-game stint with the Eagles, which has led to him being named a cut candidate in 2024.

The reason I said “somewhat of a new era” at safety is because the Titans still had Byard’s running mate, Amani Hooker, who had a solid season but failed to stay healthy for the entire campaign once again.

Tennessee deployed a combination of K’Von Wallace and Elijah Molden in Byard’s stead. Molden was OK in his first season at the position and Wallace was better than expected after being claimed off waivers.

In our latest offseason preview for the Titans, we take a look at the pending free agents, those under contract and what Tennessee’s biggest needs are at the position going into the 2024 offseason.

All contract information courtesy of Over the Cap.

Former Saints draft pick, Alabama football star takes high-profile college coaching job

Former Saints draft pick and Alabama football star Vinnie Sunseri has taken a high-profile college coaching job at Washington:

Here’s some good news for a former New Orleans Saints draft pick: Vinnie Sunseri has taken a high-profile college coaching job as the Washington Huskies safeties coach, where he’ll be tasked with developing the next generation of defensive backs at a West Coast powerhouse with national championship ambitions.

Things have come full circle. Sunseri was a standout at Alabama during his own college playing career, and Alabama’s decision to hire Washington’s former head coach Kalen DeBoer led to a lot of turnover for the Huskies coaching staff.

Sunseri, 32, was picked by the Saints in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL draft. But he struggled to get on the field after dealing with a series of injuries. He finished his NFL playing career with the New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers.

After hanging up his cleats, Sunseri began a coaching career at Alabama as a graduate assistant; he returned to the Patriots in 2020 to get more experience, where he first worked with the defense before moving to the offensive side of the ball for three years coaching running backs. Now he’s going back to his roots with much more responsibility under new Washington head coach Jedd Fisch.

The job comes with high expectations. Washington is fresh off a national title bid, and the school has sent many defensive backs to the NFL draft in recent years; Trent McDuffie and Kyler Gordon were both top-50 picks in 2022, while Elijah Molden was selected at No. 100 overall (followed by Keith Taylor in the fifth round) in 2021. Byron Murphy and Taylor Rapp were each second-round picks in 2019 with Jordan Miller also drafted in the fifth round. Sunseri will be charged with recruiting and developing players to follow in their footsteps. Good luck to him.

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Case Keenum throws pick-six to Titan DB Elijah Molden

Elijah Molden with a huge play for the Tennessee defense

The Houston Texans are missing rookie QB C.J. Stroud against the Tennessee Titans.

All the experience Case Keenum brought to the starting QB job didn’t prevent the veteran from making a huge mistake on Sunday.

Keenum threw a pass and it connected with Titans DB Elijah Molden, who returned it 45 yards for a pick-six.

Titans injury updates: Treylon Burks, Elijah Molden, Teair Tart

Titans head coach Mike Vrabel provided injury updates on Teair Tart, Elijah Molden and Treylon Burks.

While the Tennessee Titans didn’t have a game in Week 7 thanks to a bye, the team did practice during the week and saw the return of one of their wide receivers.

During his media availability on Tuesday, Titans head coach Mike Vrabel revealed wideout Treylon Burks, who has missed the last three games because of a knee injury, practiced in full last week.

Defensive back Elijah Molden (hamstring) and defensive lineman Teair Tart (toe) have both missed multiple games in a row, also, but are expected to practice on Tuesday.

Tennessee won’t release an injury report until Wednesday, so their exact participation levels won’t be known until then.

Molden’s return becomes a bit more important this week, as the 2021 third-round pick may take on a bigger role at safety now that Kevin Byard has been traded to Philadelphia.

Along with Molden, the Titans will take a look at safety Terrell Edmunds, who was acquired in the Byard trade with the Eagles.

Tart’s return will be a boost to a run defense that hasn’t been its elite self in his absence. The Titans could use all the help they can get at receiver with either Malik Willis or Will Levis likely to start in place of an injured Ryan Tannehill.

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Titans injury updates at the bye week

The latest updates on the Titans’ most notable injuries going into the bye week.

Not only did the Tennessee Titans have four players ruled out for their Week 6 game against the Baltimore Ravens, but at least three other players suffered injuries during the contest.

The players ruled out ahead of the game were wide receiver Treylon Burks (knee), defensive back Elijah Molden (hamstring), defensive lineman Teair Tart (toe) and linebacker Luke Gifford (hamstring).

The three Titans who sustained injuries and left Sunday’s game in London early were tight end Josh Whyle (concussion), wide receiver Chris Moore (concussion) and quarterback Ryan Tannehill (ankle).

The good news for Tennessee is that the bye comes in Week 7, which gives the aforementioned players a little extra time to get right ahead of the Week 8 game against the Atlanta Falcons in Nashville.

On top of providing the latest updates on those players, we’ll also be taking a look at the guys who are on injured reserve and the physically unable to perform list.

Titans’ Elijah Molden admits having a lot on his plate in training camp

When asked about playing multiple positions (including a new one) in camp, Molden said, “it’s been good” but that “stuff is starting to pile up.”

Tennessee Titans SAFETY Elijah Molden has become somewhat of a forgotten man this offseason — and that’s right, I called him a safety.

That’s because Molden showed up on the Titans’ first unofficial depth chart of 2023 at safety, the first time that has happened during his career.

He was slotted in behind starting safety Kevin Byard, which may mean he’ll be the first man off the bench if someone gets hurt in that spot.

While not a total surprise given the fact he’s been getting reps at safety this offseason, it was one of the bigger things to stand out from the first depth chart.

Now, getting back to the forgotten part: Molden proved to be very effective out of the slot in his first season, with the Washington product finishing with league-best numbers among rookie corners, and he more than held his own when compared against the rest of the NFL at his position.

Despite that, Molden, who is coming off an injury-plagued second season, hasn’t been projected to be the top slot cornerback in Tennessee this offseason.

Instead, that distinction goes to second-year cornerback, Roger McCreary, who gained valuable experience during his rookie year after playing a league-high 1,165 snaps, albeit on the outside.

Because of his lack of length, the thought is McCreary is best suited on the inside, and it’s clear the Titans might be thinking the same after the Auburn product recently discussed his potential move to the slot.

If that’s the plan, Molden seems like he might be without a home, although it certainly isn’t out of the question he still sees time in the slot, also, especially given Tennessee’s history of playing a safety like Amani Hooker there.

As his future remains cloudy to the rest of us, Molden has been all over in training camp, which includes his learning an entirely new position. When asked how that’s all going, Molden hinted that it is a bit overwhelming and noted the importance of compartmentalizing things.

“It’s been good, stuff is starting to pile up,” Molden admitted, per AtoZ Sports Nashville. “I’ve got to be good just kind of compartmentalizing everything. I make mistakes, but I feel like as long as I don’t make the same mistakes and I keep learning from what I’m doing, I’ll be in a good spot.”

When asked how he compartmentalizes everything, Molden revealed that’s something he’s trying to figure out as he goes.

“I’m trying to figure out, same as you,” he said. “I feel like it starts with just kind of the type of notes I take, and then whatever position I’m in there, just try and not do too much, just do my job and then go from there.”

Byard recently touched on Molden’s work in camp, and he even said the young defensive back “has a lot on his plate” but noted Molden has “been great” working at three positions.

“He’s still learning,” Byard said, per Buck Reising of AtoZ Sports. “But I think he’s been really good. And at times, this guy has a lot on his plate. Sometimes as a veteran, you’ve got to help him out a little bit.

“Some things that he may not be thinking about at the time, I try to help him out as much as possible. But like I said, he’s been great learning all three positions that he’s probably going to be playing, so I look forward to him keep getting better.”

It’s clear Molden has a lot on his plate — and maybe too much — going into his third season, which can sometimes be more of a negative than a positive for a young player.

However, I don’t think the Titans would put him in that spot if they didn’t think he could handle it.

While it remains to be seen where Molden will end up, the fact that the Titans are giving him a look at safety is a good thing.

After all, the futures of both Hooker and Byard are up in the air beyond this season and Molden could serve as an in-house replacement should one or both be gone in 2024.

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Titans DC Shane Bowen talks Kristian Fulton, slot CB, strip sacks

Titans DC Shane Bowen praised Kristian Fulton, mentioned strip sacks as a point of emphasis, and touched on the situation at slot cornerback.

Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Shane Bowen spoke to the media for the first time in training camp on Tuesday and touched on a number of topics, including cornerbacks Elijah Molden and Krisitan Fulton, and the need for the defense to force more turnovers.

On Fulton, Bowen praised the fourth-year corner much like head coach Mike Vrabel did recently, but also like Vrabel, Bowen noted that consistency is key for the LSU product.

“I think he came back ready to go,” Bowen said of Fulton, per AtoZ Sports. “I think this is probably the best shape he’s been in since he’s been here. He looks stronger, looks more physical, looks in condition.

“I think the addition of [DeAndre] Hopkins is huge for him, just from the competition aspect of it,” he added. “Again, it’s always been for Kristian — and we tell him this — is the consistency, right? Play in and play out. And to have that competition play in and play out out here in practice, it requires a high level of focus to be able to go out and execute and do what we’re asking him to do and ultimately end up winning the one-on-one versus a guy like that. Hopefully, that continues with him; he’s off to a great start right now. It’s a big year for him, he knows that, we know that.”

The expectation for the entire offseason has been that Roger McCreary would take over the slot role, where many believe he’s better suited thanks to his lack of length.

But the problem with automatically assuming that is the presence of Elijah Molden, who was plagued by injury last year but was no doubt an impact player out of the slot in his first season.

Bowen noted that while McCreary is getting a look on the inside in 2023, who will ultimately play there will be determined over the next month.

“[Molden is] a nickel only for us at the corner position, so I think that’s something as we kind of go through this fall and we kind of see where [Roger McCreary] is at, how Rog is handling things as we go,” he said, according to Paul Kuharsky.

“Ultimately, our job is to get the best 11 on the field. We’ve got to kind of evaluate that throughout these next few weeks, see where we’re at. They’re going to get reps — Roger is going to get reps outside, Elijah’s been getting reps inside at nickel some, he’s getting plenty of reps at safety because that’s kind of the new thing for him. So, in terms of his development, I think that’s important. So, we’ll kind of see where it plays out.”

After a season in which the Titans finished tied for 20th in takeaways, Bowen mentioned how turnovers are a point of emphasis for the defense this offseason, especially when it comes to the pass-rush getting strip sacks.

“A strip sack is better than a sack always,” Bowen said, according to Teresa Walker of the Associated Press. “24 of the top 26 fumblers in the NFL are quarterbacks.

“We’ve got to find ways to effect the game. The front has a way they can do it, the back-end has a way they can do it, the linebackers have a way they can do it, and upfront it is put pressure on [quarterbacks] and seeing if we can get the ball off them. The back-end plays a role too; they’ve got to get them to hold it, they’ve got to be in tight coverage, all of the things that come into play. But those are opportunities we can’t miss. We’ve missed too many over the years where we’ve had opportunities to attack the football instead of just going for the sack at times, and we’ve got to make sure we’re making that emphasis that the ball is the issue. The sacks will come, but we need to make sure we’re attacking the football.”

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Titans defensive backs praise Chris Harris’ coaching, energy

The impact of Titans DBs coach Chris Harris has been very apparent throughout the offseason.

We got our first look (and listen) at the kind of energy new Tennessee Titans defensive backs coach Chris Harris brings to the team during the offseason program via a mic’d up clip that was shared on social media.

Since then, multiple Titans defensive backs have pointed to Harris as a nice new addition to the coaching staff during training camp, including Titans safety Kevin Byard and cornerback Elijah Molden.

“One thing I would say, just having Chris Harris around, our DB coach, he’s a really good coach,” Byard said, according to Kayla Anderson of 104.5 The Zone. “Really like his energy, love the things we’re doing, as far as in the secondary, some different things we’re going to do.

“Brings me a lot of confidence, honestly. Me and Amani (Hooker) talk about it a lot, some things that we’re doing. We see a lot of plays being made on that back end, and we’ve set lofty goals for ourselves,” Byard added.

“As bad as we were last year, we can’t do nothing but go up, and we plan on going really, really, really high.”

“We love having him, we have a lot of fun. I’ve learned a lot from him, just football stuff,” Molden said, per ESPN’s Turron Davenport. “He’s a great leader, so I can’t wait to continue to be coached by him.”

So far in training camp, Tennessee’s defense has stood out more than the offense, with the secondary playing a part in that.

As Byard pointed out, the Titans have nowhere to go but up from here after sporting the league’s worst pass defense in 2022 based on passing yards allowed per contest.

Harris should help to improve that, but health will really be the determining factor in how much better this unit is in 2023.

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Titans’ biggest winners from the offseason program

Titans QB Malik Willis needed at least a small victory ahead of training camp, and he got it during the offseason program.

While things certainly haven’t been quiet for the Tennessee Titans in the last few days, we are in what I call the dog days of the NFL offseason, when teams are on break in between the offseason program and training camp.

The Titans completed their offseason program on June 15, when the team held its final practices of OTAs. Prior to that, Tennessee held mandatory minicamp, which was the first time this year we saw several players, including veteran safety Kevin Byard.

Various players on both sides of the ball made standout plays in practice, but for the purpose of picking winners from the offseason program, we’re mainly looking at guys who routinely stood out, while also factoring in other things.

Without further ado, a look at the biggest winners from the Titans’ offseason program, a group that is carrying a little extra momentum ahead of training camp, which begins on July 25.

Titans’ Elijah Molden talks injury-plagued 2022, getting reps at safety

Titans DB Elijah Molden spoke about his injury-riddled 2022 season and how he’s been getting reps at safety this offseason.

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Tennessee Titans cornerback Elijah Molden had an impressive rookie season in 2021 after being selected by the Titans in the third round of the draft that year, but his career hit the skids due to injury in 2022.

Molden was placed on injured reserve prior to the start of the season with a groin injury, returned for two games, and then found himself back on IR because of the same issue, ending his season.

As the Washington product told Jim Wyatt of Titans Online, not being able to get on the field with his teammates was “really tough” for him.

“It’s been really tough,” Molden admitted. “It’s hard to explain. I feel like my family and a couple of other people really know what was going in and the deal behind everything. I just want to put it behind me, really. I am feeling a lot better now and I am definitely on the up-and-coming, and the Titans have been really helpful in the transition from rehab to action and now back on the field practicing.”

“I’m just really happy to be out here and have some fun again,” he added. “Starting to feel healthy and all those things … I’m starting to come back and feel like myself again.”

Molden is feeling more comfortable overall going into Year 3, but not too comfortable. The way he avoids that, he says, is learning a new position, which head coach Mike Vrabel previously revealed was safety.

While the 24-year-old was billed mostly as a slot corner coming out and played there during his rookie campaign, he was also thought to have the ability to play safety if need be, something the Titans are rightly exploring.

“There is (a comfort level), but at the same time I am trying to elevate my game,” he said. “I don’t ever really want to come in and be lackadaisical or too comfortable. So, what that means to me is learning a new position and testing the limits every day.”

“In this league, it’s like the more versatile you are, the more you’re able to help out and be able to play anywhere,” Molden added.

While Tennessee’s defense figures to be strong if healthy, the team is lacking depth at a few spots, with safety being among them.

Adding to that, one of their starters at the position, Amani Hooker, has dealt with injuries the last few seasons, which makes having depth at that particular spot even more important.

If Molden can successfully add the position to his repertoire, not only will he help his team in that regard, he’ll also help himself see the field more if the Titans’ plan is to deploy Roger McCreary in the slot primarily.

Not to mention, if Tennessee decides to part ways with Hooker or Kevin Byard next offseason for whatever reason, the team will have an in-house solution in Molden.

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