Tag: Jeffery Simmons

Titans 2020 training camp preview: What to expect from the DL

Who is going to make the cut along the Titans’ defensive line in 2020?

After previewing every Tennessee Titans offensive position group, we’re now moving on to the defense and starting with the defensive line.

The Titans saw a major subtraction from the group upfront this offseason after trading Jurrell Casey to the Denver Broncos. As a result, there will be a competition for snaps in training camp.

Here’s a look at the roster locks on the defensive line, players on the bubble at the position, and a prediction for how things will shake out.

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

Roster locks

Jeffery Simmons

DaQuan Jones

Larrell Murchison

Jack Crawford

Isaiah Mack

Analysis for Jones and Simmons: Two players are already locked-in as starters from this group in Jones and Simmons, both of whom were impressive last season.

Jones had his best season as a pro in 2019, grading out as the No. 30 interior defensive lineman, per PFF. He particularly excelled in run defense, but wasn’t great at generating pressure on passing plays.

Simmons will be tasked with taking the torch from Casey, who was a stalwart on Tennessee’s defense for nine seasons.

The good news for Simmons is that he’ll have the benefit of a full training camp in his second season, which wasn’t the case in his rookie campaign with him having to rehab from a torn ACL.

Simmons made it clear he wasn’t comfortable at his playing weight last year, so his focus was on dropping weight this offseason with the hope that it would help improve his play.

Judging from a recent photo, Simmons looks to be in great shape.

Competition analysis: A competition for snaps will take place between Mack, Crawford and Murchison, all of whom have flashed pass-rush skills in the past. That’s important to point out because the Titans struggled to generate much of a pass-rush from their defensive line last season.

The player who can stand out the most in that area has the best chance to dominate snaps — and each player from this trio has shown in the past that they have the potential to make a dent in 2020.

Mack totaled one sack last preseason and followed that up with 1.5 in limited action during the regular season. Crawford had his best season in 2018 when he started a career-high 11 games and finished with a career-high six sacks.

Murchison, who is known for his high motor, looks to have the chops to be an effective interior pass-rusher after he totaled 11 sacks in two years at NC State, although there’s no telling how far along the rookie will be when training camp arrives thanks to an abbreviated offseason.

No matter who emerges from this group — Mack and Crawford are the favorites — all three will be on the initial 53-man roster, and it’s quite possible we see a rotation at the final starting spot on the defensive line.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3

Sports Illustrated names Titans’ biggest weakness going into 2020

Do the Titans have enough to improve their pass-rush in 2020?

Tennessee Titans general manager Jon Robinson has done his best to plug the few holes the team had going into this offseason, but the Titans still have a few weaknesses to be concerned about.

Sports Illustrated’s Connor Orr believes the team’s biggest weakness ahead of the 2020 campaign is at EDGE.

EDGE: Vic Beasley is a new face in Tennessee. It will be worth watching to see how Mike Vrabel can elevate the former Falcons first-round pick who, it seems, is forever removed from a breakout 15.5 sack season in 2016. Jeffery Simmons was a valuable asset down the stretch and will now have a full season (and professional offseason) to build upon. The Titans didn’t blitz particularly well last year but almost didn’t need to, given how strong they were with basic three- and four-man pressures (Tennessee rushed just three on 18% of their snaps, which was the fourth-biggest frequency in the NFL). I’m also oddly interested to see how Kamelei Correa does in his third season after moving from 35% of Tennessee’s snaps in 2018 to almost half a year ago.

I’d also argue that kicker is another huge weakness for Tennessee after the team sported the league’s worst field goal unit in 2019.

A competition for starting kicker between Greg Joseph, who doesn’t have much experience and only attempted one field goal last season, and UDFA Tucker McCann simply isn’t enough to instill confidence that the issue will get fixed when training camp wraps up.

Beyond the addition of Vic Beasley, who has shown tremendous potential in the past, and the re-signing of Kamalei Correa, who totaled four sacks in the Titans’ final five regular season games and two more in the playoffs, Tennessee might not be done at EDGE.

The team continues to monitor the situation with Jadeveon Clowney and remains one of the favorites to sign him. Adding Clowney would certainly put the Titans over the top at the position.

The pass-rush from the defensive line is also a concern, just as it was last season. An already lackluster pass-rush upfront must now overcome the loss of Jurrell Casey, who was traded to the Denver Broncos this offseason.

If the Titans don’t end up signing Clowney, they’re going to need significant contributions from guys like Beasley, Correa, Harold Landry and Jeffery Simmons in order to improve the pass-rush.

Tennessee also has some wild cards at EDGE with Derick Roberson and D’Andre Walker, and along the defensive line with 2020 fifth-round pick Larrell Murchison and 2019 UDFA, Isaiah Mack.

[lawrence-related id=38197,38176,38053]

[vertical-gallery id=37148]

Biggest question for each Titans defensive starter in 2020

One question for every Titans projected defensive starter in 2020.

As is the case on offense, the Tennessee Titans will be returning the vast majority of their starting defense in 2020.

When training camp begins, a starting spot on the defensive line will be up for grabs, and the Titans will also have to decide who will man the slot cornerback position with Logan Ryan now gone.

Here’s one question for each player we project to be a starter, and we’ve also included one for the projected slot cornerback, as it’s an important position that carries a question mark for the team in 2020.

DE Jack Crawford

Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Can Crawford fend off the youngsters?

It remains to be seen which defensive lineman will join Jeffery Simmons and DaQuan Jones for the majority of snaps in 2020, but Crawford has to be the early favorite because of his experience.

Crawford will have to fend off 2019 UDFA Isaiah Mack and 2020 fifth-round pick Larrell Murchison for snaps. Chances are this will be a committee situation throughout the course of the 2020 campaign, though.

The player who can best improve the pass-rush, which was a big issue for the defensive line last season, will likely win the majority of snaps here.

NT DaQuan Jones

(Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

Will Jones play his way into a new contract?

There’s no question Jones had arguably his best season as a pro in 2019, but there is some uncertainty surrounding the big man, as he’s in the last year of his contract and will turn 29 in December.

After what happened to Jurrell Casey, nobody is safe. If Jones wants any shot at staying in Nashville, he’s going to have to play out of his mind this coming season.

Chances are Jones will play out the 2020 campaign and then hit the open market in 2021, where it’s possible he’ll move on from Nashville.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6

7 Tennessee Titans 25 and under who could become stars in 2020

This list shows that the future is bright in Tennessee.

One of the areas Tennessee Titans general manager Jon Robinson has thrived in during his tenure in Nashville is adding young talent through the NFL Draft.

Don’t believe me? Just take a look at all the players who are 25 or younger that have a legitimate shot to become stars in 2020 — and if not next season, perhaps a little further down the road.

When looking at this list, one thing is very clear: the future is bright for the Titans.

A.J. Brown (22)

Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Brown is on the precipice of becoming a superstar player in the NFL if he can keep his late 2019 production up for an entire 16-game slate.

The Ole Miss product was up-and-down during the first six weeks of his rookie campaign, but really exploded once Ryan Tannehill took over the starting job in Week 7.

From that point on, Brown totaled 778 of his 1,051 yards, four of his five 100-yard games, and seven of his nine total touchdowns.

Pro Football Focus had him graded as the third-best receiver in the entire NFL in that span, and there’s no question he should have finished higher than third in the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year voting.

Now that Tannehill is entrenched as the starter for a full season, there’s reason to believe that Brown can put up ridiculous numbers and be among the league leaders in receiving yards in 2020, which would certainly solidify him as a star in this league.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7

Titans’ Jeffery Simmons talks playing Jurrell Casey’s role, rookie season, more

Simmons is prepared to do whatever the Titans expect of him in 2020.

The Tennessee Titans completely turned their season around last year after a 2-4 start, and will aim to make another Super Bowl run this year.

The team has undergone a good amount of changes since the beginning of last year, but still has the important pieces intact and even more players to be excited about in 2020.

One of those is former Mississippi State defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons, who recovered much faster than anticipated from an ACL injury, and is poised to be an impact player this season.

Simmons discussed a host of topics with reporters on a conference call this week, including his versatility and how it will come into play after the departure of veteran Jurrell Casey.

Simmons also fielded questions on his weight and how it affected his rehab.

Simmons has been able to work out at the facility, doing rehab as well as working out with some friends on other teams.

In his first season with the Titans, Simmons appeared in nine games, totaling 27 tackles, 13 solo, two sacks and one pass defensed.

It will be interesting to watch how an even healthier Simmons will step into a larger role as head coach Mike Vrabel plays a heavier hand in the defense when the Titans return to the football field.

Jeffery Simmons listed as Tennessee Titans’ most underappreciated player

Titans fans certainly appreciate what Jeffery Simmons brings to the table.

Despite having to recover from a torn ACL, Tennessee Titans defensive lineman and 2019 first-round pick Jeffery Simmons still made a significant impact in his rookie season.

Simmons ended up playing in nine games during the regular season, recording 32 combined tackles and two sacks. He also added three combined tackles and recovered a fumble in three playoff games.

What didn’t show up on the stat sheet was just how much of a disrupter Simmons was upfront, both in the pass-rush and against the run. He also brings the perfect level of nasty to Tennessee’s defense.

In a list of the most underappreciated player from each team in the league by NFL.com’s Cynthia Frelund, Simmons was the pick for the Titans.

The only AFC rookie to appear on this list is a player you need to know. Simmons’ ACL injury caused him to miss the first six games of the Titans’ season in 2019, but his ability to shut down potential rushers and pressure opposing passers in the back half of the campaign was huge for Tennessee. I put his contributions in that order because, with Jurrell Casey being traded to Denver, Simmons will be counted on by Mike Vrabel and Co. to be the Titans’ primary run stopper. I’m not too concerned about the 6-foot-4, 305-pounder filling that role, considering my computer vision already ranked him among the top 13 interior defenders in the league. He also has the potential to be an elite pass rusher — PFF credited him with three pressures on 11 rushes in his NFL debut (Week 7 vs. Chargers), which is ridiculous and unsustainable, but still a fun figure.

I can’t speak for the rest of the country, but I know those within the Titans’ fan base greatly appreciate what Big Jeff brings to the table and believe he can be a star in this league.

In 2020, Simmons will be tasked with taking the torch from Jurrell Casey, who was a stalwart on the Titans’ defensive line for nine seasons.

As good as Simmons was in his rookie campaign, he should be even better in his sophomore season now that he’ll have the benefit of a full training camp and has shed the knee brace that limited him a bit.

Tennessee will need the Mississippi State product to be at his best if the defense is going to see an improvement from its interior pass-rush, which was a major issue overall last season.

[lawrence-related id=34600,34549,34518]

5 Tennessee Titans who should take a major step forward in 2020

These five Titans are primed to take a major step forward in 2020.

The Tennessee Titans had a sensational 2019 season that ended with a trip to the AFC Championship Game, and that was without the team getting the very best out of some really important players.

While the five players on this list all made a significant impact and were certainly good, you can point to at least one thing that might have held each of them back from being even better.

The rest of the league should be scared of just how good the Titans can be if these five players take a major step forward like we expect them to in 2020.

DL Jeffery Simmons

Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

At this time last year, defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons was still rehabbing from a torn ACL he suffered prior to the 2019 NFL Draft in the hopes that he could at least make some impact in his rookie season.

Simmons ended up returning ahead of schedule and was no doubt a key contributor to the Titans’ defense en route to an AFC Championship Game run later in the season.

Now that Simmons will have an entire offseason to get ready and has shed his knee brace in workouts, the former first-round pick, who flashed being dominant upfront, should make even more of an impact and become a true star in 2020.

The departure of Jurrell Casey also means that Simmons will be in his natural position, which should only help his cause in his sophomore campaign.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5

Watch: Tennessee Titans wish moms a Happy Mother’s Day

A very special Mother’s Day message from the Tennessee Titans.

With Sunday being a special day, Tennessee Titans players recorded a video wishing all the moms out there a Happy Mother’s Day.

Included in the video are quarterback Ryan Tannehill, running back Darrynton Evans, defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons and safety Kevin Byard.

Each player not only thanked their own mothers, but all of those out there who make an incredible sacrifice to help guide their children in life.

Check it out.

From all of us at Titans Wire, we want to wish all the moms out there a very special Happy Mother’s Day. This is your day, so enjoy it!

[lawrence-related id=33875,33864,33837]

Titans’ Jeffery Simmons named as breakout candidate for 2020

Jeffery Simmons will take the torch from Jurrell Casey.

After coming back from an ACL tear in just eight months, Tennessee Titans defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons put together a solid rookie season in 2019 and showed flashes of being an elite player.

In 2020, Simmons will have an entire offseason to get ready and has shed the knee brace, which was the last trace of the serious injury he suffered last February.

As he prepares to take the torch from Jurrell Casey, who was a staple on the Titans’ defensive line for many years and is now in Denver, Titans fans are expecting the former No. 19 overall pick to have a breakout campaign.

And so is Pro Football Focus’ Sam Monson. He named Simmons in a list of potential breakout candidates for 2020.

A torn ACL caused Jeffery Simmons to slip a little in the 2019 NFL Draft, but rather than fall out of the first round, he was taken by Tennessee at No. 19 overall and actually got back on the field before the halfway point of last season. His NFL debut saw him post a PFF grade above 90.0 and notch three total pressures on only 11 pass-rushing snaps. The rest of his season was a little less dominant, but we nonetheless saw glimpses of the kind of impact he can have, and expectations should be justifiably sky high for Simmons after another year removed from that knee injury. He also gets a much clearer path to playing time on the defensive line with Jurrell Casey traded away after an excellent career with the Titans. Simmons was a top-10 talent in the draft before injury caused a slip, so he could be set to dominate in Year 2.

Prior to his injury, Simmons was thought of as a top 10 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. The fact that he was able to return so quickly from the ACL tear only hammers home how good of a value general manager Jon Robinson got.

If Simmons turns into the star we all think he could be, the Mississippi State product could end up being the biggest steal of that draft.

[lawrence-related id=33478,33484,33456]

See it: Titans’ Jeffery Simmons making strides to shed knee brace

Big Jeff is on his way to accomplishing a big personal goal he has.

Tennessee Titans defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons was surrounded by both character and injury concerns when the team selected him with the No. 19 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.

But all of that has since cleared up, and Simmons made his impact felt much earlier on than previously anticipated during his rookie campaign.

Some predicted Simmons would miss the entire season as he continued to recover from an ACL tear that could have required up to 24 months to bounce back from.

Simmons made quick progress to return in 2019 and is now well on his way to accomplishing one of his most important personal goals for 2020 —shedding the knee brace he wore last season.

The Tennessean’s Erik Bacharach made note of this on Twitter earlier in the week, mentioning he hadn’t seen Simmons without the brace at any point in 2019’s practices.

The former Mississippi State Bulldog appeared in nine games for the Titans last year, recording 32 total tackles (18 solo), two sacks and one pass defensed.

That’s a solid stat line for any player’s first season at the professional level, but even more so for one who didn’t make his debut until Week 7.

Expect Simmons to show up for the Titans’ defense in a big way this year as he looks to start his second season at full capacity.