Tag: Logan Woodside

Tennessee Titans 2022 training camp preview: Quarterback

A look at where things stand at quarterback for the Titans going into training camp.

The Tennessee Titans entered the 2022 offseason with a problem at the quarterback position after Ryan Tannehill’s debacle in the 2021 playoff loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Tannehill’s three picks doomed the Titans, leading to their being one-and-done in the playoffs once again. The contest was a microcosm of the team’s issues, as Tannehill struggled with turnovers and ineffectiveness all season.

In the span of three years, Tannehill has gone from franchise savior to a player fans are ready to run out of town thanks to his inability to lead Tennessee to a Super Bowl.

And it appears the Titans were willing to move on this offseason, also, as the team reportedly explored trades for some big-name quarterbacks, including Aaron Rodgers and Deshaun Watson.

Unfortunately, none of Tennessee’s attempts to replace Tannehill worked out, but they did make an interesting move by drafting Malik Willis in the third round, which will start the clock on Tannehill’s inevitable departure.

With training camp less than four weeks away, we’re taking a closer look at the quarterback position to see where things stand right now and how the position will shake out in 2022.

Titans have most expensive QB room ahead of 2022 season

Of course, Ryan Tannehill accounts for the vast majority of that money.

As of right now, no team in the NFL will be paying their collective group of quarterbacks more money than the Tennessee Titans will during the 2022 campaign.

NFL analyst Warren Sharp crunched the numbers and the Titans are set to pay their quarterbacks room about $40.5 million this coming season, the highest total in the league.

Of course, the vast majority of that money is being spent on quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who accounts for a cap hit of $38.6 million in 2022.

Tennessee also has Kevin Hogan ($965,000) and Logan Woodside (895,000) on the roster, both of whom are set to compete for the backup job. And, the Titans could add to that total if they take a quarterback in the 2022 NFL draft.

Coming in behind the Titans are the Kansas City Chiefs ($39.9 million), the San Francisco 49ers ($36.7 million) and the Detroit Lions ($35.1 million).

Of those three teams immediately behind the Titans, the Lions could be the one to pass them if they take a quarterback with the No. 2 overall pick. A signal-caller in that spot should account for a cap hit of over $6 million, which would surpass Tennessee’s total if they don’t also select one.

Tannehill’s cap hit wouldn’t have been this big if the Titans didn’t restructure his contract in order to make room for wide receiver Julio Jones in 2021. It’s easy to say now that was not a good move, but at the time it was rightly lauded.

Tannehill enters the 2022 campaign on the hot seat thanks to his struggles in the playoffs last season. If Tennessee decides to part ways with the him in 2023, the best avenue to do so would be a post-June 1 trade or cut, which would leave Tennessee with a $9.6 million dead cap charge.

However, the Titans would have to find his replacement first, something they could attempt to do later this month.

[lawrence-related id=86957,86968,86966]

[listicle id=86811]

Titans’ Mike Vrabel, Jon Robinson talk backup QB competition

Head coach Mike Vrabel on if Titans will bring in another QB to compete for the backup job: “We’ll see.”

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyh7crnrcs3ypf player_id=none image=https://titanswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

The Tennessee Titans have a question mark in their starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill going into 2022, but the team must also figure things out at the backup spot.

Titans general manager Jon Robinson, who has publicly thrown his support behind his embattled signal-caller, said he and head coach Mike Vrabel have “talked about Ryan (Tannehill) a lot” over the course of this offseason, per Jim Wyatt of Titans Online.

“We have talked about Ryan a lot, and I know I have talked to him a couple of times this offseason and he took (the end of 2021) about has hard as anybody, maybe harder than anybody, how the season ended,” Robinson said. “He is working extremely hard to rectify a lot of those things and to be better.”

As far as the backup competition goes, the Titans have two signal-callers on their roster at the moment in Logan Woodside, who was Tannehill’s backup in 2020 and 2021, and practice squad quarterback, Kevin Hogan, who was also with the team last season.

[lawrence-related id=86517]

The problem with both of those options is that Woodside has never thrown a pass in a regular season game, while Hogan hasn’t thrown a pass in a contest since 2017 when he was with the Cleveland Browns. Hogan’s career stats are nothing to write home about, either.

Robinson noted that Woodside has shown good progression over the years and likens his athleticism to that of Tannehill’s.

“Logan’s progression has been good,” Robinson said. “He obviously won the No.2 job last year. He’s a good young player who provides a similar athletic element that Ryan does. He throws a good ball, he studies.”

Vrabel believes Woodside gives the Titans a chance to win games if he is called into action, while also noting that Hogan made strides in 2021.

“Logan just continues to compete and give us a chance to win games if we didn’t have Ryan,” Vrabel said. “Kevin got better (last fall), and (QBs coach) Pat O’Hara did a nice job working with him when he came in.”

Robinson echoed Vrabel’s sentiments about Hogan, and went more into detail about how he has improved.

“Kevin Hogan really improved last year just with his overall mechanics,” Robinson explained. “I thought he was a little stiff, almost cumbersome a little bit in his delivery earlier in his career, and he has honed that. He is fluid, he throws a good ball, he has good zip, he has good arm strength. He has done a great job immersing himself in the culture.”

The big question now is if the Titans will bring in another quarterback to add to this competition. One avenue the Titans could take to do that is the 2022 NFL draft, which Robinson certainly hasn’t ruled out doing.

When asked about adding another signal-caller to compete with Hogan and Woodside, Vrabel said “we’ll see.”

“Jon and I’s job is to have some competition,” Vrabel said, “and we’ll see if we bring somebody else in (at QB) and try to identify who gives us the best chance if Ryan isn’t available.”

While taking a quarterback later this month would be a big shake-up in Nashville, it doesn’t guarantee the Titans a dependable backup for 2022. Tennessee would be wise to explore its veteran options in free agency.

[lawrence-related id=86580,86561,86567]

[listicle id=86589]

Logan Woodside reacts to re-signing with Titans

Logan Woodside is happy to be back in the two-tone blue for 2022.

The Tennessee Titans announced the re-signings of their three exclusive rights free agents on Wednesday, quarterback Logan Woodside, defensive lineman Teair Tart and wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, all of whom inked one-year deals to keep them in the two-tone blue for 2022.

Considering their status as exclusive rights free agents and with the Titans having a ton of control, the re-signings didn’t come as any surprise.

Tart should continue to see a significant role upfront, Woodside will compete for the backup job behind Ryan Tannehill, and Westbrook-Ikhine will once again serve as a key special teams contributor and a depth option at wide receiver.

Shortly after Tennessee announced the re-signings, Woodside took to Twitter to express his gratitude for another year in Nashville.

A former seventh-round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in 2018, Woodside has served as Tennessee’s backup for each of the past two seasons, but there remains concern about his ability to step in should Tannehill get hurt after not having thrown a single pass in his NFL career.

While the Titans struck out on making any big changes at the starting spot, the team can still improve things behind Tannehill by bringing in a more experienced backup to compete with, and ultimately beat out, Woodside.

Doing so would give the Titans a better insurance policy behind Tannehill should he continue to go south or get injured. As things stand now, a serious injury to the veteran signal-caller in 2022 would derail Tennessee’s season.

[lawrence-related id=84901,84910,84921]

[listicle id=84797]

Titans re-sign Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Logan Woodside to one-year deals

The Titans have re-signed two more of their unrestricted free agents.

The Tennessee Titans have been busy making moves in recent days, and on Wednesday they made two more with the re-signings of wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and quarterback Logan Woodside.

The team announced it has inked Woodside and Westbrook-Ikhine, both of whom were set to become a restricted free agents this offseason, to one-year deals. The exact value is not yet know.

Westbrook-Ikhine was an undrafted free agent signing of the Titans in 2020. Since then, he has carved out a role for himself on special teams and as a depth option in the passing game.

In 2021, NWI had his best season, reeling in career-highs in receptions (38), receiving yards (476) and touchdowns (four) during a campaign in which Tennessee’s receiving corps. had several injuries.

A former seventh-round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in 2018, Woodside was originally signed by Tennessee back in 2018. He has been the team’s backup quarterback for each of the last two seasons.

In 11 career games (zero starts) over the last two years, Woodside has yet to throw a pass in an NFL game, which has led to some concern about his ability to step in if Ryan Tannehill gets hurt.

Since Tuesday, the Titans have now re-signed NWI, Woodside, Harold Landry and Teair Tart, while deciding not to tender Derick Roberson.

[lawrence-related id=84910,84921,84912]

[listicle id=84886]

Titans activate QB Logan Woodside off COVID-19 list

Woodside will be available for the Titans in Week 14.

The Tennessee Titans will have their backup quarterback available for the Week 14 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars after the team announced it activated him off the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Saturday.

Woodside was placed on the list on November 24. Tennessee now has two players remaining on it, including safety Kevin Byard and practice squad tight end Austin Fort.

In Woodside’s place, the Titans deployed quarterback Kevin Hogan as the backup to quarterback Ryan Tannehill in Week 12 against the New England Patriots. Hogan played seven snaps at the end of the game but did not record a stat. He remains on the practice squad as the team’s emergency quarterback.

Woodside has appeared in three games for the Titans this season, but all three of his snaps have come from victory formation. The 26-year-old has never thrown a pass in an NFL game.

Tennessee will host Jacksonville at Nissan Stadium next Sunday, with kickoff set for noon CT.

[lawrence-related id=78596,78566,78528]

[listicle id=78587]

Titans place backup QB Logan Woodside on COVID-19 list

The Titans will turn to Kevin Hogan as their backup QB until Woodside returns.

The Tennessee Titans announced they have placed backup quarterback Logan Woodside on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, making him the second player to go on the list this week.

Woodside now joins linebacker Joe Jones, who was placed on the list on Monday. Players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list have either tested positive for the virus or have come in close contact with someone who has it.

With Woodside on the shelf, the Titans will turn to practice squad signal-caller Kevin Hogan as their backup. Hogan was one of the Titans’ four practice squad protections this week.

Hogan, who was signed by the Titans earlier this month after former practice squad quarterback Matt Barkley was poached by the Carolina Panthers, has appeared in eight games (one start) during his career, completing 59.4 percent of his passes for 621 yards and four touchdowns to seven picks.

Tennessee will meet the New England Patriots in Foxborough on Sunday, with kickoff set for noon CT.

[lawrence-related id=78111,78097,78013]

[listicle id=78020]

Titans release Matt Barkley; Logan Woodside is officially QB2

Logan Woodside is officially the Titans’ backup quarterback.

The Tennessee Titans have made their decision at the backup quarterback spot, as the team has confirmed the release of veteran Matt Barkley, making Logan Woodside the No. 2 behind Ryan Tannehill going into 2021.

It was a fairly close race between the two, with neither really sweeping us off our feet. However, Woodside sealed the deal in preseason Week 3 after clearly outperforming Barkley against the Chicago Bears.

Barkley was included on the Titans’ initial 53-man roster, but it was really just a technicality, as Tennessee had extra spots with nine players — including Tannehill — on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

Taking Barkley’s spot on the roster is former Titans sixth-round pick, Corey Levin, who was claimed off waivers on Wednesday.

Woodside has been someone we’ve counted out for a few years now, but he keeps finding a way to stick in Nashville. Still, his lack of NFL experience is troubling should he be called upon thanks to his never having thrown a regular season pass.

As for Barkley: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the Titans would like to bring the veteran back on their practice squad. It remains to be seen if Barkley is interested, but he’d be a solid option to have in case of emergency.

[vertical-gallery id=70492]

Biggest takeaways from Titans’ preseason finale vs. Bears

The biggest takeaways from the Titans’ preseason finale against the Bears.

The Tennessee Titans wrapped up their preseason slate on Saturday night by dropping the exhibition contest against the Chicago Bears by a score of 27-24.

With the preseason officially over, the Titans will have to make final cuts on Tuesday, Aug. 31, when they’ll trim their roster down from 80 to 53.

After that, the attention will turn to the regular season opener on Sept. 12, which will come at Nissan Stadium in Nashville against a dangerous and talented Arizona Cardinals team.

We learned quite a bit from the final tune-up before the Week 1 matchup that is just two weeks away. Here are the biggest takeaways.

Titans’ winners and losers from preseason Week 3 loss to Bears

Which Titans helped or hurt their stock ahead of final cuts on Tuesday?

The Tennessee Titans closed out their preseason on Saturday night with a 27-24 loss to the Chicago Bears, but more importantly we got some clarity on some positional battles ahead of final cuts on Aug. 31.

While some players thrived in what was a big moment for them, others faltered, leaving their status for the initial 53-man roster up in the air.

With the preseason in the books, the Titans will first have to make decisions about who will and won’t make the roster, but then it will be time to turn their attention to the regular-season opener against the Arizona Cardinals, which will take place on Sept. 12 at Nissan Stadium.

That’s right, we’re two weeks away from real football and a first look at what should be one of the most exciting offenses to watch in the NFL — but I digress.

Here’s a look at which players emerged as winners from the preseason finale, and which ones went in the opposite direction.