Tag: Mason Kinsey

Titans activate Evans, Murchison from IR, elevate Kinsey among slew of moves

The Titans made a flurry of roster moves ahead of Week 7.

The Tennessee Titans made a slew of roster moves ahead of the Week 7 contest against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Tennessee announced it has activated Darrynton Evans and Larrell Murchison from Injured Reserve, making them eligible to play on Sunday.

Also, the Titans have elevated Mason Kinsey and Chris Jones from the practice squad. Both will revert back after the game against KC.

With Evans being activated, the Titans have parted ways with Mekhi Sargent, who was waived.

Tennessee and Kansas City will kick off at noon CT on Sunday.

Tennessee Titans adding WR Mason Kinsey to practice squad

Kinsey will be staying with the Titans via their practice squad.

The Tennessee Titans will indeed be holding on to wide receiver Mason Kinsey after he was cut by the team on Tuesday.

According to Broadway Sports’ Justin Melo, Kinsey has cleared waivers and will return to the Titans via their practice squad. Melo notes the Titans are “thrilled” to have him back.

And they should be. Kinsey was one of the better receivers vying for a depth role on Tennessee’s training camp roster and likely would have made the cut if not for such intense competition.

Now, Kinsey will have an opportunity to remain in familiar territory, while also hoping he gets his chance to show he belongs in the NFL. It should be noted, however, that Kinsey can be poached by another team at any time should Tennessee not protect him.

Practice squad signings are coming in fast and furious right now. Make sure to keep up with all the latest moves via our practice squad tracker below, which we will be updating regularly.

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Tennessee Titans waiving WR Mason Kinsey

The #Titans are hoping to bring Kinsey back on the practice squad.

According to multiple reports, Tennessee Titans wide receiver Mason Kinsey will not be on the team’s initial 53-man roster as he is being waived.

Kinsey, originally a 2020 undrafted free agent signing of Tennessee before getting cut last year, was a star for the Titans during this year’s training camp and finished out the preseason as the team’s leading receiver.

However, the Titans had a very competitive wide receivers room. If the situation had been different, Kinsey would have made the squad.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero notes that the hope is Kinsey can be retained on the practice squad, but he’ll first have to clear waivers. There’s a chance that won’t happen, though, as Kinsey turned heads in exhibition play.

The Titans have to cut their roster down to 53 players by 3 p.m. CDT, and after they should start putting their practice squad together on Wednesday afternoon. We’ll see if Kinsey ends up on it or not.

For all of the latest roster cuts, check out our live tracker below.

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Titans’ Mason Kinsey is proving he belongs despite the doubters

Titans WR Mason Kinsey has already begun proving the doubters wrong.

Coming from a Division III school, Tennessee Titans wide receiver Mason Kinsey faced his fair share of doubts about his ability to make it to the NFL.

Kinsey, who was originally a 2020 undrafted free agent signing of the Titans before ultimately getting cut, has done a great job proving he belongs in 2021.

Not only has he regularly stood out in practice, but Kinsey has also led the team in receptions and receiving yards in each of the first two preseason games.

The Berry College product had his best showing in preseason Week 2, where he tallied five catches for 56 yards and a touchdown in a 34-3 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

After practice on Monday, Kinsey shared a story about how his professor had doubts about his dream of playing in the NFL, but that didn’t deter him in the least, according to Jim Wyatt of Titans Online.

“I actually had a professor in my sophomore year of college, first day of class, they said ‘what’s your name, your major and your dream job.’ So I told her, and I said ‘I want to be an NFL football player.’ She said, ‘well, how about you pick a real job,’ and I was like, ‘that is a real job.’ And she said, ‘you know you’re at a D3 school, right?’ And I said, ‘you asked what my dream job was and that’s what I want to do,’ Kinsey shared.

“You hear about people saying certain things or you see things on Twitter or you see things everywhere, but I just stay committed…”

While Kinsey has done enough to make the cut on the Titans’ initial 53-man roster (we have him making the cut in our latest 53-man roster projection), there is still a chance he doesn’t get the nod.

That’s because Tennessee has a logjam of sorts at the position, mostly thanks to several players standing out in training camp and the preseason. As a result, a deserving player like Kinsey might get left out in the cold.

At the very least, Kinsey has earned the right to get a shot somewhere in the NFL, whether it be with the Titans or another team. If he does get cut and somehow goes unclaimed on waivers, there’s no doubt he’ll end up on Tennessee’s practice squad.

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Titans add two more to punt return competition in training camp

Five players in total are competing for punt return duties in Titans training camp.

After a recent practice, Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel revealed that wide receivers Cameron Batson, Mason Kinsey and Chester Rogers were all competing for the punt return job ahead of the 2021 campaign.

However, during practice on Saturday the team appeared to add two more to the competition, as running backs Brian Hill and Darrynton Evans both did punt return work during practice, per ESPN’s Turron Davenport.

Davenport also noted that wide receiver Josh Reynolds was fielding punts during minicamp, but he appears to be dealing with an injury after leaving practice early on Thursday and not participating on Friday or Saturday.

Evans, who figures to serve as the team’s kick returner in 2021, and Hill have never fielded punts during their college or pro careers. The former was Tennessee’s main kick returner in 2020 when healthy.

Out of the five participants in this competition, Rogers remains the most experienced after returning 60 punts over his four seasons with the Indianapolis Colts.

Kinsey assumed the role in college, and Batson has three punt returns in his NFL career, all of which came for the Titans in 2018.

This situation clearly remains fluid, but it’s one that could lead to the Titans carrying a seventh receiver thanks to wide receiver Marcus Johnson consistently standing out. Johnson is not trying out for punt return so far.

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The Titans WRs fielding punts during training camp thus far

The jury is still out on who will return punts for the Titans in 2021.

While the Tennessee Titans appear to have the kick returner role figured out with running back Darrynton Evans, who fielded nine kickoffs in 2020, the jury is still out on who will return punts.

Last season, only wide receiver Kalif Raymond returned punts, fielding 23 over the course of the campaign. Raymond is now a member of the Detroit Lions, though.

Among their viable options, the Titans don’t have a lot of experience in that area. Evans himself has never returned a punt, either in college or the pros.

Wide receivers Chester Rogers, Cameron Batson and Mason Kinsey, all of whom saw looks at punt returner in practice on Thursday, per Jim Wyatt of Titans Online, are among the most experienced on the roster.

“Cameron Batson, Chester Rogers and (Mason) Kinsey all fielded punts during a special teams period,” Wyatt wrote.

Batson returned three punts for the Titans in 2018, but has more experience as a kick returner after fielding 11 kickoffs in 2020. Kinsey, a 2020 UDFA, was a punt returner at Berry College, and Rogers tallied 60 returns over the course of four seasons with the Indianapolis Colts (9.2 yards per return).

Tennessee currently has an interesting situation at wide receiver. The Titans have at least four spots at the position locked-in (Julio Jones, A.J. Brown, Josh Reynolds, Dez Fitzpatrick), and quite possibly five with Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, a special teams ace last season.

The Titans carried six receivers on their initial 53-man roster last year, but with their need for a punt returner, and with wide receiver Marcus Johnson continuing to impress but not having any experience returning punts, it’s possible we could see the team carry a seventh.

Kinsey in particular has been an under-the-radar player to watch at training camp thus far, so he’s someone to keep an eye on. Rogers’ overall experience and punt-return prowess also gives him a shot to make the cut.

For various reasons, the wide receiver position and punt return battle will situations to monitor as training camp progresses.

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Watch: Titans’ Logan Woodside works out with Anthony Firkser, Mason Kinsey

All three will be competing for roles with the Titans in training camp.

Tennessee Titans quarterback Logan Woodside is entering his fourth season in the NFL since being drafted back in 2018 by the Cincinnati Bengals, and the second in which he stands to be the lone backup quarterback to Ryan Tannehill.

However, nothing is set in stone yet. The inexperienced Woodside, who has only played mop-up snaps during his career and has thrown just three passes in total, stands to have competition from DeShone Kizer, and quite possibly Rookie Minicamp invite, Brady White, in training camp.

Woodside is already hard at work preparing for the battle, as evidenced by this video of him working out with tight end Anthony Firkser and wide receiver and 2020 Titans UDFA, Mason Kinsey.

Woodside isn’t the only one of this trio set to compete in training camp, as Kinsey will be trying to earn a spot at the bottom of the depth chart, while Firkser is trying to cement himself as the team’s No. 1 tight end over Geoff Swaim, and anyone else the Titans might bring in down the road.

We were in a similar spot last year with Woodside, wondering if the Titans would bring in a more experienced option to possibly take the job. We’ll see if Tennessee opts to do, or if Woodside will just compete with those signal-callers already on the roster.

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See it: Mason Kinsey signs futures contract with Titans

Kinsey was a UDFA signing of the Titans in 2020.

The Tennessee Titans are bringing back a familiar face on a futures contract in wide receiver Mason Kinsey.

Kinsey was a 2020 UDFA signing of the Titans following the NFL draft and spent the entirety of training camp with the team, although he didn’t make it past final cuts in September.

The Berry College product then went on to join the New England Patriots’ practice squad, but he never saw action in a game. Kinsey returned to Nashville for a tryout in December but wasn’t signed.

Kinsey took to Twitter to announce his futures contract signing:

With the signing of Berry, the Titans now have 18 players signed to futures contracts. Here’s a look at the full list:

  1. 1. WR Mason Kinsey
  2. T Paul Adams
  3. WR Rashard Davis
  4. TE Parker Hesse
  5. WR Cody Hollister
  6. TE Tommy Hudson
  7. LB Jan Johnson
  8. T Brandon Kemp
  9. QB DeShone Kizer
  10. K Tucker McCann
  11. C Daniel Munyer
  12. DE Nate Orchard
  13. LS Matt Orzech
  14. TE Jared Pinkney
  15. WR Chester Rodgers
  16. LB Tuzar Skipper
  17. LB Davin Bellamy
  18. DL Daylon Mack

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Titans holding WR tryouts with pair of familiar faces

Both players were with the Titans in training camp this year.

The Tennessee Titans need to add some depth at the wide receiver position in some form or fashion for the stretch run of the 2020 campaign, so it comes as no surprise that the team is taking a look at wideouts via tryouts.

According to the league’s transaction wire from Monday, the Titans are holding tryouts with wide receivers Mason Kinsey and Rashard Davis.

Those names should sound familiar, as Kinsey and Davis were both with the Titans in training camp before getting cut when rosters were trimmed to 53 players.

Kinsey was a 2020 undrafted free-agent signing of Tennessee. He has yet to play in an NFL game and was most recently on the practice squad of the New England Patriots.

Davis has appeared in one game during his career, which came in 2019 with the Titans. He fielded a pair of punt returns for nine yards and caught one pass for 16 yards on one offensive snap.

Tennessee’s need for more wide receivers stems from the fact that Adam Humphries was placed on Injured Reserve prior to the Week 14 game and Kalif Raymond was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list last week.

Look for the Titans to add another wideout to their practice squad and possibly promote one to the 53-man roster at some point. Tennessee has two wide receivers on their practice squad right now in Chester Rogers and Cody Hollister, although the latter was placed on the COVID-19 list this past week.

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UGA great Tavarres King has helping hand in Berry College standout signing UDFA contract

Former Georgia football WR Tavarres King had a helping hand in Berry College WR Mason Kinsey signing a UDFA deal with the Tennessee Titans.

Following the conclusion of the 2020 NFL Draft, Berry College (Rome, Ga) wide receiver Mason Kinsey signed a free agent deal with the Tennessee Titans. Kinsey is the only Division III player in 2020 to sign as a free agent and the first Vikings player in history to sign with an NFL team.

The Habersham Central High (Mt. Airy, Ga) product claimed his third consecutive All-Conference first-team honor and was named a D-III third-team All-American. The Demorest, Ga. native holds program records in nearly every receiving category, finishing his career with a Southern Athletic Association record 3,343 receiving yards and 50 receiving touchdowns. The 6-foot, 195-pound wideout led Berry to a 9-2 record and the Vikings’ fourth consecutive conference championship. For his efforts, Kinsey received an invitation to the prestigious East-West Shrine Bowl, the only D-III player selected.

During his freshman year in high school, due to a lack of reps, Kinsey was about to give up on football and focus on basketball. Georgia wide receiver Tavarres King, then a senior, stepped into the picture.

King persuaded Kinsey he had a future in football and should transition from running back to receiver. King, a former Habersham Central 4-star recruit, Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year and one of the SEC’s top receivers, saw something in Kinsey and proceeded to lend his advice and backing.

With King’s guidance and support, Kinsey went on to become a two-time all-region selection and Habersham Central’s second all-time leading receiver behind King. He declined a preferred walk-on offer to Mercer and enrolled in Berry to pursue a sports management degree and an opportunity to play football.

“He’s like my big brother and I love him to death,” Kinsey told Forbes.com of his relationship with King. “He has really helped me out and I definitely would not be the player I am today without him. I give a lot of props to him.”

Kinsey’s desire and hunger to put in the work makes him stand out and King took ealy notice of his work ethic.

“That’s what I love about Mason,” King told Forbes.com. “He is real hungry, real eager to learn and a hard-working kid.”

During his tenure at the University of Georgia, King caught 135 passes for 2,602 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns, good for ninth in career receptions, fourth in career yardage and third in career receiving touchdowns. A former fifth-round draft choice of the Denver Broncos, King played six years in the NFL for five teams, with his last stop in Minnesota in 2018.  King knows the NFL scouting system.

“I would tell him all the time, if you are good, they will find you,” said King. “It’s all about making plays and making the most of his opportunities. Mason has done that to this point and I expect him to continue to do that.”

Read Forbes’ story on King and Kinsey here.