Tag: Roger McCreary

Projecting Titans’ starting defense heading into Week 1

A look at the Titans’ projected starting defense going into Week 1.

The Tennessee Titans are less than one week away from opening their season against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Sept. 10.

While we haven’t been given official depth charts just yet, most of the starting spots are rather predictable at this point of the year.

It should go without saying that the players who accumulate eight-figure salaries annually are in the starting lineup, such as defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons, safety Kevin Byard and outside linebacker Harold Landry.

However, when it comes to the defensive side of the ball, there are a few spots that are somewhat up in the air, so those are the ones that we’ve provided a brief explanation for.

Also, it should be noted that there are 12 players listed below instead of the 11 since Tennessee will obviously run its fair share of nickel packages throughout the year (five defensive backs).

Without further adieu, let’s take a look at the Titans’ projected starting defenses heading into Week 1.

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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Brian Baldinger: Titans’ Roger McCreary poised for breakout season in 2023

NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger believes Titans CB Roger McCreary is poised for a breakout year in 2023.

Tennessee Titans cornerback Roger McCreary is coming off a season where he was sneakily one of the most reliable defenders on the team.

McCreary not only showed steady improvement throughout the year, but he happened to be one of the only starters on the team who can say they played in every single game, leading all defensive players in snaps logged (1,165).

While McCreary’s development largely went unnoticed nationally, it appears that he made a fan in film guru and NFL Network analyst, Brian Baldinger.

The former offensive lineman has grown a reputation over the last few years as being one of the most credible analysts you can find, largely because Baldy actually puts in the time and effort to come up with an adequate opinion.

When listing his top-10 cornerbacks who are poised for a second-year breakout, Baldinger listed McCreary among them, stating the following:

McCreary started every regular-season game last season for a Titans team that collapsed down the stretch due to injuries. The second-round selection, who led all NFL cornerbacks in defensive snaps in 2022, showed promise and finished third on the team in tackles with 84. After spending the majority of his time out wide as a rookie, McCreary could continue to improve when sliding inside to the nickel position while Kristian Fulton and Sean Murphy-Bunting play outside this fall.

As Baldy mentioned, the Auburn product is expected to play on the inside more in 2023 after playing outside in 2022.

The second-year corner was recently asked to discuss that transition (and Baldy linked to our article in his write-up above, which is awesome), and said nothing has really changed, outside of the fact that the nickel role requires cornerbacks to operate at a faster pace.

McCreary also mentioned how he’s still occasionally going to be playing on the outside, which is to be expected in the Mike Vrabel/Shane Bowen-led defense that loves to create headaches by constantly moving guys around.

If the Titans’ former second-round pick is able to take that next step in his development, ultimately providing another consistent presence on the back-end, Tennessee’s defense will have the potential to be a scary unit in 2023.

McCreary finished his rookie year with 84 tackles, eight passes defensed, two tackles for loss, one interception, and one spectacular assist to an interception that unfortunately won’t show up on his stat sheet.

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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’ Roger McCreary discusses transition into nickel role

Titans CB Roger McCreary discusses his transition to playing slot cornerback in 2023.

Heading into the 2023 campaign, many are expecting big things from the Tennessee Titans second-year cornerback, Roger McCreary.

Despite his severe lack of length (approximately 28-inch arms), McCreary, who operated on the outside, played very well for a rookie for the most part, ultimately taking a positive step forward with his overall development.

It didn’t take long to see why the Titans invested a top-35 pick on the Auburn product, as he was an immediate contributor on defense, and he was one of the few starters on the team who actually played in every game last year.

In fact, McCreary led the entire NFL in defensive snaps played.

During McCreary’s time at Auburn, he made a name for himself while playing on the outside, but considering the length issues stated above, many always felt he was better suited playing on the inside.

After playing along the boundary in his rookie season, it appears Tennessee is finally making the shift toward having McCreary play primarily out of the slot.

The second-year corner was asked to discuss that transition and he said he feels it’s the same as last year, but also feels as if “everything is faster and going at a quicker pace” as compared to the outside.

McCreary explained how he has to be ready to read-and-run, get to his drops and think at the same time without getting caught in a vulnerable position.

The former Auburn star also mentioned how he’s still going to be playing on the outside on occasion, which is to be expected in the Mike Vrabel/Shane Bowen-led defense that loves to move guys around.

However, the young defensive back admitted that being more in the slot in 2023 will be great for him now that he’s getting more comfortable with his new role.

You can watch McCreary’s comments in their entirety posted below, which comes via ESPN’s Turron Davenport:

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Titans hoping to ‘hammer down’ one role for Roger McCreary

After deploying Roger McCreary out of multiple spots in 2022, the Titans are hoping to nail down one role for him in 2023.

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Tennessee Titans cornerback Roger McCreary saw significant playing time in his first season with the team after unexpectedly winning a starting role out of training camp.

McCreary played 100 percent of the team’s snaps in his first season, and his 1,165 led the entire NFL. But McCreary didn’t just play out of one spot, which put even more on his plate as a rookie.

According to Pro Football Focus, 662 of his 2022 snaps came on the outside, and another 367 came from the slot, where many believe he’s best suited moving forward.

While defensive coordinator Shane Bowen believes McCreary will be more comfortable with playing multiple spots if needed in his second season, he also noted how the Titans would prefer to nail down one role McCreary.

“Year 1 to Year 2, I think his comfort level with possibly being able to handle the in and out is going to be a little bit easier for him, just because of his knowledge and experience playing a little bit of both last year,” Bowen said, according to AtoZ Sports Nashville.

“But anytime you’re asking a guy to do multiple things, there’s always a concern as the coach of what’s too much. So, we’ve got to really hammer down as this thing goes and we’re evaluating throughout.”

Back in May, McCreary touched on his work in the slot last season and noted how he didn’t feel he was “at the top of my game” on the inside, a spot he wasn’t used to playing.

As a result, improving on the inside has been a point of emphasis, and McCreary believes he’s made progress on that front.

“I spent a lot (of time) just watching over the last games – the bad plays, the good plays,” McCreary said, per Jim Wyatt of Titans Online. “First, starting off with the bad plays, I paid attention mostly to that. Me, playing in the slot, that was something different for me, so I felt like that was something I needed to focus on and look and see what I need to improve at that the most. I feel like I see it, and I know what I need to work on this offseason.

“I feel like I wasn’t at the top of my game at the nickel,” he added. “So, I feel like it would be great just to work on how they want me to play the nickel, everything… I feel like it was great to see myself on tape.”

If the Titans do move McCreary to the slot full time, chances are they’ll deploy veteran Sean Murphy-Bunting on the outside opposite Kristian Fulton.

On the surface, that leaves Elijah Molden without a home, but Tennessee has been giving him looks at safety this offseason, which presents another avenue for him to see the field in 2023.

Titans’ Roger McCreary talks watching film, working with Kevin Byard

Thanks to having a year under his belt and some offseason film study, Roger McCreary feels more comfortable ahead of Year 2.

Tennessee Titans 2022 second-round pick and cornerback Roger McCreary was thrust into a major role in his first season, with the Auburn product playing 100 percent of snaps.

While he certainly had his fair share of struggles, McCreary also showed some flashes, giving hope that he can turn into a real impact player for Tennessee in his second season and beyond.

McCreary recently explained he has spent the offseason watching “a lot” of film, but mostly the bad plays, which he believes helped him, according to Jim Wyatt of Titans Online.

“I spent a lot (of time) just watching over the last games – the bad plays, the good plays,” he said. “First, starting off with the bad plays, I paid attention mostly to that. Me, playing in the slot, that was something different for me, so I felt like that was something I needed to focus on and look and see what I need to improve at that the most. I feel like I see it, and I know what I need to work on this offseason.

“I feel like I wasn’t at the top of my game at the nickel. So, I feel like it would be great just to work on how they want me to play the nickel, everything. Literally from off, to press, to knowing the plays to better, reactions, to knowing how the game speed goes. I feel like it was great to see myself on tape.”

With the year under his belt and film study during the offseason, McCreary feels like he’ll be much more comfortable in Year 2.

“Now, I feel like I know a lot. I feel like I know what is coming at me now,” he said. “Just going over the plays, I just feel confident. I feel comfortable that I know what I am doing. I did it before, so I just have to keep improving no matter what.”

McCreary also touched on new cornerbacks coach Chris Harris and revealed he was working with safety Kevin Byard prior to reporting for voluntary workouts. You can check out clips of those comments below.

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Arizona Cardinals select Owen Pappoe in round five

Pappoe is the second Tiger taken on the final day of the NFL draft, joining Colby Wooden.

The latest Tiger to be taken in the NFL draft is linebacker [autotag]Owen Pappoe[/autotag]. Pappoe was selected in round five of the NFL draft by the Arizona Cardinals with the 168th overall selection.

His selection marks the fourth Tiger to be selected in the 2023 NFL draft, joining fellow defenders Derick Hall (Seahawks), and Colby Wooden (Packers), as well as running back Tank Bigsby (Jaguars).

Jess Root of Cards Wire shares his initial thoughts on Pappoe:

Pappoe is a little undersized for the traditional linebacker position at six feet, 225 pounds. But he is a freak athlete. He benched 225 pounds 29 times at the combine, ran the 40 in 4.39 seconds and had explosive jumps (126-inch broad jump and 35.5-inch vertical).

The 2023 NFL draft was much better for Auburn, as they have seen four times as many players selected than last season. [autotag]Roger McCreary[/autotag] was the lone Tiger to be drafted last season, going 35th overall to the Tennessee Titans.

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Titans’ 2022 draft class ranked outside top 10 by CBS Sports

In an article ranking all 32 draft classes from 2022, the Titans’ landed near the middle of the pack.

It’s no secret that the Tennessee Titans had a rather disappointing 2022 season.

The Titans lost their final seven games of the season, ultimately snapping their streak of three-straight playoff appearances and two-straight division championships in the process.

Fortunately, despite the lackluster on-field product, there were at least a few bright spots on the team to get excited about, particularly when it came to the most recent rookie class.

According to Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports, Tennessee finished with the 13th-best draft class after the group’s first season in the league. The main standouts of the class were tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo, wide receiver Treylon Burks, and cornerback Roger McCreary.

When explaining his reasonings for his rankings, Trapasso stated the following:

Okonkwo flashed as a YAC specialist in a low-volume role, and once he was nursed to full health, Burks proved to everyone why he was a first-round pick. McCreary was able to get past his short-arm deficiency as an inside-out corner in Year 1. 

All three of the aforementioned young players figure to be an integral piece of the Titans’ roster for the foreseeable future. It will be interesting to see how Okonkwo, Burks, and McCreary follow up their solid debut seasons.

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Tennessee Titans’ top-five interceptions of the 2022 season

The Titans picked their top-five interceptions from the 2022 campaign, and you can probably guess which one is No. 1.

In what was a surprise to no one, Tennessee Titans safety Kevin Byard once again led the team in interceptions in 2022.

With his four interceptions, Byard has now led the team in picks in each of the last two seasons, and in five out of the last six since becoming a full-time starter in 2017.

Coming in second was linebacker David Long, who notched a career-high two. After he and Byard, no other Titans player had multiple interceptions, with eight different players tallying one.

Tennessee’s 14 total picks ranked tied for 12th in the NFL but were two less than the team finished with in 2021. In terms of total takeaways, the Titans recorded 20, tied for 20th.

The Titans have been releasing their top plays of the year recently, with the latest installment being the team’s top interceptions, hence, why you’re here.

Thankfully, the team got it right and listed Joshua Kalu’s pick against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 15 at No. 1, which was 100 percent because of Roger McCreary’s incredible heads-up play.

Check out the entire list below.

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