Tag: sean murphy-bunting

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

What should the Titans do at cornerback in 2024? We take a look at that and more in our latest offseason preview.

The Tennessee Titans had a tough year in coverage in 2023, leading to their sporting the No. 18 pass defense in the NFL.

The biggest problem? The play from the cornerbacks.

While slot cornerback Roger McCreary was consistently good, the rest of the cornerbacks room was not.

Kristian Fulton managed to stay healthy before landing on season-ending injured reserve but his play was riddled with poor coverage and terrible penalties.

Sean Murphy-Bunting was better than Fulton, for sure, but was not immune to boneheaded penalties and lapses in coverage. He did do enough, however, to be considered a candidate to be re-signed.

As far as the backups were concerned, Tre Avery was exposed when out there for extended periods of time, and UDFA Eric Garror was quietly oosted impressive numbers in coverage.

So, what do the Titans need to do at cornerback this offseason? We take a look at that and much more in our latest offseason preview.

All contract statuses are courtesy of Over the Cap.

12 free agents Giants could target based on coaching hires

These 12 free agents could become free agent targets of the New York Giants based on their offseason coaching and coordinator hires.

The New York Giants significantly overhauled their coaching staff this offseason, changing two of their three coordinators while also switching out a multitude of assistant coaches.

Because of those changes, the team will need to readjust their personnel by way of free agency and the 2024 NFL draft in an effort to match talent with the new schemes.

As a reminder, here are the notable coaching changes:

  • Defensive coordinator, Shane Bowen
  • Special teams coordinator, Michael Ghobrial
  • Running backs coach, Joel Thomas
  • Offensive line coach, Carmen Bricillo
  • Tight ends coach, Tim Kelly

These new arrivals create an interesting dynamic headed into free agency. They are intimately familiar with several of the available players and have developed trust with them over the years.

While that doesn’t necessarily mean any or all of them will be signed by the Giants, there is likely to be some crossover.

Here is a look at 12 impending free agents the Giants could target based on the above coaching changes/hires.

2 Titans make ESPN’s list of the top-50 free agents

Two Titans made a list of the top-50 free agents of 2024, but one was a notable snub.

On a list of the top 50 free agents for 2024, two Tennessee Titans pending free agents made the cut.

According to ESPN’s Matt Bowen, running back Derrick Henry lands at No. 37 and cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting comes in one spot behind him at No. 38.

Here’s what Bowen said about Henry:

Henry had only three games with 100 or more rushing yards this season, and the play speed is starting to decline. But he’s still a downhill hammer who scored 12 touchdowns in 2023, and he’s a good fit as an early-down/goal-line runner. Henry can play a productive role in both zone and gap schemes.

And what Bowen said about SMB:

With his long, lean frame and fluid hips, Murphy-Bunting has the coverage traits to play in multiple NFL systems. Over his five pro seasons, he has eight interceptions and 22 pass breakups.

One glaring omission on this list is defensive lineman Denico Autry, who was sensational over three years with the Titans and showed he still has plenty left in the tank after tallying a career-high 11.5 sacks in 2023.

Considering the kind of premium placed on good edge rushers, Autry should be ranked ahead of Henry and SMB on this list. At the very least, he should be ranked.

The Titans could certainly use Henry in 2024, as they need a complement to Tyjae Spears. Adding to that, both Henry and head coach Brian Callahan have left the door open for him to stay, so his return can’t be ruled out.

However, with the Titans moving in a new direction offensively and Henry saying winning a Super Bowl is paramount, there’s more reason to believe this relationship will end than not.

Typically, a rebuilding team like the Titans would steer away from keeping an edge rusher like Autry who will be 34 this year, but the veteran showed zero signs of slowing down and he remains a short-term option for Tennessee.

SMB certainly had his issues with penalties and in coverage, but he was solid enough that the Titans should consider keeping the 26-year-old as a stopgap No. 2 cornerback who has the potential to be a multi-year solution.

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6 biggest questions for Titans going into Week 12

The six biggest questions for the Titans going into their Week 12 game against the Panthers.

The Tennessee Titans and Carolina Panthers will square off in Week 12 in a game between two teams who have been among the most inept in the NFL.

Tennessee sports a 3-7 record and has lost five of its last six games, with all of those losses coming away from Nissan Stadium. Thankfully, this one is in Nashville, where the Titans are 3-0 this season.

Meanwhile, the Panthers have the league’s worst record at 1-9, with their only victory coming in Week 8 against the Houston Texans.

This game will also feature two young quarterbacks who were drafted in 2023 in Will Levis and Bryce Young. Both players have been victims of protection issues, but Levis has shown some flashes while Young’s year remains a major disappointment.

With the Titans being a hot mess right now, there are no shortage of questions going into Week 12. We’ve sorted through the garbage to provide the six biggest going into this contest.

Titans injury updates: Treylon Burks, Sean Murphy-Bunting, more

Some Titans injury updates ahead of their Week 12 game against the Panthers.

As if things couldn’t get any worse for the 2023 Tennessee Titans, who currently sport a 3-7 record and are on the fast track to a lost season, Tennessee is also dealing with some injuries.

The Titans’ offensive line suffered a big blow on Monday night when it was reported that right tackle Chris Hubbard would likely miss the rest of the season due to a biceps injury.

Hubbard, who reportedly plans on playing next season as he prepares to turn 33, was a pleasant surprise for Tennessee overall after winning the job out of training camp, basically by default.

With Hubbard on the shelf, the Titans are likely to deploy rookie Jaelyn Duncan at right tackle after he played well in a small sample size versus Jacksonville.

The Titans should do their best to give that job to Duncan the rest of the way, barring his being an absolute disaster. Tennessee has to see what it has in its younger players before a 2024 offseason in which the Titans are likely to make massive changes on both sides of the ball.

On Monday, head coach Mike Vrabel provided injury updates on some of Tennessee’s wounded. Here’s what he had to say about offensive tackle Andre Dillard, wide receiver Treylon Burks and cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting.

Tyson Campbell out, Zay Jones questionable vs. Titans

The Jaguars ruled out two and listed four players, including Zay Jones, as questionable.

The Jacksonville Jaguars ruled out return specialist Jamal Agnew and cornerback Tyson Campbell for a Week 11 contest against the Tennessee Titans and listed another four players as questionable.

The statuses of wide receiver Zay Jones, offensive tackle Anton Harrison, defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris, and wide receiver Parker Washington are all up in the air.

Jones, who has been in the headlines this week after his Monday arrest, has been out of action since re-injuring his knee in Week 5.

With Campbell out of action, the Jaguars will turn to second-year cornerbacks Montaric Brown and Gregory Junior to fill the void. The absence of Agnew will likely mean Washington is activated from the injured reserve Saturday to take over return duties.

The Titans ruled out three players and listed two as questionable. Cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting and offensive tackle Andre Dillard are the two most significant losses for Tennessee.

Dillon Radunz is expected to be the starting left tackle Sunday in Dillard’s place.

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Titans injury updates: Treylon Burks, Daniel Brunskill, SMB, more

Titans head coach Mike Vrabel provided injury updates on four different players on Wednesday.

Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel met with the media on Wednesday before practice and gave injury updates on a handful of players ahead of the Week 11 contest against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Among the players Vrabel mentioned were wide receiver Treylon Burks, right guard Daniel Brunskill, cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting and left tackle Andre Dillard. In addition, SMB and Brunskill added to the information given by their head coach.

Brunskill (ankle), Burks (concussion) and SMB (thumb) sat out last week’s game while Dillard (concussion) exited early. Here’s a look at the updates Vrabel provided for each.

Five things to know about Bucs vs. Titans in Week 10

The Bucs haven’t played great against the Titans in times past.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are set to play Sunday against a team that has historically had their number.

The Tennessee Titans are coming to town, and in the 12 games the two teams have played against each other, things haven’t gone great for the Bucs. Nevertheless, this is a new year and a new team, and head coach Todd Bowles will be desperately looking for a win to avoid furthering a four-game losing streak in Tampa Bay. Quarterback Baker Mayfield will also be delighted to play against the Titans, as he had a fantastic outing against them the last time he faced them.

Here are five things to know about this series before the game on Sunday kicks off:

Titans injury updates: Daniel Brunskill, Sean Murphy-Bunting

Injury updates on Titans RG Daniel Brunskill and CB Sean Murphy-Bunting.

While the status of Tennessee Titans right guard Daniel Brunskill remains up in the air, it appears the team will be without one of its starting cornerbacks, Sean Murphy-Bunting, in Week 10.

According to head coach Mike Vrabel, Murphy-Bunting, who exited the Week 9 game after one series with a thumb injury, will not practice once again on Wednesday and is doubtful to play in Week 10.

This is obviously a big blow for Tennessee’s defense, as SMB has been arguably the team’s best cornerback this season in a secondary that has struggled mightily overall.

He’ll likely be replaced by second-year cornerback Tre Avery, who has given up completions on 85 percent of the passes thrown his way (17-of-20) for 141 yards and one touchdown in seven games played.

As for Brunskill, Vrabel didn’t provide a status for his chances of playing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but we now know he’s dealing with an ankle injury. The veteran right guard was spotted with a brace on his right ankle before practice.

While the outlook for Brunskill isn’t great right now, Terry McCormick of Titan Insider did report on Tuesday that he’s expected to play through his injury.

The Titans’ options to replace Brunskill are Dillon Radunz and Corey Levin, but the Titans should roll with the latter and allow Radunz to take over at left tackle instead of running Andre Dillard back out there with Nicholas Petit-Frere on the shelf.

The Titans may also have a void at right tackle if Chris Hubbard can’t return from a concussion, but the veteran is on track to play after it was revealed on Tuesday he’d practice this week.

Even if Hubbard sits, Dillard still shouldn’t be an option upfront after another disastrous showing in Week 9. Instead, Radunz and rookie Jaelyn Duncan should get the call at left and right tackle, respectively.

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Titans injury updates: Treylon Burks, Chris Hubbard, Roger McCreary, more

Titans head coach Mike Vrabel provided injury updates on a handful of players on Tuesday.

Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel met with the media on Tuesday and gave some injury updates on several players.

The biggest story of the day, however, was the Titans naming rookie signal-caller Will Levis the starter over veteran quarterback Ryan Tannehill, which was the expected decision.

On the injury front, when asked about Tannehill’s status for Week 10, Vrabel did not say whether or not he would be ready to go. If Tannehill can’t play, Malik Willis will serve as the backup to Levis.

One player we did not get an update on was offensive tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere, who exited the Week 9 contest early due to a shoulder injury. A report from Titans beat writer Paul Kuharsky on Monday stated that NPF would likely miss the remainder of the season, as the injury will require surgery.

Now, a look at the updates from Vrabel on cornerback Roger McCreary, right tackle Chris Hubbard, wide receiver Treylon Burks and cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting.

In addition, a report on the status of offensive lineman Daniel Brunskill.