Tag: titans training camp

Titans waive promising UDFA running back

Titans waive promising young running back.

Prior to Day 2 of training camp on Thursday, the Tennessee Titans waived running back Dillon Johnson, according to Jim Wyatt of Titans Online. The move was made in advance of the team signing center Corey Levin and linebacker Shane Ray.

Johnson, who signed as an undrafted free agent in late April, was considered a dark horse candidate to make the Titans’ Week 1 roster. The 23-year-old had a breakout year at Washington last year after spending his first three collegiate seasons at Mississippi State.

Johnson rushed for 1,195 yards, which was the second-most in the Pac-12, on 233 carries and crossed the goal line 16 times. He also hauled in 24 catches for 190 yards out of the backfield.

With Johnson no longer in the mix, the Titans’ running back room has a bit more clarity. Tennessee will utilize a 1-2 punch of Tyjae Spears and Tony Pollard. The competition for the third running back spot appears to be down to three candidates: Julius Chestnut, Hassan Haskins, and Jabari Small.

Chestnut has been with the Titans for the last two seasons after initially signing as an undrafted free agent in 2022. The 23-year-old rushed for 12 yards on nine carries in six games as a rookie. His season was cut short last year in Week 3 with a hamstring injury.

Haskins, drafted in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft, missed all of last season after being placed on injured reserve in late August.

Small joined the team as an undrafted free agent after amassing 2,122 yards and 24 touchdowns in four seasons at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

Titans’ RB Tyjae Spears not pressing despite splitting time with Pollard

Tyjae Spears remaining patient ahead of the 2024 season.

Tennessee Titans running back Tyjae Spears knows the opportunity he has in front of him. After serving in a backup capacity to Derrick Henry as a rookie last season, the 23-year-old is in line for an increased workload this year.

However, the addition of Tony Pollard and his three-year, $21.750 million contract comes with a starting running-back implication. Head coach Brian Callahan stated that he does not view either player as the “starting” running back. Rather, Spears and Pollard will split time.

What that means and what that looks like is yet to be determined, but one thing is for sure: there will be increased pressure to perform in a limited viewing leading up to the start of the 2024 NFL season. That can often result in players pressing to try to force something to happen.

However, Spears understands that he needs to exercise patience when it’s his turn.

“You can’t press it,” Spears said via John Glennon of the Nashville Post. “What I mean by pressing is that you can’t (makes a tensing noise). When you do get your opportunity, you don’t want to be (makes a tensing noise). You want to be calm; you want to be in the moment.

“I was just saying that today. I was like, ‘Man, run your running style and don’t let anybody dictate it because they’re on the other side of the defense. They’re going to do what they’re going to do, and we have to react off what they do.'”

Spears had a strong showing in a secondary role last year. The Tulane standout rushed for 453 yards on 100 carries and scored two touchdowns while playing in 17 games, including one start. Added, Spears was an asset in the passing game, hauling in 52 catches for 385 yards and one touchdown out of the backfield.

Pollard brings a similar skill set, coming over from the Dallas Cowboys. The 2023 season marked the 27-year-old’s first as the lead back. He eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the second consecutive year and caught 55 balls for 311 yards.

Both players figure to be key elements in the Titans’ pass-first offense, and their roles will likely sort themselves out as the preseason schedule unfolds.

Titans WR DeAndre Hopkins on contract status: ‘Happiest I’ve been in any organization’

DeAndre Hopkins wants to stick around beyond 2024.

All eyes are on Tennessee Titans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins as he enters the second leg of his two-year contract signed last offseason. The 32-year-old experienced a bounceback year in 2023, hauling in 75 catches and eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark for the seventh time in his 11-year career.

Originally drafted by the Houston Texans, Hopkins also spent three seasons with the Arizona Cardinals before coming to Nashville. It would appear that he is also open to sticking around beyond the upcoming NFL season, as he alluded to after Day 2 of training camp on Thursday.

“I love Tennessee,” Hopkins said via ESPN’s Turron Davenport. “I love what (Amy Adams Strunk) is doing. I think this is the happiest that I’ve been in any organization, so let that speak for itself.”

Why is he so happy to be here, exactly?

“How (Amy Adams Strunk) runs things. It’s a great place to be. She’s putting pieces together to try to win.”

We’ll see if the Titans and Hopkins can strike up a contract extension prior to the season, but there is undoubtedly a strong connection between the wide receiver and quarterback Will Levis.

Hopkins became a favorite target during Levis’s rookie campaign, and the two have continued to develop their chemistry this offseason. Levis paid for several of his teammates (including Hopkins) to work out in Cabo, Mexico.

At this stage of his career, Hopkins serves as a valued mentor for the young wideouts and tight ends on the roster, so keeping him around is certainly beneficial.

Titans HC Callahan shares insight on potential RB usage as training camp opens

Callahan talks how the Titans running back usage could look this summer.

Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan addressed the media as training camp opened on Tuesday. The first-year head coach fielded a number of questions surrounding a roster that saw turnover at key positions.

Among those was the departure of superstar running back Derrick Henry, who signed with the Baltimore Ravens after spending his first eight years in Nashville.

In what figures to be one of the more compelling position battles in camp, Callahan was asked about the running backs room, specifically, if Tyjae Spears or Tony Pollard would be named the starting running back going into the season.

Callahan did not commit to either player at this time but indicated that both guys could see their fair share of playing time in the backfield.

“The fun part for me is: How are we going to deploy those guys?” Callahan said via Jim Wyatt of TennesseeTitans.com. “Maybe they both play at the same time, maybe one gets hot and you let him run, maybe we just rotate back and forth. I don’t know what that’s going to look like yet. But they are both going to play quite a bit of football for us, and I don’t view either one of them as a starter or a backup. They are both starting players to me.”

With a franchise pillar in Henry exiting this offseason, it was a fair question, especially considering how pass-centric the NFL has become. 

Spears had a solid rookie season in 2023, rushing for 453 yards on 100 carries and two touchdowns. The Tulane standout also hauled in 52 receptions for 385 yards and one touchdown.

Pollard joins the team after signing a three-year, $21.750 million contract in free agency. The 27-year-old, who played college football at Memphis, had a strong 2023 season in what was his first year as the feature running back for the Dallas Cowboys. Pollard rushed for 1,005 yards and scored six touchdowns, and he was also heavily involved in the passing game, bringing in 55 receptions for 311 yards.

Tennessee bolstered its offensive skill positions in the offseason to support second-year quarterback Will Levis as he takes over as the full-time starter in Callahan’s pass-first offense.

Despite this, Spears and Pollard are expected to have significant roles in the Titans’ new-look ground game this season. Both players will have the chance to display their skill set throughout training camp and the preseason.

Biggest takeaways from Titans’ 2nd padded practice of training camp

Things getting heated between Jamarco Jones and Jeffery Simmons, Will Levis looking good with the twos and DeAndre Hopkins and Ryan Tannehill cooking are just some of Tuesday’s takeaways.

The Tennessee Titans were back at it for their fifth open practice of training camp on Tuesday, and the second in which they were sporting pads.

There was a little dust-up between two players, as Jeffery Simmons and Jamarco Jones got into it, leading to both players being tossed from the session. It appears it wasn’t too easy to settle Jones down, either.

Both returned to practice later, and while it’s never ideal to see two players on the same team fighting, at least Jones is pissed off and showing some fire after the defense has been so dominant thus far in camp.

One interesting aspect of Tuesday’s practice was the fact that Titans players went off-script, with the coaching staff giving players a mini playbook the night before to work off of.

Now, the takeaways from the Titans’ fifth open practice of training camp, and the second with pads.

Titans’ Chance Campbell trying to soak up knowledge from veterans

Titans LB Chance Campbell: If you really want to learn, one of the best things you can do is close your mouth, open your ears and open your eyes.”

Despite being taken in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL draft, Tennessee Titans linebacker Chance Campbell came in with a fair amount of hype.

He played in all 13 games as a graduate transfer for Ole Miss in 2021, pacing the defense with 109 total tackles and finishing second in tackles for loss (12.5).

In his first training camp, the young linebacker hasn’t been shy about asking questions as he gets acclimated to the NFL. Campbell noted on Sunday the importance of keeping his mouth shut but his eyes and ears open.

“I’m probably a little awkward with them, a bit of a shadow, just trying to see what they did because those guys play great ball. I think a lot of it you can ask questions; I think that’s really important,” he said, via Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.

“But I think the other part is that guys around here do such a good job of setting a great example. If you really want to learn, one of the best things you can do is close your mouth, open your ears and open your eyes.”

Campbell ran the 40-yard dash in 4.57 seconds, displaying quick side-to-side speed in college. He was often found blowing up plays in the backfield, as shown in his tackles for loss numbers, both at Maryland and Ole Miss.

The young linebacker noted in his post-draft media call that he needed to provide value, work hard, and put the team first to carve out a role for himself in the National Football League.

Campbell has already caught the attention of fellow Titans linebacker David Long Jr., who was a sixth-round pick himself in 2019 and had to earn everything to work his way into a starting role.

Long particularly touched on Campbell’s willingness to play physically.

“He’s smart. He’s not running from any contact or anything. He’s a guy that wants to learn,” Long said, via AtoZ Sports Nashville. “Guys are coming in early. They can know the plays before we do, so that’s just good. They can get in here and learn. We’re still just building and learning the defense.”

Heading into the 2022 season, Campbell will serve in a backup capacity with the opportunity for more time in special teams if he makes the cut. However, he’ll also look to use whatever opportunities he gets to prove he has what it takes to be a starter down the road.

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Delanie Walker: Kyle Philips will be Titans’ breakout player in 2022

Former Titans TE Delanie Walker is high on Kyle Philips ahead of his rookie season.

Tennessee Titans rookie wide receiver Kyle Philips has impressed his teammates and the coaching staff through the first week-plus of training camp.

During the week, the UCLA product was given looks with the first team, getting meaningful reps with quarterback Ryan Tannehill. The transition wasn’t perfect, though, as Philips missed an assignment, leading to some frustration from the veteran quarterback on Thursday.

However, the young receiver showed maturity by holding himself accountable for the miscue and corrected it later in the session.

It’s safe to say that the 23-year-old wideout is progressing much faster than the coaching staff thought when they selected him in the fifth round of this year’s draft.

Aside from current staff and players, Philips has caught the attention of former Titans tight end Delanie Walker, who tweeted, “[Kyle Philips] will be our breakout player hands down” in response to this clip of a great back-shoulder connection between Philips and Tannehill in practice.

Needless to say, Philips came into camp with an enormous opportunity to carve out a role for himself with the uncertain situation at wide receiver.

He’s getting reps with the ones now, but that wasn’t always the plan, according to head coach Mike Vrabel.

“Yeah, I wouldn’t say [that was the plan],” Vrabel said of Philips getting first-team reps at this point, via John Glennon of Sports Illustrated. “The plan is to come out here and define a role for yourself to help develop a team. There were some things that he did well today and some mistakes that he made.”

As for what he’s done well, Vrabel was quick to respond.

“He’s a player that gets open. I think he’s an instinctive player that can play inside. All those guys (slot receivers) have to have some level of instinctiveness,” he added.

With a strong training camp and showing in the preseason, Philips could be the starting slot receiver come Week 1 against the New York Giants. At the very least, he’s doing enough to be involved in the offense in 2022.

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Titans’ Kevin Byard on Kristian Fulton: A Pro-Bowl year ‘has to be the standard’

Titans S Kevin Byard wants CB Kristian Fulton to aim higher in his third season.

Through the first two weeks of training camp, Tennessee Titans safety Kevin Byard has taken some of the younger defensive backs under his wing.

Earlier this week, the almost 29-year-old spoke with Caleb Farley after the latter was beaten in one-on-one drills by wide receiver Racey McMath.

Byard, who learned on Thursday that his No. 20 jersey would be retired by his alma mater, Middle Tennessee State University, spoke at length with the media following the team’s seventh session of training camp.

Of the items that stood out, the Philadelphia native touched on his expectations for third-year cornerback Kristian Fulton.

According to Byard, a Pro Bowl-caliber year should be the standard for the LSU product after a career year in 2021.

“We have a lot of guys who I feel like are going to be real good X-factors for us. I’ve kind of talked to Kristian Fulton about that,” Byard said via AtoZ Sports Nashville. “Obviously, we drafted Roger [McCreary], who I think is going to be a really good corner for us. But I’m talking to Kristian like, ‘Hey, you’re going be an X-factor for us.’ A lot of guys have different expectations and have different standards for themselves.

“But I say, ‘hey, you, a Pro-Bowl year for you has to be the standard; you have to be trying to reach that next level. You had a good year last year. You had some little injuries and had some lulls or whatever. But a Pro-Bowl year has to be good for you.’ And I think if Kristian can take his game to the next level, that will help out our defense a lot.”

Fulton, 23, played and started in 13 games last season, recording 40 tackles, two interceptions and a team-high 14 pass break-ups, and made he significant strides in his pass coverage from Year 1 to Year 2.

He held opposing quarterbacks to a 51.4 percent completion rate and a 71.3 quarterback rating. As a rookie, he allowed a 68.8 completion percentage and a 91.4 quarterback rating on balls thrown his way.

That said, he struggled to play at a high level consistently. Fulton allowed just under 19 yards per completion through the first five weeks of the regular season before that average improved.

However, over the final three weeks, the young cornerback allowed an average of 14.1 yards per completion, buoyed by a seven-reception, 113-yard game on balls thrown in his direction in Week 16 against the San Francisco 49ers.

In training camp thus far, Fulton has continued to be boom-or-bust. He’s made some nice plays in one-on-one and team periods, but he also gave up two catches to Racey McMath on Thursday, including a deep ball downfield for a touchdown.

While Byard understands that the cornerback position is one of the most challenging in the National Football League, he wants to see consistency from Fulton heading into the 2022 season.

“You always have to be on point because we give up big plays; that’s what people see,” Byard said of the cornerback position. “So I think it’s just a hard position to play. I understand that you’re going to give up some plays. You’re going to face a lot of elite receivers week in and week out.

“You’ve got to make some plays; that’s what we get paid to do. But it’s all about how you respond to that. You know, if you give a play, don’t turn it into two or three. So that’s really what I want to see from him or continue to see from is it just keep battling the back,” he added.

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Titans’ Kyle Philips shows maturity after miscue with Ryan Tannehill in practice

Kyle Philips heard it from his QB after making a mistake in practice, but the rookie WR took accountability and corrected the issue.

Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill is focused on making every repetition in training camp count. With his top two targets from last year gone, the veteran quarterback must quickly develop chemistry with several new faces.

In the receiving corps., the list includes veteran wideout Robert Woods, who was acquired from the Los Angeles Rams, and rookie receivers Treylon Burks and Kyle Philips.

This week was the first time in training camp that Philips received an extended look with ones, where he worked out of the slot.

It was an excellent opportunity to get on the same page with Tannehill, but the young receiver was confused about his assignment on a particular play during Thursday’s session.

Tannehill was reportedly not pleased with the mistake and let Philips know about it. However, the pair would run the same route combo later in practice and corrected the issue.

After practice, the 23-year-old showed a lot of maturity by holding himself accountable for the missed assignment.

“On that one play, I had a mental error,” Philips said, according to AtoZ Sports Nashville. “The ball was supposed to go to me, so I really let the team down. It was third down in the red zone; that’s a huge play for the team, so I let the whole team down. Ryan [Tannehill] talked to me, and we corrected it. We’ll come back to it, execute it, and score a touchdown.”

Despite the issue, Tannehill and Philips appear to be developing a solid chemistry, as evidenced by this back shoulder throw the signal-caller connected with Philips on.

Philips has impressed in the early stages of training camp. Veteran safety Kevin Byard praised the UCLA product for his work ethic coming into camp and precise route-running, an area in which Philips takes a lot of pride.

“It’s the main thing as a receiver, being able to create separation,” Philips said in his post-draft media call. “It’s something that I’ve been working on since I was in about eighth grade. It takes a lot of film study just watching guys, how they run routes, and learning from them and adding to your toolkit.”

Despite being taken in the fifth round (No. 163 overall), Philips comes into the Titans organization with a chance to carve out an impactful role this season due to the uncertainty at the wide receiver position.

As he continues to learn this offense and Tannehill in training camp and in the preseason, which is less than a week away, there will be ups and downs, but the future looks very bright for Philips in Nashville.

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Titans OC Todd Downing praises Ryan Tannehill for ball security in training camp

Titans QB Ryan Tannehill has been taking care of the football early on in training camp.

As one of the more prominent storylines heading into training camp, Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill spent much of the offseason reflecting on how last year ended.

The Texas A&M product threw three interceptions in the Titans’ shocking playoff loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, continuing a turnover trend that was prevalent throughout the 2021 campaign.

Tannehill, who turned 34 last month, noted that he sought out therapy after being in a dark place mentally, and he has received his fair share of criticism from fans and media alike, while also watching the team draft his eventual successor in 2022 third-round pick, Malik Willis.

However, through it all, he’s remained a true professional and was present for the team’s offseason workouts.

In the early stages of training camp, Tannehill has yet to throw an interception in the team’s first six practices, while completing 50-of-66 passes during seven-on-seven and team periods combined.

Offensive coordinator Todd Downing has taken notice of Tannehill’s commitment to ball security.

“I think always it’s significant when you show your commitment to taking care of the football,” Downing said, via AtoZ Sports Nashville. “Certainly, ball security is something that we as an offense — starting with me — has been an emphasis this offseason. We had a blip on the radar last year in terms of the uptick in numbers.

“It’s a holistic approach; everybody has a hand in ball security. I think that our receivers have done a nice job of being where they’re supposed to be,” Downing added. “People are understanding the details and concepts of protection, finishing at the top of the pocket, giving [Tannehill] a place he can step up and deliver the ball. Certainly, Ryan has made a commitment to ball security, but I think everybody has, and we hope that continues.”

What a difference a year makes.

Through the first five practices of last year, Tannehill had thrown five interceptions, foreshadowing what was to come in the regular season. The Titans signal-caller threw 14 interceptions in 2021, second-most in his career.

“Just trying to be smart with the ball,” Tannehill said of throwing no picks in camp so far, per John Glennon of Sports Illustrated. “Sometimes in practice, you’re pushing the limits, right? That’s the point of practice, especially early on in training camp and the spring… seeing where you can put the ball, and if you can fit it in there, what catch radius guys have and things like that.

“But it’s balance. You want to be smart… We just know as quarterbacks that it’s our jobs to try to take care of the football and put it in a good spot. We want to train those good habits as we go.”

A closer look at the number reveals just how devastating the turnovers were. Of the 14, six were thrown in Titans territory, and three came in the red zone.

Essentially, Tannehill was giving the opposition a short field and failed to cash in on opportunities to score. As a team, the Titans finished with a -3 turnover differential in 2021, including 11 fumbles.

A constant rotation of injuries at the wide receiver position likely contributed to the number of interceptions. Tannehill’s top two targets, Julio Jones and A.J. Brown, each missed substantial time last season.

With both Brown and Jones no longer in the mix, Tannehill will look to develop a connection with several new faces in 2022.

Through the first week of training camp, he’s already connecting with Robert Woods and rookie wideout Treylon Burks, showing developing chemistry, and he has been putting extra work in with his tight ends after practice.

With a lack of turnovers and new faces showcasing well, it’s positive news for Tannehill and the Titans’ offense thus far in training camp.

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