Tag: Ty Sambrailo

Titans’ Mike Vrabel reacts to Ty Sambrailo retiring, Avery Williamson signing

Titans head coach Mike Vrabel says he was not caught off guard by Ty Sambrailo’s retirement.

Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel touched on two hot topics for the team on Wednesday: the retirement of offensive lineman Ty Sambrailo and the signing of inside linebacker Avery Williamson.

Earlier in the day, Buck Reising of AtoZ Sports Nashville reported that Sambrailo’s retirement was a result of his being unhappy with the team, including with offensive line coach, Keith Carter.

While Vrabel didn’t address that particular part of it, he did say Sambrailo’s retirement wasn’t a surprise since he talked to the lineman last week, and the head coach says he’s “moving on” with the Buffalo Bills coming to town.

“Nothing catches me off guard,” Vrabel said. “Talk to Ty, that would be the best thing for you guys (the media) to do. He informed us that he was going to retire, and that’s what he did so… talk to Ty.”

As far as the signing of Williamson goes, Vrabel says the 29-year-old will provide depth at inside linebacker and has the ability to be an impact run defender who can make decisions quickly on the field.

“Just provide depth, provide depth at that position,” Vrabel said. “Avery’s played a lot of football — winning football — so we’ll kind of see where that is, see how quickly he gets caught up to speed.”

Williamson could make his debut 2021 debut with the Titans on Monday night when they host the Bills.

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Report: Ty Sambrailo was unhappy with Titans, Keith Carter before retiring

A possible look into what led to ex-Titans OL Ty Sambrailo retiring.

The Tennessee Titans placed offensive lineman Ty Sambrailo on the Reserve/Retired list on Tuesday, which came out of nowhere — but it appears there might have been issues brewing beneath the surface that ultimately led to him calling it quits.

According to Buck Reising of AtoZ Sports Nashville, Sambrailo “grew tired of being on-call constantly before he felt he was ready to play. The sense that he kept having to bail (Taylor) Lewan out wore on the veteran back-up as well.”

Sambrailo, who suffered a significant knee injury in 2020 while filling in for Lewan and battled a foot injury during training camp this year, had played in four games in 2021, including starting for an injured Lewan in Week 2.

Reising also reports that Sambrailo “never really felt at ease in his position group’s room,” partly because of offensive line coach Keith Carter, who apparently has worn thin on other players, also.

A more reserved personality, Sambrailo never really felt at ease in his position group’s room. Offensive line coach Keith Carter, who many of the players have grown tired of over the course of his time on Tennessee’s coaching staff, had the same effect on Sambrailo. Carter has received praise publicly from Lewan and others, but that also came with an admission of how rocky a start that got off to.

Reising closes his report by stating that “irreconcilable differences and injuries caused Sambrailo to think that he was better off without the Titans.”

The odd thing about this report is that Sambrailo had an issue with “having to bail Lewan out,” which is literally his job. The former point about reportedly being unhappy with having to play before he was ready makes more sense.

Sambrailo is the third player to sign with the Titans this year before retiring. He joins cornerback Kevin Johnson and defensive lineman Abry Jones, both of whom hung up their cleats prior to the season. It isn’t clear what led to those retirements, though.

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Titans place Kern on COVID-19 list, Sambrailo retires among 5 moves

Titans OL Ty Sambrailo is calling it a career after seven seasons.

The Tennessee Titans made a handful of roster moves on Tuesday afternoon, one of which includes the retirement of offensive lineman Ty Sambrailo.

Tennessee placed Sambrailo on the Reserve/Retired list, while also putting punter Brett Kern on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. Kern had been out the previous two games due to a groin injury.

In addition, the Titans added offensive linemen Derwin Gray and Jimmy Murray to the practice squad, and waived defensive lineman Woodrow Hamilton. Gray was briefly with the Titans earlier this season.

It isn’t clear exactly why Sambrailo retired. The former second-round pick out of Colorado State spent seven seasons in the NFL and had been with Tennessee since 2020.

He also played for the Denver Broncos, the team that drafted him in 2015, and the Atlanta Falcons. The 29-year-old, who started in five games for Tennessee last season, is the third Titans player to retire this year.

The Titans will meet the Buffalo Bills on Monday night in Nashville.

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Titans rule out Dupree, activate Johnson from IR among handful of moves

The Titans have ruled out Bud Dupree for the Week 5 game against the Jaguars.

The Tennessee Titans made a handful of moves on Saturday ahead of the Week 5 contest against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Outside linebacker Bud Dupree and offensive lineman Ty Sambrailo have both been downgraded to out. Dupree has now missed two games in a row after being active in Week 3 but not playing a single snap.

Earlier in the week, Dupree admitted he had suffered some setbacks in his recovery from a torn ACL. The 28-year-old did practice all week, though, including getting in a full session on Friday.

The Titans have activated wide receiver Marcus Johnson from Injured Reserve, making him eligible to play on Sunday.

In other moves, Tennessee has promoted outside linebacker John Simon to the active roster from the practice squad, while also waiving fellow outside linebacker Sharif Finch.

Also, the team has elevated defensive lineman Caraun Reid and safety Jamal Carter from the practice squad. Both players will revert back following Sunday’s contest.

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Titans not ready to name starter at right tackle

The Titans have less than one week to make their decision.

One of the biggest questions the Tennessee Titans still have to answer ahead of the 2021 campaign is: who will be the starter at right tackle?

The last we heard from head coach Mike Vrabel, he revealed that it was a three-man race between David Quessenberry, Kendall Lamm and Ty Sambrailo.

When Vrabel had his latest presser with the media on Monday, he said he wasn’t ready to name the starter just yet, which likely means this week of practices will determine who gets the nod.

Of course, it’s also possible the Titans have figured out who the starter will be, or at least have an idea and are just playing coy, but Vrabel’s comments are all we have to go on right now.

As far as the rest of the offensive line is concerned, Vrabel said he hopes to have both right guard Nate Davis and center Ben Jones back soon. The two starters are currently on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

In the preseason finale against the Chicago Bears, it was Quessenberry who started at right tackle, with Lamm and Sambrailo coming in later on. Lamm played at right tackle, while Sambrailo was deployed on the left side.

The Titans have less than one week to make their decision, as the regular-season opener will take place on Sept. 12 at Nissan Stadium against the Arizona Cardinals.

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Mike Vrabel: Dillon Radunz not among the 3 vying for Titans’ RT job

2021 second-round pick Dillon Radunz will not be the Titans’ starter at RT to begin the season.

Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel revealed that the right tackle competition is down to three players, and 2021 second-round pick, Dillon Radunz, isn’t one of the them.

During his Zoom presser with the media on Monday, Vrabel said that Radunz is not one of the options vying for a starting role, and instead it’ll come down to David Quessenberry, Kendall Lamm and Ty Sambrailo.

Lamm and Sambrailo had been listed as co-starters at right tackle on the depth chart, but it was clear Quessenberry had a real shot after getting the start at right tackle in the preseason finale on Saturday night.

Vrabel noted that Radunz still needs more work. The rookie has been up and down in practice and the preseason, so while this is certainly disappointing, it isn’t all that surprising after what we’ve seen.

Radunz should provide a solid and versatile depth option, though, as the Titans have been giving him reps at both right guard and right tackle this offseason.

The Titans have less than two weeks to decide who will get the starting job on the right side with the regular season opener against the Arizona Cardinals rapidly approaching on Sept. 12.

For now, we tend to believe Quessenberry is the favorite after getting the start in preseason Week 3, but we wouldn’t put the house on it.

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Titans OL coach: RT competition could last through the preseason

The Titans will meet the Bears in the preseason finale on Saturday night.

The Tennessee Titans have had a right tackle competition going on since the beginning of training camp, and it’s a battle that could very well last through the preseason, which will end for the team on Saturday night.

When speaking to the media before Thursday’s practice, offensive line coach Keith Carter revealed that the competition for the starting spot at right tackle may not be decided by the end of the preseason finale versus the Bears.

As of right now, veteran tackles Kendall Lamm and Ty Sambrailo, both of whom are listed as co-starters on the team’s depth chart, appear to be the favorites.

Rookie Dillon Radunz was thought to have a shot earlier in camp, and while that still might be true, he seems to be a long shot after going through the usual rookie struggles, both in practice and preseason games.

Head coach Mike Vrabel has hinted that it’s possible we’ll see more starters in preseason Week 3, but that has yet to be confirmed.

If the Titans do deploy their starters upfront, whoever lines up at right tackle with that group might give us an idea as to who is in line to get the job. If no starters play, and Lamm and Sambrailo sit out, it’ll be anyone’s guess where things stand with the regular season just a few weeks away.

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Titans activate Caleb Farley off NFI, Sambrailo and McNichols off PUP

All three players are now eligible to practice.

Some huge news from the Tennessee Titans on Monday morning, as the team announced it has activated 2021 first-round pick and cornerback, Caleb Farley, off the Non-Football Injury (NFI) list.

Also, offensive tackle Ty Sambrailo and running back Jeremy McNichols have been activated off the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.

All three players have passed their respective physicals and are eligible to return to practice. We’ll see if the trio will make their debuts on Monday, when practice begins at 9:30 a.m. CT.

Farley was placed on the NFI list at the start of training camp, as he needed more time to recover from his March back surgery. The hope is that now he can begin competing for, and eventually win, a starting role.

Sambrailo is one of three players who figures to have a shot at the starting right tackle spot. The veteran suffered an undisclosed injury while filling in for left tackle Taylor Lewan last season that ended his campaign early.

McNichols has an uphill climb in making the roster. We project three locks at running back in Derrick Henry, Darrynton Evans and Khari Blasingame (fullback), with Brian Hill being the No. 4 if the Titans carry that many.

With McNichols, Sambrailo and Farley back, the Titans now have 2020 standout reserve offensive lineman Aaron Brewer on NFI, and outside linebacker Bud Dupree on the PUP.

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Key Titans who may start training camp on the PUP list

At least early on, Titans fans shouldn’t panic if these players land on the PUP list at the start of training camp.

With the Tennessee Titans set to begin training camp in days, we’re keeping a watchful eye on who the team places on the Active/PUP list at the beginning of it.

The Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list is for players who have an injury or are still recovering from one and aren’t quite ready to fully participate in training camp.

Players placed on the PUP list can be activated from it at any time before final cuts are made. However, when the time comes to trim rosters down to 53 players on Aug. 31, teams either have to activate players off the list or transfer them to the Reserve/PUP list, which forces the player to miss the first six games of the regular season.

Someone being placed on the PUP list for the start of training camp shouldn’t be a cause for panic, at least not early on, as it’s possible some of those players will have brief stints. It’s the ones who end up having an extended stay that are a cause for concern.

When looking at the Titans’ roster going into camp, there are a handful of key players who may start out on the PUP list. Here’s a look at who, and why.

ESPN lists Titans’ Ty Sambrailo as cut candidate if he doesn’t win RT job

The Titans should hold on to Ty Sambrailo even if he doesn’t with the starting RT job.

The Tennessee Titans are set to have a competition for their starting right tackle spot in training camp that includes 2021 second-round pick, Dillon Radunz, and veterans Kendall Lamm and Ty Sambrailo.

The thought has been that the two who don’t get the job will serve as backups for Tennessee, but ESPN’s Turron Davenport believes Sambrailo could miss the cut altogether if he doesn’t land the role.

Why he could get cut: Sambrailo’s versatility is what he’ll lean on as he competes for a roster spot. He can play both tackle spots and has started at guard before. But second-round pick Dillon Radunz has impressed by playing snaps everywhere except center during OTAs and minicamp. Sambrailo and Radunz will be strong competitors for the starting right tackle spot along with veteran tackle Kendall Lamm. If Radunz doesn’t win the starting job, he’ll likely be a swing tackle. Lamm’s contract holds a $3 million dead hit if he’s released, whereas releasing Sambrailo would only cost $750,000. If the Titans go with one veteran reserve, Sambrailo might be the odd man out. — Turron Davenport

While Sambrailo is the most likely candidate to miss the 53-man roster cut of the three, chances are the Titans will want him to stick around regardless of how things shake out on the right side.

Sambrailo provided important depth last season as a fill-in for left tackle Taylor Lewan after he tore his ACL, and on top of his ability to play both tackle spots, the 29-year-old can play at guard if need be. Tennessee values that kind of versatility upfront, especially after what we saw last season.

With Sambrailo not costing much ($1.9 million cap hit) and only carrying a cap savings of less than $1 million, it would make more sense for the Titans to keep him around as an insurance policy.

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