Tag: Wesley Woodyard

Wesley Woodyard dishes on Mike Vrabel, says Dean Pees didn’t call plays in 2020 AFCCG

Wesley Woodyard explains when and how the Titans lost their defensive identity.

Former Tennessee Titans inside linebacker Wesley Woodyard has given some new insight into the team’s defensive identity, while also dishing some inside information on head coach Mike Vrabel — and it isn’t positive.

According to Woodyard, who was a guest on the “JMart and Ramon” show on 104.5 The Zone, the Titans lost their defensive identity after the 2020 Divisional Round win against the Baltimore Ravens.

More interestingly, he says former defensive coordinator Dean Pees “didn’t really call any of the plays” in the AFC Championship Game versus the Kansas City Chiefs.

He also noted that “Everybody who gives pushback to Mike (Vrabel)…it’s not received with open arms.”

Check out the audio below, with a transcript of Woodyard’s comments beneath it.

https://twitter.com/1045TheZone/status/1372211020522000385

“I’ll tell you what, remember this date: January 11th, 2020 (the date of Tennessee’s Divisional Round game versus Baltimore). That was the last time the Titans had any kind of defensive identity…” Woodyard said. “After that game, coach Pees didn’t really call any of the plays in the AFC Championship Game. That’s why the identity on that defensive side of the ball has been lax. Everybody that fights and everybody that gives any kind of pushback to Mike (Vrabel) is not received with any open arms. It’s always fault, it’s always disciplinary, it’s always equal access to being cut or released.”

In a separate interview on ESPN 102.5, Woodyard did say that he feels Vrabel is the right man for the job in Tennessee, but also believes Vrabel’s close involvement could actually be a bad thing.

Furthermore, Woodyard says there was a lot of confusion among the players on defense about who to turn to because there was no official defensive coordinator last season.

Here’s a bit more from Woodyard on the dynamic between Pees and Vrabel.

“Vrabel wanted to be the guy who calls plays and Coach Pees has very well proved himself. So when it comes to ‘Why should I loosen up my play calling abilities just so you can make play calls?'”

The bit about Pees is particularly surprising, as he called a masterful game against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens, which helped get the Titans to the doorstep of the Super Bowl during the 2019 playoffs.

We would assume Vrabel was the one who took the duties over, but even if it was someone else we definitely have to question the judgement of such a move at that late stage in the game.

If we take this information at face value, it’s understandable why Pees didn’t return in 2020, only to come out of retirement and take the Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator position in 2021.

As for the part about Vrabel not liking pushback, that doesn’t come as much of a surprise. Vrabel certainly seems like the type to not want to be challenged.

Whatever the case may be, this points to at least some dysfunction, and hearing the part about Pees won’t be well-received by fans, especially considering the disaster that was Shane Bowen last season.

It’ll be interesting to see how Vrabel responds, if he does at all.

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Ex-Titans LB Wesley Woodyard rescued people from flipped over car

Woodyard proved that heroes don’t always wear capes.

Former Tennessee Titans linebacker Wesley Woodyard took to Twitter on Friday evening to share the story of how he came to the rescue of two people involved in a car accident.

Woodyard revealed that he was driving down highway U.S. 27 when he saw a car that was going in the opposite direction flipped over, and he immediately sprung into action.

The 12-year NFL veteran proceeded to rescue the man driving the car, as well as his son, who had to be pulled from his car seat.

“Today I was driving on HW US 27 when a car driving the opposite direction of me flipped over. My hero mode kicked in. Next thing I know I’m pulling the dad out and crawling through the car to pull his son out of the car seat. Man that was scary,” Woodyard tweeted.

Thankfully the 34-year-old was in the right place at the right time to lend a helping hand. Hopefully the father and son are doing alright after such a harrowing situation.

Wesley, who spent six seasons with the Titans but did not play in 2020 after becoming a free agent, has further proved that heroes don’t always wear capes, and his good deed is certainly commendable to say the least.

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Titans’ Dennis Kelly criticizes NFL for handling of COVID-19 protocols

Dennis Kelly questions the NFL’s ability to protect its players and families.

As the NFL continues to try and figure out how to go about the 2020 season in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Tennessee Titans left tackle Dennis Kelly isn’t happy with the way the league is handling things.

While he wasn’t too specific, Kelly took to Twitter on Tuesday to criticize the NFL for not listening to its experts, which he says doesn’t instill much confidence that the league is looking out for its players and their families.

“How does not listening to the recommendation from your own experts show you care for player health and safety? Health of the players and their families should always be #1 priority. @NFL has to be better.”

With training camp less than two weeks away, teams still don’t have clear direction about how to juggle the upcoming season amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

The NFL and NFLPA continue to debate a proper course of action, including how to work things out economically, but the two sides are running out of time.

Kelly isn’t the only Titans player to voice his concern with the direction of the NFL is taking. Tennessee’s left tackle, Taylor Lewan, passed along advice for how the league can handle the safety of its players and their families, and he praised the UFC for how it has gone about protecting their athletes.

Former Titans linebacker Wesley Woodyard, who is on the NFLPA’s Executive Committee, also recently spoke about the need to figure out what to do with the contracts of players who decide to opt out of the 2020 season.

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Former Titans LB Wesley Woodyard talks players opting out of 2020 season

Former Titans LB Wesley Woodyard is on the NFLPA’s Executive Committee.

As former Tennessee Titans linebacker Wesley Woodyard continues to wade the waters of free agency, he is working hard behind the scenes in order to help his fellow players.

Woodyard was elected to the NFLPA’s Executive Committee back in March, and as a result he has his finger on the pulse of talks between the league and players in regard to safeguards in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

And one of the potential safeguards being discussed is giving players the option to opt out of the 2020 NFL season entirely if they don’t feel safe playing with Covid-19 still prevalent.

Woodyard, who was a guest on SiriusXM NFL Radio, made it clear that while there is no concrete plan in place as far as opt outs go, he believes it’s the right of every player to not play if they don’t feel safe.

Woodyard also states that whether a player opts out or not, they will all first report to training camp. Most training camps are still slated to begin on July 28, with a few exceptions.

One suggestion Woodyard floated out there was having the contract of a player who opts out roll into the next year. Owners would first have to agree to that, though.

As we’ve seen in other sports like the MLB and NBA, players are choosing not to play because of the pandemic, which is totally understandable given the circumstances.

As training camp nears, it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see NFL players take the same road — but how the league handles that situation as far as contracts go remains to be seen.

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Titans free agents who can still be re-signed to fill a need

Which Titans free agents could the team still re-sign to fill a need?

The Tennessee Titans went into the 2020 offseason with over 20 free agents to make decisions on, and nine of them remain unsigned at this late stage in free agency.

They are as follows:

Logan Ryan | CB

Delanie Walker | TE

Ryan Succop | K

Cameron Wake | OLB

David Fluellen | RB

Kevin Pamphile | OL

Daren Bates | ILB

Wesley Woodyard | ILB

Tramaine Brock | CB 

Of those nine players, who could the team still realistically re-sign to fill a remaining team need? Let’s take a look.

Mandatory Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

Ryan Succop | K

While Succop was the root of the Titans’ kicking struggles last season, don’t rule out Tennessee bringing him back to improve the competition at kicker during training camp.

In fact, general manager Jon Robinson recently said the team was “not closing the door” on a reunion with its former kicker.

“Had a great meeting with him when we decided to release him there and just told him to get healthy,” Robinson said. “Certainly, we were not closing the door on maybe potentially looking at him again.”

Whether it’s Succop or another veteran, the Titans need to add more to a competition that will take place between Greg Joseph, who attempted just one field goal in the two-tone blue, and UDFA Tucker McCann.

Yes, Succop was a disaster in 2019, but it’s important to note that his knee might have been the cause of his issues. Prior to that, the former Titans kicker was one of the more consistent players at his position.

It certainly wouldn’t hurt to kick the tires on Succop and see if he can earn his way back onto the roster over two inexperienced kickers.

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2020 NFL Free Agency: Top Titans targets for the Saints

The New Orleans Saints could consider Tennessee Titans free agents like Tajae Sharpe and Kamalei Correa as they work to improve for 2020.

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The start of NFL free agency is nearly upon us, and the New Orleans Saints are up to their elbows in scouting reports on every available free agent. They’ll be scouring the market for upgrades and replacements for their own losses, considering every team — including the Tennessee Titans. Here is the full list of Titans pending free agents, with a few :

  • CB Logan Ryan
  • CB Chris Milton
  • CB Tramaine Brock
  • CB LeShaun Sims
  • CB Tye Smith (RFA)
  • DT Austin Johnson
  • LB Wesley Woodyard
  • LB Daren Bates
  • LB Kamalei Correa
  • OG Kevin Pamphile
  • OT Jack Conklin
  • OT Dennis Kelly
  • QB Marcus Mariota
  • QB Ryan Tannehill
  • RB Derrick Henry
  • RB David Fluellen (RFA)
  • TE MyCole Pruitt
  • WR Darius Jennings (RFA)
  • WR Tajae Sharpe

The player maybe best-suited to joining the Saints on this list is far from the most well-known: Tajae Sharpe. Sharpe has been increasingly buried on the Titans depth chart by highly-drafted wide receivers (Corey Davis and A.J. Brown) as well as veteran free agents (like Adam Humphries). Still, he’s managed a first down conversion rate of better than 80% in each of the last two seasons. He’s a smart player who could outperform some Saints mainstays if he can quickly pick up the playbook.

On defense, keep an eye on linebackers Wesley Woodyard and Kamalei Correa. They’re both heady players who hustle to the football, even though Woodyard’s best days may be behind him. Correa is also an ascending pass rusher who bagged 11 pressures last year, including five sacks. Either of them would add depth and versatility to a Saints linebacker corps that’s returning several players from season-ending injuries. And with Demario Davis entering a contract year, it’s important that the Saints find some long-term stability in the heart of their defense.

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Titans’ Wesley Woodyard reacts to NFLPA Executive Committee selection

Wesley Woodyard took to Twitter to react to being elected to the NFLPA’s Executive Committee.

Tennessee Titans veteran linebacker Wesley Woodyard was one of 11 players selected to the NFLPA Executive Committee on Tuesday.

Woodyard, who is the Titans’ player rep, was elected by the Board of Player Representatives, which votes for Executive Committee members every two years.

Here’s what the Executive Committee does, per the NFLPA’s official website:

The Executive Committee manages and transacts the business and affairs of the NFLPA between meetings of the Board of Player Representatives. Executive officers are elected for a two-year term in even-numbered years at the annual meeting of the Board of Player Representatives. They must have been members in good standing for one-year to be eligible to serve.

After his selection, Woodyard took to Twitter to express his excitement for his new role.

Woodyard is a 12-year veteran of the NFL and has played six seasons apiece with both the Denver Broncos and Titans. He’s set to become a free agent this offseason.

It’s an important time for the players, as the they are in the process of voting on the proposed CBA that has already been approved by the owners.

The original deadline for voting was supposed to be March 12, but the date has since been pushed back to March 14. As a result, the NFL also pushed back the deadlines to franchise tag players from March 12 to March 16, which also happens to be the start date of the legal tampering period.

There’s no real indication as to which way the vote will go, however a failure to pass this current proposed CBA would benefit the Titans and give them the option of using both the franchise and transition tags on their impending free agents.

Titans’ Wesley Woodyard selected to NFLPA Executive Committee

Wesley Woodyard has been selected to the NFLPA Executive Committee.

Tennessee Titans inside linebacker Wesley Woodyard is one of 11 players who have been selected to the NFLPA’s Executive Committee.

Cleveland Browns center J.C. Tretter is President.

Per the NFLPA website, the Executive Committee is selected by the Board of Player Representatives, which consists of players who are “selected by their teammates in the fall of every even-numbered year.

Woodyard is currently the player rep for the Titans, and swing tackle Dennis Kelly and cornerback Logan Ryan are alternates.

Here’s a quick breakdown of what the Executive Committee that Woodyard will be serving on does:

The Executive Committee manages and transacts the business and affairs of the NFLPA between meetings of the Board of Player Representatives. Executive officers are elected for a two-year term in even-numbered years at the annual meeting of the Board of Player Representatives. They must have been members in good standing for one-year to be eligible to serve.

The 33-year-old linebacker has spent 12 years in the NFL, playing half his career with the Titans and the other half with the Denver Broncos.

Woodyard is set to become a free agent this offseason and there’s a good chance he has played his last game with Tennessee.

The veteran played in 15 games last season, but was reduced to a reserve role with youngsters like Rashaan Evans and Jayon Brown assuming starting duties.

Even if he does stay, he might fall to fourth on the depth chart after the late-season emergence of 2019 sixth-round pick, David Long.

NFL’s conference title games will feature several former Broncos

Broncos fans will recognize several former Denver players and coaches during the AFC and NFC championship games this weekend.

The Broncos did not reach the playoffs this year but the team will be well-represented by former coaches and players in the NFL’s conference championship games this weekend.

49ers center Ben Garland and Emmanuel Sanders both played in Denver before landing in San Francisco. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is the son of former Broncos coach Mike Shanahan. Defensive backs/passing game coordinator Joe Woods coached in Denver from 2015-2018.

Wes Welker, who was a key member of the Broncos’ record-breaking offense in 2013, now serves as San Francisco’s wide receivers coach.

In Green Bay, the Packers have three offensive linemen who spent time in Denver: Billy Turner, Jared Veldheer and John Leglue.

The Titans have four former Broncos on their roster: punter Brett Kern, wide receiver Kalif Raymond, linebacker Wesley Woodyard and cornerback Tramaine Brock. Kern earned first-team All-Pro honors and the third Pro Bowl selection of his career this season.

The Titans will take on the Chiefs in the AFC title game on Sunday, Jan. 19 at 1:05 p.m. MT on CBS. The 49ers will face the Packers in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday at 4:40 p.m. MT on Fox.

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