Tag: Will Levis

Will Levis endorses idea of Titans signing Calvin Ridley

Titans QB Will Levis recently praised Jaguars WR Calvin Ridley, who is set to become a free agent in 2024.

With new head coach Brian Callahan at the helm, the Tennessee Titans are expected to move to a more pass-heavy offense in 2024, something quarterback Will Levis will no doubt be happy about.

During an interview with former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III on the “RG3 and The Ones” podcast, Levis said he’s looking forward to moving the ball through the air more this coming season.

“I’m looking forward to getting the ball in the air more,” Levis said. “I’m looking forward to throwing more on earlier downs. I’m looking forward to really learning to master the pass game because (Callahan has) been able to do that and teach it and see so many guys do it.

“I’m really hoping I can be another one of those guys for him. I know I have what it takes. I just got to put the pieces together.”

Before the Titans can move forward with that plan, they’ve got to add more help at the wide receiver position and beef up their offensive line, which was horrendous in pass protection last season.

One receiver Levis would like to play with is Jacksonville Jaguars pending free agent Calvin Ridley, who the Kentucky product praised while noting the veteran receiver’s familiarity with offensive coordinator Nick Holz, who was the Jags’ passing-game coordinator in 2023.

“Yeah, he’s definitely an awesome player,” Levis said of Ridley. “I got to see first-hand him torch us a couple of times. It would be cool to have someone of his caliber out there playing. I’m sure he’s comfortable with Holz.”

“It would be cool to definitely play with him and, who knows, maybe link up in the offseason, get some balls in the air and see what we can make happen. But it’s not my decision. I don’t really have any pull.”

It remains to be seen if the Jags will re-sign Ridley, but if not the Titans should definitely be interested, as not only would he be a great second option, but the signing would also hurt a division rival.

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Olu Fashanu hopes to reunite with Titans’ Will Levis, has been in contact with QB

Olu Fashanu credited Titans QB Will Levis with helping him transition from high school to Penn State.

One of the many possibilities for the Tennessee Titans at No. 7 overall in the 2024 NFL draft, Penn State offensive tackle Olu Fashanu is already quite familiar with quarterback Will Levis.

During Fashanu’s first year at Penn State in 2020, Levis was on the roster before eventually transferring to Kentucky.

Fashanu revealed that Levis was one of the older players who helped make his transition to Penn State easier and he would love to play with the second-year signal-caller again.

The pair have also been in contact recently.

“It would be great, playing with Will,” Fashanu said at his NFL Combine press conference on Saturday, per AtoZ Sports’ Sam Phalen. “Obviously, he was at Penn State my freshman year and he was one of the older guys that really made my transition to Penn State from high school ball a lot easier.”

“We were just catching up,” Fashanu said of his recent conversation with Levis. “I haven’t seen him in person since my freshman year, but it was a good conversation, we just caught up and just talked.”

Fashanu also said he has met with the Titans.

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“Yeah, I met with the Titans,” Fashanu said. “It was a great meeting. Love the coaching staff.”

One quality that will be important for any left tackle the Titans select is the ability to start on Day 1. Fashanu believes he is ready to do just that.

“At the end of the day, I am super-confident in my ability to play right now,” Fashanu said, per Jim Wyatt. “I have been ready for this moment for a while, especially with the last couple of weeks training. I am extremely confident, and I am ready for this moment.”

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Titans’ offensive ‘building blocks’ ranked among worst in NFL

Bleacher Report recently ranked the Titans’ group of offensive building blocks among the worst in the NFL.

In a recent article ranking the offensive “building blocks” for each team in the NFL, the Tennessee Titans landed near the bottom of the list.

Per Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon, Tennessee’s offensive “building blocks” (defined as developing players at or under 25) were ranked No. 28.

Gagnon mentions quarterback Will Levis and left guard Peter Skoronski, but there is one glaring omissions from his write-up: running back Tyjae Spears.

28. Tennessee Titans: The focus here has to be on 24-year-old quarterback Will Levis, but there’s almost nobody else worth mentioning as they wait to see what 2023 first-round offensive tackle Peter Skoronski (22) has to offer.

Spears was sensational for the Titans in 2023, with the explosive young back tallying the fifth-most rushing yards and fourth-most scrimmage yards among first-year players at his position.

Adding to that, Spears was one of three backs in the NFL to post a PFF grade of 70 or better in rushing, receiving and pass-blocking, with the other two being Derrick Henry and Atlanta Falcons back, Tyler Allgeier. He also finished with the 18th-best overall grade at the position.

Making all that production even more impressive is the fact that the Titans had one of the worst offensive lines in the sport in 2023.

Spears, Levis and Skoronski all have more to prove, but there’s no question each has a positive trajectory going into 2024, which should leave the Titans higher on this list.

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Highlights from Titans QB Will Levis’ 2023 season

Check out some 2023 highlights of Titans QB Will Levis.

In what was a dark year for the Tennessee Titans, rookie quarterback Will Levis shined bright, which injected some much-needed hope into the fan base.

Levis exploded onto the scene in Week 8, throwing for 238 yards and four touchdowns in his debut against the Atlanta Falcons, which led to his being named the starter for the rest of the season.

While Levis didn’t have another game like that the rest of the way, the fact that he showed as many flashes as he did despite the mess of a situation around him was enough for the Titans to move forward with him.

Make no mistake, Levis still has a lot to improve in his overall game, but the Titans also have to put him in a better position to succeed.

That begins with beefing up what was one of the worst offensive lines in the sport last year, and adding weapons to a receiving corps. that was unreliable, at best, in 2023.

Thankfully, the Titans have a pair of top-40 picks and plenty of cap space to build around Levis, and if general manager Ran Carthon can push the right buttons and improve those two groups, we’ll have a much better idea of where Levis stands in his second year.

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USA TODAY: Titans positioned to make major progress in 2024

USA TODAY believes the Titans are one of 10 teams best positioned to make major progress in 2024.

The Tennessee Titans are coming off a brutal 6-11 season in which it was clear this team was in desperate need of a roster overhaul.

The good news is, the Titans have a ton of cap space to work with in free agency, and they have a pair of top-40 picks in the 2024 NFL draft, including the No. 7 overall selection, where they should land a blue-chip prospect.

Because of the aforementioned resources, USA TODAY’s Nate Davis says the Titans are one of 10 teams “positioned to make major progress” during the 2024 offseason and placed them at No. 7 in his rankings.

Here’s what he had to say exactly:

Lots of work ahead as they move on from the Mike Vrabel/Ryan Tannehill/Derrick Henry era. Lots can be accomplished with the seventh and 38th picks of the draft plus more than $65 million in cap space.

Another good thing the Titans have going for them is the fact that they may have a franchise quarterback in Will Levis.

Granted, the jury is still out on the young signal-caller after his rookie year, but he showed more than enough to create buzz that he might be the long-term solution.

Now, the Titans have to build around him in order to put Levis in the best possible position to succeed so they can fully determine whether or not he’s “the guy” moving forward.

That begins with improving the offensive line and receiving corps., both of which were not good in 2023. If the Titans can do that and Levis is for real, Tennessee may be able to turn things around sooner rather than later.

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Will Levis projected to be NFL’s worst QB for 2024 by FanDuel

Former Kentucky Wildcat Will Levis was ranked as one of the worst starting quarterbacks in the NFL by FanDuel.

Will Levis, former Kentucky star, had a decent enough start to his NFL career as quarterback of the Tennessee Titans. In nine games as the starter, he threw for 1,808 yards, 8 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions while completing nearly 60% of his passes. The team went 3 – 6 in that time, but the Titans had a rookie QB and a lot of holes on the roster. Expectations are that he’ll be better in 2024, but FanDuel still doesn’t have much faith in him.

Levis began his college career at Penn State, but transferred to the Wildcats for his final two seasons. At Kentucky, he turned into a star. In two years, he threw for over 5,000 yards and 43 touchdowns, and played his way into being an early second round draft pick by Tennessee.

On Wednesday, gambling and daily fantasy sports company FanDuel posted a list of way-too-early quarterback rankings for 2024. On that list were some predicted team changes for some players, and some newly drafted quarterbacks. Behind all of those players, ranked at dead last in the NFL, is Will Levis.

It’s clearly designated as “way-too-early” by FanDuel, but it still seems like a lack of confidence in Levis’ ability to develop as a passer. Only time will tell how good Levis, and all the rest on the list, will be, but it looks like the former Kentucky Wildcat has some doubters to prove wrong.

Titans’ Will Levis lands lower than draft prospects in FanDuel’s QB rankings

Titans QB Will Levis was ranked lower than draft prospects in a recent quarterback rankings done by FanDuel.

We’ve gone over a few different quarterback rankings this offseason that have had Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis ranked low, but we haven’t had a major issue with those rankings because Levis still has a lot to prove.

However, in a recent quarterback rankings that was done by FanDuel, the Titans signal-caller was ranked far too low when you consider that draft prospects who have yet to play a game in the NFL were included.

In the rankings, Levis lands at No. 32 on the list, which is dead-last and lower than prospects like Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, Michael Penix Jr. and J.J. McCarthy.

Before we get to the draft prospects being ranked higher, I also have beef with Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young being ranked higher. He had a rough situation in Carolina, but so did Levis in Tennessee and he managed to show more flashes despite that.

People outside of the local market are always going to be lower on Levis, but the fact that he’s ranked behind signal-callers who haven’t played a single snap in the NFL is ridiculous.

After all, not only is it possible that those rookie signal-callers struggle in their first season, but some may not even play at all in Year 1 and it’s also possible that they don’t pan out in the long run.

Of course, the jury is still out on Levis, but we at least have an inkling that his game will make him an effective quarterback in the NFL after an impressive first season.

The same cannot be said for the aforementioned prospects.

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Where Titans signal-callers landed in NFL.com QB rankings

Titans QBs were placed near the middle of the pack on a list ranking every QB who started at least one game in 2023.

The Tennessee Titans had an interesting year at the quarterback position, with the team seeing a changing of the guard at the most important spot in the NFL.

Veteran Ryan Tannehill began the year as the starter but struggled, which can partly be blamed on a terrible offensive line and lackluster receiving corps. Tannehill will be playing elsewhere in 2024.

After Tannehill came down with an ankle injury, 2023 second-round pick Will Levis took over and never relinquished the job. The rookie definitely showed his warts but also provided exciting flashes that has the Titans’ fanbase excited for the future.

While all this was going on, 2022 third-round pick Malik Willis was mostly an afterthought.

After a rough rookie campaign in which he had to overcome both his own deficiencies and those around him, the Liberty product made one relief appearance for Tannehill and showed no signs of improvement.

And that resulted in Levis leapfrogging him for the starting job once Tannehill went down.

In a recent article ranking quarterbacks who made at least one start in 2023, Nick Shook of NFL.com placed Levis at No. 33 out of 66, just one spot ahead of Tannehill. Here’s what Shook said about Levis:

Because of an injury to Ryan Tannehill, Levis got his chance to earn the job earlier than most probably expected. It included a bumpy road typical of a rookie quarterback, especially against opponents who blitzed him relentlessly, but after the dust of 2023 has settled, I like Levis’ prospects in Nashville going forward. The kid has guts, an explosive arm and the moxie needed to make it in this league, as evidenced by his wild comeback win over Miami in prime time. Tennessee’s front office will need to help him by surrounding him with quality talent, of course, but don’t sleep on Levis. There’s something there.

Of course, Willis did not make a start last season, so he wasn’t on the list. That said, he would have been ranked near the bottom, anyway.

An argument can certainly made for Levis to be ahead of some of the signal-callers who are in front of him, but expect a low placement on rankings for the rest of the offseason, as Levis still has to prove himself before we can cement him as the franchise quarterback he’s shown signs of being.

At least he was ranked ahead of Tannehill, though, which is absolutely the right call after Levis outperformed the veteran by a fairly wide margin.

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Titans’ 2023 draft class ranked top 10 by CBS Sports

The Titans’ 2023 draft class was ranked as a top-10 group after a solid first season.

The Tennessee Titans had a rough season that ended with a 6-11 record and no playoffs, but the team did get some encouraging performances from its 2023 draft picks.

Tennessee’s first three picks in last year’s draft, left guard Peter Skoronski, quarterback Will Levis and running back Tyjae Spears, all made an impact, which was a far cry from some recent draft classes.

As a result of their performances, CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso ranked the Titans’ most recent draft class as the 10th-best in the NFL during the 2023 campaign.

Trapasso named Skoronski, Spears and Levis as the Year 1 hits from the group.

Skoronski lived up to the expectations as a reliable interior blocker making the switch from tackle to guard in the NFL. Levis’ flashes were outstanding just few and far between and Spears proved to be the running back of the future as a versatile, elusive weapon out of the backfield. 

Skoronski had his growing pains, especially after having to overcome an appendectomy, but he was solid overall and finished the season strong. He’s the only O-line starter from 2023 who is locked into a starting job in 2024.

Because of the importance of his position, Levis has ignited excitement for the future of the franchise after showing he’s capable of making all of the throws.

He’s definitely got work to do to take that next step, but some of his issues can be attributed to the lackluster situation around him with a terrible O-line and a receiving corps. that struggled to get open. We’ll have a much better idea of where he stands once those issues are shored up.

Last but not least, Spears was the most consistent of the trio and has the goods to be an electric playmaker. He also checked the pass protection box, which is important for him in order to see third-down snaps. Spears should lead Tennessee’s backfield in 2024.

Tennessee didn’t get much out of their last three picks, but two of them did play sparingly, making it tough to properly evaluate, so there is hope for them yet.

Offensive tackle Jaelyn Duncan got the most run and struggled but was also thrown into a role he wasn’t ready for. Tight end Josh Whyle showed some flashes as a pass-catcher and blocker but didn’t get much playing time, and Colton Dowell only saw 51 snaps on offense, with the majority of his playing time coming on special teams. He also suffered a season-ending injury.

The Titans are facing a rebuild this offseason but have a great foundation to get going with Skoronski, Levis and Spears in the mix.

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Titans’ Brian Callahan stresses importance of giving Will Levis input

Early on in his tenure with the Titans, it’s clear Brian Callahan has the collaborative mindset Amy Adams Strunk was looking for.

For Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan and quarterback Will Levis, communication is going to be key for their relationship moving forward.

Callahan has already started building the foundation for that relationship, as he recently revealed he was in communication with Levis during the process of hiring his staff.

“I know that as a quarterback, you’re certainly not owed those explanations, or input,” Callahan said, per Jim Wyatt of TennesseeTItans.com. “But I think the best relationships with head coaches and quarterbacks are ones where they are given those opportunities to share information like that. And I thought that was important to keep Will abreast of what was happening both hiring wise, where we were at organizationally, just (because) he plays a huge role in this whole thing, too.

“And so, he needs to feel like he’s got some, at least has my ear and can come to me with anything he thinks. And then I’m able to tell him, what’s happening for us. And I think that’s important, for him to feel like he’s got some involvement, some ownership, some input to what’s happening. And again, it’s not necessarily that he’s owed that. It’s just that I think that’s the working relationship that I want to have with him. And I think for me, it’s starting that precedent was the right thing to do. I think he’s appreciated it. And it’s been really fun to start to get to know him.”

Callahan noted that the approach he plans on taking with Levis as far as taking his input with play-calling and other things will be similar to the one he and head coach Zac Taylor utilized in Cincinnati with the Bengals.

“My relationship with (Will), his relationship with me and Nick (Holz) and (QBs coach) Bo (Hardegree) is going to be really a critical factor in our success,” Callahan said. “And I wanted to make sure that he feels like he has input and ownership into that process. And we can kind of build it from there and hope that he gives me the same kind of feedback I need from him, particularly when you’re talking about plays and what you like and how you like it.”

“One of the things that made (Bengals QB) Jake Browning so unique and so helpful was that we had a great relationship and rapport where he could tell me and he could tell (Bengals HC) Zac (Taylor), ‘Hey, I don’t like this play, don’t call this, without any kind of fear of retribution or ‘no you’re going to run what I tell you,'” Callahan added. “That’s not how it’s going to work. We’re going to have an input from him, and I think it’s important that he feels that willingness from me. So, we can build a successful scheme around his skill set that he feels comfortable with.”

Since hiring general manager Ran Carthon last year, owner Amy Adams Strunk has stressed collaboration. At least from the jump, it’s clear Callahan checks that box and doing so will only help his relationship with Levis.

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