There were plenty of notable decisions the Tennessee Titans made when they cut their roster to 53 players. Among them: all three quarterbacks (Ryan Tannehill, Malik Willis and rookie Will Levis) made it; two rookies who grew up in or around Nashville (wide receiver Colton Dowell and safety Matthew Jackson) made it: and two recent draft picks (wide receiver Racey McMath and linebacker Chance Campbell) did not. ... The first post-cut practice included the rapid return from injury by wide receiver ...
Aug 31, 2023•31 min•Ep. 216
The Titans' final week of the preseason included New England's decision to cancel joint workouts between the teams prior to their game on Aug. 25, the news that cornerback Caleb Farley's father was killed in an explosion that destroyed Farley's North Carolina home, and the news that former Tennessee wide receiver decided to end his NFL career at 28 years old and with one year remaining on his contract with the New York Jets. ... Davis was not as good a player as the Titans hoped when they select...
Aug 24, 2023•36 min•Ep. 215
Second-year wide receiver Treylon Burks sustained a sprained lateral collateral knee ligament during the first day of joint workouts with the Minnesota Vikings. Burks was injured without contact, which – after an injury-filled rookie season – raises questions about his durability. The fact that it was not a season-ending injury, however, means he will have the opportunity to live up to the expectations that many have for the 2022 first-round pick who – up to this point – had a highly productive ...
Aug 17, 2023•36 min•Ep. 214
The first preseason game means the release of the first depth chart of the season. While "unofficial," it is nonetheless interesting in what it reveals about some players. The Titans' first depth chart shows that some have new positions, others have unexpected competition and there are those who have a long way to go to make the regular-season roster. ... Coach Mike Vrabel decided to use the game against the Bears as an opportunity to step back and allow defensive line coach Terrell Williams to ...
Aug 10, 2023•33 min•Ep. 213
At this point in training camp, all coaches and fans have to go on when it comes to player evaluation is performance in practices. By all accounts, rookie quarterback Will Levis performed well on Monday. The next day, he got reps with the second-team offense for the first time. Maybe it was a coincidence (Denard Walker) thinks so, perhaps it was not (that's John Glennon's belief). What is certain is that one of them will be in position to lead the offense if Ryan Tannehill is injured this season...
Aug 03, 2023•35 min•Ep. 212
Shortly after he signed with the Tennessee Titans, wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins talked about factors that influenced his decision, including his relationships with coach Mike Vrabel and running back Derrick Henry. Curiously, though, he also cited the team's performance in the final two games of 2022, defeats that extended Tennessee's losing streak to seven games and ended its reign as AFC South champion. ... The Titans were able to make the deal for Hopkins -- in part -- because safety Kevin By...
Jul 27, 2023•37 min•Ep. 211
All of the what-ifs turned into what is when free-agent wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins said he intended to sign with the Tennessee Titans. Coach Mike Vrabel confirmed the move, which added a much-needed and proven playmaker to an offense that desperately needed one. Nearly every other skill position player should benefit from the presence of the eight-time Pro Bowler, who at 31 years old – and based on recent social media posts – remains highly motivated as he joins his third NFL franchise. It al...
Jul 20, 2023•38 min•Ep. 210
It is mid-July, which means the report dates for Tennessee Titans rookies (July 22) and veterans (July 25), as well as the first practice (July 26), is just weeks away. Even the first preseason game (Aug. 12 at Chicago) will occur in a month. ... Franchise officials also have revealed when they will reveal the throwback uniforms that will be worn for one -- maybe two games -- during the 2024 NFL season. The perceived excitement over this occurrence is a far cry from 1998, when franchise founder ...
Jul 13, 2023•38 min•Ep. 209
To Tennessee Titans fans, the Fourth of July is more than just a national holiday. It is also the anniversary of Steve McNair's untimely death in 2009, and many take the time each year to remember the only quarterback to take this franchise to the Super Bowl. ... The NFL announced that right tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere has been suspended for the first six games of the 2023 season due to a violation of the league's gambling policy. Petit-Frere was forthcoming in a public statement about his trans...
Jul 06, 2023•35 min•Ep. 208
It has been more than a week since the Tennessee Titans hosted wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins on a free-agent visit. Since then, he has met with one other team and made one big promise. He has not, however, settled on where he will play in 2023. Opinions vary on whether the wait is good news or bad for the Titans. ... Running back Derrick Henry is mentioned prominently in any discussion about Tennessee's offense – and rightfully so. His workload and his production in recent seasons have been inva...
Jun 22, 2023•29 min•Ep. 207
Free-agent wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins came to Nashville for a visit and went off – without a deal – to talk to the New England Patriots. As of now, these are the only franchises that have had formal talks with the five-time Pro Bowler, who the Arizona Cardinals recently released. In a head-to-head comparison, there are several notable reasons to think the Titans would be a more appealing team to Hopkins than the Patriots. ... One thing in Tennessee's favor is the presence of a proven and esta...
Jun 15, 2023•36 min•Ep. 206
Coach Mike Vrabel confirmed that the Tennessee Titans will host wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins on a free-agent visit. If reports of other possible destinations are accurate, it is clear that Hopkins, a five-time Pro Bowler, values familiarity. In Vrabel, offensive coordinator Tim Kelly and passing game coordinator Charles London, he has that in Tennessee, courtesy of his seven seasons with the Houston Texans. Earlier in the offseason, franchise officials preached patience in the pursuit of much-n...
Jun 09, 2023•36 min•Ep. 205
This episode opens with a roundup of recent personnel notes, which include draft pick signings, a free agent addition, and the retirement of a true Titans great. ... Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is available after the Arizona Cardinals released him, and Tennessee -- as it turns out -- needs wide receivers. A rundown of all the reasons general manager Ran Carthon and coach Mike Vrabel should want to sign Hopkins along with a look at some of the factors that could keep a deal from getting done. ....
Jun 02, 2023•37 min•Ep. 204
The NFL has implemented a rule change for the 2023 season that allows teams to dress an emergency, third-string quarterback for games. That player must be on the 53-man active roster and can play only if the first two are injured and/or ejected. Following the draft, coach Mike Vrabel said Will Levis is the Tennessee Titans' third-string quarterback, but the change likely will have a bigger impact on Malik Willis and his future with the team. ... In recent years, the Titans primarily have kept tw...
May 25, 2023•31 min•Ep. 203
In an attempt to put the issues from his rookie season behind him, 2022 first-round pick Treylon Burks decided to stay put. The wide receiver, who battled conditioning and injury issues last season, decided to spend the offseason in Nashville, training at the team facility to better acclimate himself to the local conditions as well as to build rapport and trust with the coaching staff. ... This year's first-round pick, offensive lineman Peter Skoronski, still does not have a position, based on t...
May 18, 2023•35 min•Ep. 202
Recent developments for the Tennessee Titans include a lawsuit filed by former left tackle Taylor Lewan, changes in the front office, including the departure of former interim general manager Ryan Cowden and the first post-draft media availability for select players, including quarterback Ryan Tannehill. ... Third-round draft pick Tyjae Spears could be the change-of-pace back the Titans have wanted for years. He was not a workhorse at Tulane, but was consistently productive when he had the ball ...
May 05, 2023•36 min•Ep. 201
No one would say the Tennessee Titans' selection of Northwestern tackle Peter Skoronski in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft (11th overall) was a reach. The 6-foot-4, 315-pound All-American was widely considered to be among this year's top 10 prospects. However, pre-draft analysis included concern about his short arms, similar to what happened a year ago with cornerback Roger McCreary. The Titans selected McCreary in the second round, and he was one of their most consistent performers throug...
May 02, 2023•35 min•Ep. 200
In recent years, the Tennessee Titans have made some notable selections on Day 2 of the NFL Draft. In 2016, for example, they came away with running back Derrick Henry in the second round and safety Kevin Byard in the third round. Two years later, they got outside linebacker Harold Landry with the 41st overall pick, which is exactly where they are scheduled to pick in this year's second round. Thoughts on what general manager Ran Carthon and his staff should do on Day 2 this year include a major...
Apr 20, 2023•37 min•Ep. 199
Jeffery Simmons' four-year, $94 million contract extension makes him the NFL's highest-paid defensive tackle in terms of guaranteed money ($66.91 million) and second to Aaron Donald in terms of average money over the next three seasons ($23.5 million). ... The deal means the Titans have Simmons' rights through the 2027 season. The structure of the contract, however, allows for Simmons to be released – not that such a thing seems likely at this moment – following the 2025 campaign. It also frees ...
Apr 14, 2023•36 min•Ep. 198
Numerous reports say the Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals are engaged in talks that would result in the Titans getting the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Tennessee currently has six overall selections, the first of which is No. 11. ... If the Titans move up to No. 3, it almost certainly is because they want to pick a quarterback, and – barring a surprise in the first two selections – they will have a choice between Florida's Anthony Richardson and Kentucky's Will Levis. We look ...
Apr 06, 2023•38 min•Ep. 197
When asked about his quarterback situation at the latest NFL owners' meetings, Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel said he would not guarantee that Ryan Tannehill would be the guy when the regular season started. His reluctance is understandable given what he said – and what ultimately happened – last offseason with wide receiver A.J. Brown. So, is it simply caution on Vrabel's part, or is there a legitimate chance that the franchise could make a change at the most important position on the field...
Mar 30, 2023•36 min•Ep. 196
Several players were released early this offseason to create salary cap space. Apparently, the Tennessee Titans need more, and they have asked Pro Bowl safety Kevin Byard to take a pay cut. Thus far, Byard has refused, and reports indicate that he could be released if the sides can't reach an acceptable agreement to both. It is a stunning and potentially troublesome development in the minds of many Titans fans. ... The latest free-agent addition is veteran cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting, a 2019 ...
Mar 23, 2023•38 min•Ep. 195
First-year general manager Ran Carthon leaned heavily on his San Francisco connections at the start of free agency. Three of the first five players with whom the Tennessee Titans agreed to contract terms spent at least one season with the 49ers while Carthon was a member of that front office. They are: inside linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, edge rusher Arden Key and guard Daniel Brunskill. All three have limited experience as starters in their careers but figure to plug prominent holes in Tennessee'...
Mar 16, 2023•38 min•Ep. 194
In recent days, one national media outlet reported that the Tennessee Titans and first-year general manager Ran Carthon are entertaining trade offers for running back Derrick Henry, who has one year remaining on his current contract and is a little more than one year removed from a serious foot injury. Hosts David Boclair, Denard Walker and John Glennon explore the possibility, the potential fan reaction and additional fallout related to the idea that the two-time NFL rushing champion could be i...
Mar 09, 2023•37 min•Ep. 193
General manager Ran Carthon and coach Mike Vrabel each answered questions about quarterback Ryan Tannehill this week while at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis. What they said could not be considered an unqualified endorsement, but it does seem more likely than not that Tannehill will remain the man under center for Tennessee. ... With the 11th overall pick in this year's draft, the Titans are in position to make a move (or moves) to get one of this year's top rookie quarterbacks, if they...
Mar 02, 2023•36 min•Ep. 192
The Tennessee Titans have been named as potential destinations for veteran quarterbacks Derek Carr, who has been released by the Las Vegas Raiders, and Aaron Rodgers, who might ask the Green Bay Packers to trade him. Of course, Tennessee still has Ryan Tannehill, their starter for three-plus seasons, under contract for 2023 and franchise officials have not said whether they plan to stick with him. Hosts David Boclair, John Glennon and Denard Walker weigh the merits of all three and how each one ...
Feb 21, 2023•37 min•Ep. 191
The Kansas City Chiefs won Super Bowl LVII on Sunday when they defeated the Philadelphia Eagles. That makes two championships in four years for Patrick Mahomes and the rest, and during that span arguably no team has matched up better with them than the Tennessee Titans have. Does that mean Tennessee is closer to a championship than it appeared at the end of the 2022 regular season? ... Speaking of winning Super Bowls, the Titans are one of 12 NFL teams that never have done it. That group include...
Feb 15, 2023•37 min•Ep. 190
The Tennessee Titans were featured prominently in 'Bullies of Baltimore,' the latest ESPN 30 for 30 film, because it was Eddie George, Steve McNair and the rest who posed the biggest challenge to the eventual Super Bowl XXXV champions. Included was an allegation from then-Ravens quarterback Trent Dilfer that the Titans stole his playbook during the teams' regular-season encounter in Nashville and used it to great advantage – although not well enough to win – in the playoff game. Denard Walker ha...
Feb 07, 2023•28 min•Ep. 189
Two of the biggest personnel moves the Tennessee Titans made in 2022 remain topics of discussion after the Philadelphia Eagles, with wide receiver A.J. Brown and punter Brett Kern, reach the Super Bowl. The Titans traded Brown to Philadelphia in a draft-day deal that continues to haunt the franchise given his personal success and Tennessee's regression in the passing game this season. The argument even can be made that Brown has a lot to do with why Philadelphia is still playing. Kern lost his j...
Jan 31, 2023•36 min•Ep. 188
The word "collaboration" was used often during Ran Carthon's introductory press conference as Tennessee Titans general manager. Whether it was in the way he talked about working with coach Mike Vrabel, his unscheduled visit with the local media ahead of that event or several other things, there was nothing to suggest that the use of that word is just lip service. Carthon gave the impression that his experience, his ego and his personal expectations are all secondary to the success of the team. ....
Jan 24, 2023•37 min•Ep. 187
