Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Locked on Titans: Answering your calls Draft calls

Episode Date: April 12, 2019

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Locked On Titans You can also follow us on Twitter. I'm at jmorrismcm. Terry's at tlamberttn. Get the podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Just search out Locked on Titans, and you will find us there. We also have a voicemail line. We're going to do voicemails here in just a little bit. You call in and leave us a message. Try to keep it about a minute long. It's tough to play anything much longer than that. But 615-787-8762, that's the number that you call there.

Leave us about a minute long voicemail. We'll talk about it on the show like we're going to do today. Before we get to that, we did not touch on the preseason schedule last week. It came out earlier this week. You know, I mean, the schedule, if you look at it from a standpoint of, you know, the teams that are going to be playing, I mean, it's very heavy. NFL Blue Bloods, Eagle Week 1, Patriots in Week 2, Steelers, Sunday Night Football Week 3, and the Bears in Week 4.

So, you know, a lot of historic franchises there that are going to be coming in here. You know, a lot of stars there. Now we don't know how much we'll see them. The real key here is that Week 2 game here against the Patriots, they confirmed today that they will be holding joint practices in Nashville with the Patriots. So that's really cool. They did that last year with the Buccaneers. They've done it with a couple other teams throughout the years.

But it'll be really cool to see a couple days, hopefully, of practice with Patriots. Those should be open to the public. So that would be really cool. And that's kind of the biggest thing that I take away from this. Yeah, I mean, can you get a better preseason schedule than this? I mean, that's pretty locked and loaded there. You go to Philadelphia, you know, Philly fans up there are pretty hostile, even for a preseason game.

It'll open the season there, so that'll be cool. Patriots coming to town, and you're going to get some joint practices there. You know ESPN's going to be all over that. They're going to be here camped out in Nashville. You're going to see all the reporters crawling around the Titans facility. So that's going to be really fun for a team that doesn't get a whole lot of national love and Steelers at the Bears to close it out. That's just a really, really cool way to start the year

with a lot of high-profile opponents. Yeah, absolutely. So that'll be cool. And if you're a season ticket holder, you know, you have to get the two preseason games, and you get week two and three in Nashville. So, I mean, those are the two games that typically your starters are going to play the longest.

So, I mean, that's a pretty good deal as well. So, you know, it's the preseason. You know, it is what it is. But, I mean, that's a pretty good deal as well. So, you know, it's the preseason. You know, it is what it is. But, I mean, I think as far as preseason schedules go, I don't think you could have asked for a whole lot more than what the Titans have gotten here. All right, so with that being said, we're going to get straight into our voicemails.

Our first question talking about offensive line versus defensive line. Hey, guys. Just listening to your show. Great, as always. But I'm not sure why you're so infatuated with an offensive lineman in round one that we may be able to try to get the same quality in round two maybe. I don't know. It just seems weird to me that we wouldn't want to actually get somebody

that could make an impact on the defensive line. I know the pass rushers might be gone. But good night. The Colts ran up our gut in the last game of the season. We need somebody to help Casey. I just don't – I guess I just am short-sighted. I don't understand why we continue to just not concern ourselves with our defensive line or defensive tackle position.

I just think it's more important. We've got bodies for the offensive line who can switch around and be guards. We don't for the defensive line. We have no impact defensive line for the middle except Casey. I've gone on too long. Hey, go Mustangs. Great show. See you next time.

Yeah, I figured we'd get a question like this soon. As much as we've talked about offensive line. Yeah, I said a couple days ago we sound like a broken record, but I think it's just a value standpoint to me. I think we're expecting most of the top players on the defensive line to be gone at that point. Christian Wilkins was a guy that seemed like a perfect fit. If he's there, that's somebody

that you think a lot about, that I think a lot about. But again, it's a lack of a starter on the offensive line for me. I'm not minimizing the need on defensive line. Jarrell Casey has needed help for years, and I think the Titans

have had a lot of average bodies there. A lot of guys that haven't been able to make a difference, they've tried in the second round. They've tried to address the position. It just hasn't worked. So Jarrell Casey absolutely needs help. I think it's a high priority. I'm not really picky where it comes.

If they get an edge disruptor, if they get a defensive line disruptor, I'm happy either way. I'm thrilled if they get both. But when you look at some of these mock drafts and how things kind of start to fall, most of the time offensive line makes a lot more sense to me. That's me too. I mean, I don't know.

I guess we've just gotten used to the defensive line not being all that productive. And at the same time, when the offensive line isn't productive, your quarterback gets killed. You can't move the ball. Running game's ineffective. Like all those things to me are just more important. I mean, you know, they need to upgrade some things on the defense, sure. They're definitely going to need more pass rush and all that kind of stuff.

But at the same time, the defense last year was really good. So, I mean, it's like I get that there are definitely some things they need up front, but the offensive line has to be better than it was last year. If this team is going to make any type of serious run at the playoffs or to get deep into the playoffs they've got to be better on the offensive line i mean i don't think there's any question about that and they saw a lot you saw last year they can be a top 10 you know top 12 defense even with with the defensive line the way that it's currently constructed that that's for me really what it

boils down to now again it's all about who falls who who doesn't, who's there, that kind of stuff. I mean, that's really the biggest thing here is who's available when they make the pick. And so there are certain players, sure, that if they're there, then it would definitely be something you consider. But I just think as far as from an impact point, the offensive line is just a lot more important than the offensive line, in my opinion. And so if they can upgrade that, if they can address it and make it really good, then I think they absolutely should.

All right, coming up next, we have a question from Dustin. Hey, y'all. This is Dustin in Nashville. I've had a couple thoughts. I don't know if it's necessarily a question, but you've got Derrick Henry, Mariota, even Corey Davis at times. They're all – it feels like they all have almost inconsistent – they have a lot of inconsistencies. They almost have a lot of untapped potential that has shown at times.

I just thought that was interesting. All three of them play at very extraordinarily high levels of time, some other times they're nowhere to be seen. I was wondering if y'all thought that was just a product of the coaching changes or what the deal is. But, yeah, thanks for the podcast. I enjoyed it. Bye.

Yeah, I mean, that's been our frustration over the last, what, three, four seasons because I think Mariota is supremely talented, and nobody will ever talk me off of that. Some things went wrong for him. Some injuries broke the wrong way. And the coaching decisions, the decision to keep Mike Malarkey, I think that stunted him that last year with Mike Malarkey. There was a lot going on there.

And I don't think it was necessarily all his fault, but all the blame landed at his feet because of how the offense looked. So I think he's kind of had to shed that. And then, you know, you talk about the injury last year. It sounds like you make a lot of excuses, but that's why you see the inconsistencies to me because what I saw him do in his rookie season and in year two, it was some high-level stuff.

And he's yet to get back there so i think absolutely coaching does uh play into that uh going from wiz and hunt to markey and now it's a variable it's different offenses every year uh it's starting from ground zero so i think it does play into it you know derrick henry's a different deal to me i think he lacks confidence and i think he found that confidence at the end of last year. Really got a chance to be the lead guy and took the job by the horns, and I'm expecting a lot of things out of him this coming season. Hopefully that confidence stays there.

Hopefully that offensive line blocks well for him. That's why we're so pro-offensive line. When we see them do that again, we want to recreate that month that we saw at the end of last season. So I think Corey Davis will be fine. I think Davis is more of a product of Mariota in the passing game. So, yeah, a lot of inconsistencies on this roster, especially offensively. But it all comes back to Mariota.

If Mariota can find whatever he had year one, year two, he's going to be a really high-level quarterback in this league. Yeah, I mean, that's the thing, right? It's the inconsistency. It's the thing we spend, you know, what percentage of our time do you think we spend over the

past year, two years talking about the inconsistencies of the offense, the inconsistencies of certain people on the offense. I mean, two years, talking about the existence of the offense, the existence of certain people on the offense. I mean, it's, I don't know, 75% of what we talked about because it is. I mean, we see flashes where it's really good, and then we see disaster, and we see everything in between. So, yeah, I mean, I think you hit the nail on the head there. That's the reason that, you know, Marcus is going into his fifth-year option here

because they don't have an answer. Excuse me. They don't have an answer on him yet to this point. So we hope we'd be somewhere different now, but this is where we are with these guys. Derrick Hendry, same thing. I mean, yeah, we saw last month of the season he looked like a great running back. We hope he can continue that. We'll have to wait and see. Like you said, Corey Davis, it kind of all plays together there.

So, I don't know. I mean, I think that there's a lot of potential there, like you said, especially with Marcus. I mean, we've seen it. We've seen it for, you know, pretty sustained stretches. It's been a couple years since we've seen that. But it feels like it's still there. That's why they're willing to pay him $25 million this year to find out. But absolutely, I mean, we have to get past this.

And if they don't, if Marcus doesn't get past the inconsistency this year, then I think you will see them move on. So, yeah, I mean, I think it's frustrating for sure, but I think the good news is for Marcus and Derrick Henry both, I mean, this is going to be the year that they prove that either they can do it or they can't. We won't be asking these same questions, I don't think, heading into the 2020 season. This is Keith from Memphis.

I now live in Connecticut. I had a quick question about Jeffrey Simmons, the defensive tackle for Mississippi State. I know he tore his ACL. I was curious, do you guys think if he was around, if he was available in the second round for the Titans, even with his injury and also with his off the field issues, is it still worth kicking the tires in the second round if he's available? Because I believe he is a top-20 talent. If we can get him to act right on and off the field and stay healthy

and possibly get him for a possible part of the season, maybe near the end, and then from year two and on we have a really good player Invested from the second round just wanted to get your thoughts. Thank you. Yeah. Yeah Simmons is a guy that I Think you're gonna have to talk about at 19 instead of 51 I don't he's met with the Cardinals and there's a lot of talk about him going at the turn of the first You know in the early second Type area. So I think if the Titans want him maybe they can You know get a trade down or some something

But you're gonna have to take on the first round. That's my opinion From just everything that I've seen in mocks recently And you know, I think it's a conversation worth having because of what he can do for your defensive line. He's probably a top 10 or 12 pick, you know, at least if his injury, if he doesn't have injury concerns. You know, you talk about some elite burst. That's what the NFL is looking for.

He's got the size. He's got everything you could possibly ask for. That's the kind of guy that the Titans need to pair next to Jarrell Casey. So, absolutely, he would be in play at 19 for me. But your scouts are going to have to do your homework because you've got the off-the-field stuff. You've got the domestic charge a couple years ago back in 2016. You're going to have to check that box.

But if you can determine this guy is past all of that, it becomes an interesting conversation. But if the Titans are going to play it safe here, once again, I think there's a different route they can go if they want to address the defensive line. But he's certainly tempting. And to answer your question, if he's there at 51, I think you absolutely have to take him.

Yeah, I mean, I don't think he'll have any hesitation at all if he's there at 51. I don't think he's going to be. Like you said, I'm not sure he makes it out of the first round at this point. A couple things. I saw something the other day. You know, he had a recheck on his medicals in Indianapolis sometime. I think it was earlier this week. Apparently,

everything's going well with the ACL thing. People talk about how much time he's going to miss. I doubt he's not going to be ready for training camp, probably not early on in the season, but he's going to play this year. As early as he tore his ACL, it doesn't take that long to get back anymore. I saw people at first, and it's funny how these things work, right?

He tears his ACL, and people are like, oh, he's not going to play 2019. He's falling down boards, all that kind of stuff. And, again, you are going to have to wait on him a little bit, but he'll play this year. Like I said, apparently everything checked out good there, so he's on schedule at least. The domestic thing that he had, like you said, that's something that if you're a team that's specifically looking at taking him, you are going to have to investigate that. You know, that was, I think, before he got to Mississippi State. Apparently, it was like a family issue.

It seemed like kind of a, I mean, obviously not a good thing anytime anything like that happens. But from all accounts, you know, he was a model citizen during his time at Mississippi State. Didn't have any more issues. I mean, obviously, teams are going to look into that and do their due diligence there. But I doubt that slides him very far down boards. And so now it's just which team is going to be willing to take that chance. Because like you said, if he doesn't have the ACL injury, he's probably on that list of guys that we're not spending a whole lot of time talking about because he's not going to be there at 19.

And so I think now, like I said, it's funny how these things work in the media. I mean, he falls all the way down boards, you know, like middle, second round when he tears his ACL, and then as we creep closer to the draft, he keeps creeping back up. So, yeah, I mean, I think if they want him, they're going to have to take him at 19. I'd be a little bit surprised if they did that, but, I mean, not all that surprised. I mean, he's a guy they need at a position they need. So, I'd be surprised but not necessarily shocked if they went that way.

Again, they're going to, I mean, in my opinion, I think you feel the same way, they're going to come out of the first two nights with at least an offensive lineman and a defensive lineman. Now, I don't know what order that's going to be in or anything like that, but I think they're going to go with those two guys in their first three picks. And so I wouldn't be surprised to see them take a Wilkins, like you mentioned earlier, or somebody like that. And I think Simmons has to be in the conversation if we're talking about that.

So it'll be something to keep an eye on. But like I said, he started to shoot back up boards now, whereas right after that injury you saw him. Sometimes he was still there at 51. That's definitely not the case anymore. All right, that'll do it for today's show. We appreciate everybody that called in and left us voicemails. The biggest thing, like we said, when you call in,

try to keep them to about a minute, 615-787-8762. Leave us a message there. We'll get to them next week. We're less than two weeks away from the start of the draft at this point. So a lot of stuff. We'll get a draft analyst on next week, write down some prospects, do something like that. So keep an eye out for that.

Again, subscribe to the show, wherever you get your podcasts, and you'll get that as soon as it's available. Follow us on Twitter. I'm at jmorrismcm. Terry's at tlamberttn. So thanks so much for listening to today's episode of Locked on Titans, and we will talk to you again later.