Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Locked on Titans: Breaking down the CBs, Super Bowl talk

Episode Date: January 30, 2019

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Welcome in to another edition of Locked On Titans. I'm Jimmy Morris, joined as always by Terry Lambert. Terry, how are you tonight? I'm doing good. What's going on with you? Not a whole lot. Tonight we're going to talk about the cornerbacks on the Titans roster, and then we'll get into a little Super Bowl talk as well. Before we do that, I remind you, we write for me at citymiracles.com, where we cover the Titans for SB Nation. You can follow us on Twitter. I'm at jmorrismcm. Terry's at TLambertFB. Get the podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Just search out Locked on Titans. If you have a smart speaker in your house, you can say play podcast Locked on Titans,

and you can hear us there. We also have a voicemail line set up. You call the number 615-787-8762. You can leave us a voicemail there. We're going to do another voicemail show tomorrow i think we have three or four already but still time to get a couple more in if you want to call in again leave your message to about a minute and so we can edit it get it on the show and we'll talk about it tomorrow all right so we talked last night about inside linebackers which is a strong

position uh on the titans roster i think cornerback is also a pretty strong position, not maybe with as much young upside as you have at the inside linebacker position. But, you know, we – I know one of the – was it Ledyard that got in touch with Titans fans the other day on Twitter because he gave the Titans corner in a mock draft. And then I saw he and Benjamin Solek were doing a live mock the other day, and they talked about cornering it up, giving the Titans an edge rusher.

But, I mean, when you look at this roster and when you look at needs, I would have a hard time putting corner. You know, it's in front of inside linebacker. It's probably in front of offensive tackle. But other than that, I mean, I think I'd take a quarterback before I take a corner in this draft. I'm not taking a quarterback early, obviously, so, you know, before we go down that road.

But I just, of all the positions the Titans have, corner is one of the top two or three that you feel pretty good about the group there. You know, sure, I mean, Adore Jackson had trouble with T.Y. Hilton about the group there. You know, sure, I mean, Adore Jackson had trouble with T.Y. Hilton in the one game. We've seen Logan Ryan get beat deep. Malcolm Butler, you know, got toasted constantly early in the season. But by the end of the year, that group as a whole was pretty daggum good.

And, you know, everybody's still in their contract. So I just don't see any reason that they would go corner early in this draft. I'm not sure you could draft a guy late. I mean, all bets are off once you get into day three. But I can't see any reason that you would think that you needed to address corner in the first two days of this draft. Yeah, and Ledyard's reasoning was that Malcolm Butler was bad. And sure, he was bad start of the year. Slowly, he started to turn that corner.

It took him a while, but by the end of the year, he's playing pretty well. He also mentioned Adory Jackson. I think Adory is probably a middle-of-the-road corner. I think he gave us some false hope early in the year where he started shadowing guys and was playing at a high level. But then you turn around and you have that game you did against T.Y. Hilton in Indy where he just got toasted. So it's been a bit of a rollercoaster ride pretty much all the way around

with Adorey Jackson. But I don't think any Titans fans, I don't think anybody on that staff is ready to give up on Adoree. At the very least, at worst, he's a middle-of-the-road corner in this league. After that, you've got Logan Ryan. I know he's coming off of an injury, but he's as steady as they come in this league. And then you go even further, you look at LaShawn Sims. There aren't many fourth cornerbacks in this league who are as good as LaShawn Sims.

That's just a really good depth piece to have, a guy that you really feel good about that you don't have to rely on to start. So there's going to be some turnover, sure, on the bottom of the roster, special teamers, depth guys like that, sure. I just, for the life of me, I can't figure out where a corner would play if you drafted them in round one.

So, those guys have given us in their mock drafts. So, who's coming off the field if you do select a corner in round one? Yeah, that's the thing. I mean, we had a conversation last offseason about how if they if Logan Ryan didn't play

well or whatever, or if you felt really good about LaShawn Sims with Malcolm Butler and Dorian Jackson or whatever that the Titans can move on from Logan Ryan because his contract sets up where if you were to cut him this offseason it really saves you a bunch of money against the cap,

and there's not a whole lot of dead money. I'm trying to pull up the exact numbers. But at this point, you're not going to do that. I mean, like you said, he's steady. He's a guy that's a veteran presence back there that gives them, you know, can get everybody in the right place, call the right plays, all that kind of stuff. And, you know, you need at least three corners in this league. And then obviously if one gets hurt like we had with Logan Ryan this year,

you need a fourth, maybe a fifth, just depending on how things play out. So I don't see any reason at this point that they would make that move. Like I said, if you had cap issues or something like that, then maybe that would be something you would talk about. But I just don't see that being something that they're wanting to do this year. So, I don't know. I mean, really, I just think that this group is solid. I think, like you said, we had Malcolm Butler the first few weeks of the season.

That was obviously an issue. But I really do think you know dean peace talked about it michael butler himself talked about it you know you get the big contract you want to prove that you can that you are worth that money and then you got a guy that's trying to do too much you know mike brable even said at one point during the season you know he's spending too much time looking into the backfield not you know not playing his assignment that type of stuff and it seemed like as the season went on, he kind of settled in there. They didn't have those issues late in the year.

And so, yeah, I mean, and listen, the funny thing, too, about Adorey Jackson is we talked about when they drafted him about how he was going to be a little bit of a project, about how he's kind of raw, didn't have the offseasons and all that stuff at USC because he was running track. And I think he was better in year one than really any of us expected him to be. Like you said, rollercoaster up and down in year two. But you've seen flashes of him being a guy that can be an elite corner, maybe a top-level corner in this league. I don't think you're ever going to have a discussion with him being in a top five

or in the league or anything. But that guy's got all the traits and all that kind of stuff. So it just doesn't make sense to me. Like you said, you've got LaShawn Sims, who's at least been solid when he's been able to be out there. The only guy, Ty Smith, was good two years ago when he got the

chance to play. Now, he got hurt early on this season and didn't factor into the things that went on. He's a free agent, but he's a guy that i'd be you know happy if they re-signed just because you've seen some you've seen his ability to play well at times so you've got some potential there a guy you could probably have pretty cheap and if you've got five corners on the roster that you you at least feel pretty good, then you're in really good shape in that situation. Yeah, Tussman is easy to forget about. He was lost to injury early this year.

But, yeah, I mean, let's talk about how the pass rush did them no favors either. You know, I don't think we've seen the maximized effort of this group just because of what they've been dealing with, with the lack of pass rush. You know, how many times did you see Dean Pease have to get creative with his front seven, have to bring pressure right up the middle to generate anything? The Titans couldn't line up and generate pressure with four pass rushers, and that's a problem.

That puts stress on your secondary. It puts stress on a guy like Malcolm Butler who struggled for much of the year. You know, that's part of the reason why he saw him getting beat deep because the Titans couldn't get to the quarterback. So I think if you fix that problem, all of a sudden these guys saying that the Titans need to draft a corner are going to be saying the Titans have one of the best secondaries in the league. Yeah, absolutely. And to get to Logan Ryan's number, you'd save $10 million against the cap, cutting him.

He'd only have about $667,000 in dead money. But again, I don't think they need to do that. I don't think they need the cap space at this point. So that's just not a place that they're willing to go. I don't think they should be willing to go. So anyway, it's just funny you know last year was tight end uh in this year it's corner and you sometimes you see some of these things and you just you really wonder how much they've watched these guys versus you know you saw early in the season you you watch the nfl highlights you saw

malcolm butler getting beat national guys were talking about malcolm butler getting beat all that kind of stuff and then they probably didn't hear anything about him right for the last six weeks of the season and but you just remember what you heard you know i don't i don't think many people spend a lot of time watching the titans if if they're not titans fans so anyway it's kind of funny how those things go but i just i think that again if you you're ranking the people on this roster or the position groups on this roster, I think corners in your top three or four as the most stable and guys with the most potential and all that stuff.

All right, coming up we'll get a little bit into the Super Bowl, kind of what we're thinking about how that game is going to go. Before we do that, tell you once again about my bookie um listen if you've been listening to us any length of time you know that my bookie is the place that we represent that we recommend if you're going to bet online because where you bet is almost just as important as who you bet on and in my bookie you know if you if you win you're going to get paid that's their big thing. They've been around forever. They're trusted.

There's all that stuff going on. The Super Bowl is coming up. You know there's a million different things you can bet on in the Super Bowl. Obviously the line before the game. In my book, you can do an end game. You've also got all the crazy props that go on with all that stuff, everything from what the coin toss is going to be, how the national anthem is going to last,

and then your normal yardage and touchdown and all that type of stuff, props. MyBookie's got all that stuff there. So check them out. If you're new to their site and you use the promo code LOCKEDON, they're going to match your deposit dollar for dollar. So no better time than right before a Super Bowl to jump in. Go to MyBookie, that's M-Y-B-O-O-K-I-E, and use the promo code LOCKEDON when creating your account,

and you will get your deposit matched dollar for dollar. MyBookie, you play, you win, you get paid. Okay, so we were having this conversation a little bit before we started talking here, or before we came on air, about it's just hard to bet against Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and the Patriots in a game like this. I mean, I think you feel the same way that I do. As soon as the Patriots won the coin toss in overtime against the Chiefs, you knew how that game was going to go.

They were going to go right on the field. They were going to score a touchdown. Patrick Mahomes was never going to touch the ball. That's what Tom Brady does in these types of games. It's going to be a fun game to watch. I think it will be a good game. But, again, you know, when it comes down to it, you're talking about, you know, one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, you know, arguably the greatest,

against Jared Goff, who, I mean, I think is a solid player, but not nearly on the level of tom brady um you know he's still got sean mcveigh doing a lot of the stuff for him at the line and all that kind of stuff so i just to me in these type of situations it's it's kind of crazy to bet against tom brady bill belichick and the You've been here so many times. It's wild. You're witnessing the greatest dynasty probably of your lifetime. It's crazy to sit here.

We're both relatively young. I'm a lot younger than Jimmy, obviously. I don't think anything will top this. Just watching them operate. What's Brady, 43? 42 now? Just seeing him operate at this level.

It's just wild. It'll be interesting to see how they attack the Rams. I think the most interesting part of this game is that the Rams opened as favorites. One point favorite. It's now swung all the way to three point favorites in favor of the Patriots.

So obviously the public is all over New England, rightfully so. I mean, how can you go against Tom in the biggest spot? You remember what happened last time, but again, there was something special happening there with Nick Foles. So it just seems like they've been counted out a couple times this year. The Titans had something to do with that. The Titans beat them really soundly

in Nashville. One of the most shocking things of the season. Since then, it seems like they slowly figured it out. They've embraced this underdog role. I don't know how much I buy into that, but they've certainly taken off and run with it. Yeah, and that's one of the things.

When are we going to stop doing that, counting the Patriots out mid-year? It seems like three of the last four years, something like that, there's been a point in the season where everybody's like, okay, Dynasty's dead. Tom Brady's too old. Bill Belichick doesn't have his edge anymore, whatever it is.

And then here they are again, like you said. I mean, obviously, there have been some games. And then, you know, here they are again. Like you said, I mean, obviously there have been some games they've lost, some Super Bowls they've lost. They've had some crazy things happen. But, you know, I just – like I said, it's going to be fun. I think the Rams are going to score points. It'll be interesting. We're talking a little bit, again, before we came on about, you know, Todd Gurley,

how healthy he is. You know, they haven't used him much. He missed, what, the last two weeks of the regular season, and they haven't used him as much in the playoffs. You've seen a lot of C.J. Anderson. But this game really sets up well for Todd Gurley because the way that you can take advantage of the Patriots is, at least when you're on offense, is those linebackers are slow. Belichick's obviously really good at scheming it up, least for when you're on offense is those linebackers are slow um you know bellatex obviously

really good at scheming it up and they they do a lot of a lot of things to put themselves in you know advantageous situations but at the same time if you've got a running back you got a tight end that can take advantage of that um that that's a place they can be beat and so you would you would think that with the light amount of work that Todd Gurley has gotten over the last six weeks, you know, the last couple weeks of the regular season and then in the playoffs that, you know, maybe he'll be as close to 100% as anybody can be coming into this game. So, I mean, it sets up well for him to have a good game.

But, again, like the Rams defense has been has been you know good enough at times um I mean they've they've made some really timely plays you obviously got Aaron Donald on that side of the ball who you know can wreck a game by himself but it just feels like it's going to be kind of a back and forth game and again when you get into the fourth quarter and Tom Brady's got the ball it's just hard to see it going any way but him driving it down and winning the Super Bowl. That's just kind of the way I see it playing out. I think the Patriots are going to get their 28, 30 points. I think it's a

given. It's just a matter of what Sean McVay can dial up against this Patriots defense. Just looking at them on paper, not that great up front. They don't really have those big-time difference makers. I think there's going to be some opportunities in the run game for the Rams.

That's kind of how we've seen them operate through these playoffs. Crazy enough with C.J. Anderson, who looks a little chubby, but he's getting the job done. Like you said, it'll be interesting to see how much he's used versus Todd Gurley. Maybe Gurley comes out fresh, but I think they can get some things done on the ground. Big spot for Sean McVay. You know, everybody's hiring to find the next Sean McVay. Well, McVay, it's his chance to go prove it.

So he's got a chance to scheme up the Patriots. It'll be interesting to see if he brings in any new wrinkles. You know, I love watching the Rams offense operate. I love watching that play action, how they take shots down the field to Brandon Cooks just kind of seems to open everything up for those two tight ends they have and Robert Woods working the intermediate. So really interesting matchup, big time coaching matchup.

Interested to see if Sean McVay can hold his own against Belichick. Yeah, man, you know, like I said, everybody's looking for the next Sean McVay. That's just going to, like, you know, ratchet up even more if he wins the Super Bowl here because that'll be, you know, everybody's got to find that next guy. And, you know, like I said, we've already seen that happening as well. Interesting, you know, that this game's in Atlanta.

Rams are in this game. Obviously, I think the last time Super Bowls in Atlanta with Titans were there following the 1999 season. You know, Terry doesn't really remember much of it. Like you said, he's older than he is. He was in bed. I was seven, man. But, you know, I think those of us who are old enough to remember that,

it's crazy, one, that it's been 20 years at this point since the Titans have been in the Super Bowl, and really they haven't been in the playoffs that many times since. So, like, when you really step back and think about it, it's really sad how bad this franchise has been since those first really two years that they were here. They've had a couple good years here and there, but for the most part

it's been pretty rough. I'll just never forget about that game. The week was crazy because they had the ice storm in Atlanta. You've got this week again and it's so cold here. It's equally as cold down there. You've got some similarities there.

But, you know, that game, you remember the lead-up with that team to that game, you know, kind of the underdog thing. You know, obviously you see Miracle in the wild-card round, and then go to Indy and beat the Colts, go to Jacksonville and beat the Jaguars for the third time in that season. And that was a year where everybody expected the jaguars to go to the super bowl um they were really good that season but titans just had their number you know as they do currently as well but um you know that game it just it was one of those things where it was kind of a slow start um and you know you had that greatest show on turf with kurt warner and then

those guys the titans defense that was so good um and you know the you had that greatest show on turf with Kurt Warner and those guys. The Titans defense, it was so good. And, you know, the things that I'll never forget about that game, the touchdown that Warner threw, I think it was to Isaac Bruce, where Javon Kersh just gets there like a half a second late. And if he'd have been there half a second earlier, then he at least maybe gets a sack, but at least, you know, hits Warner's arm so he can't complete that pass. You wonder how much different it would have been.

You know, the Titans were missing both of their starting safeties by the time that game was over. I think Anthony Dorsett was hurt coming in, and Blaine Bishop got hurt in the game. You know, and then obviously the final drive. Everybody remembers that. You know, and we've we've already seen that play too many times in our lives but especially this week with the super

bowl being back in atlanta um but you know it just it makes you you know long for the days where you have a team that you feel like can can be in contention for that every year you know when the titans first i mean that was obviously their first season as the titans first season in nashville well not first season national the first season at what was then adelphia coliseum now nathan stadium um but for those for those first three or four years they were here you really felt like every year they were in the mix to to go back to the super bowl obviously they didn't get back there um never really got that close again but it just makes you really long for a day where we have that type of competitive team here again.

Yeah, Patriots happened. After that, the dynasty was born. Of course, I don't remember the game. Titans will have to get back there to get me my Super Bowl memory that my mom robbed me of. But, yeah, ever since then, it's been the Patriots. I remember them falling. I think it was, what, 2004?

Them hitting that game-winning field goal. I remember being in tears after that one, just devastated after that. So, yeah, I'm ready to get back to this point. They just feel like they're right there on the cusp. They just need that one extra shot in the arm. Maybe that shot in the arm is just Marcus Marietta being healthy. But, yeah, I'm ready to create some new memories and hopefully get my mom off the hook one of these days.

Yeah, I mean, I feel like, like you said, you feel like they're pretty close. But, I mean, the quarterback thing seems like it's been the question, you know, since McNair. So, hopefully, like I said, Mario's health or whatever, hopefully that plays out in a way where, you know, you feel good about their chances next year and going forward and maybe the start of, you know, just a little bit of a run where they're consistently good.

I mean, this is the best. You know, they've had three winning seasons for the first time since they've been here, which is crazy to think about. Like I said, you feel like they're close, but you just need that one couple extra things to kind of get them over the hump. All right, so that'll do it for tonight's show. Thanks so much for listening. Like I said, if you want to call, leave us a voicemail, 615-787-8762.

Leave your message in about a minute. We'll work that in on the show tomorrow, answering your questions. You can also follow us on Twitter. I'm at jmorrismcm. Kerry's at tlambertfb. And again, if you want to subscribe to the podcast, please do that. You can get it wherever you get your podcasts. And your smart speaker, just say, play podcast Locked on Titans.

Thanks so much for listening, and we will talk to you again tomorrow. wherever you get your podcasts and your smart speaker, just say play podcast locked on Titans. Thanks so much for listening. And we will talk to you again tomorrow.