Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Locked on Titans: Let the roster shuffling begin

Episode Date: May 7, 2018

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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? Doing pretty well. What's going on, man? Not a whole lot. We've got a few things to talk about. We've kind of obviously been heavy on the draft recap the last few shows. So today we're going to kind of recap some news that has happened since the draft. We didn't hit on as much last week as we were talking with Jonah Tolles about the class and Mark Schofield about Luke Falk and all that kind of stuff. So if you missed those episodes, go back and listen to them. Good analysis from both of those guys on the draft class. As always, we write for MuseumMiracles.com, Government of the Titans for SB Nation.

And you can follow us on Twitter. I'm at jmoresmcm. Terry's at tlambertfb. Podcast account at LockedOnTitans. Follow us there. We'll do another Q&A from there sometime soon as we get into this cycle where the news is going to slow down. We'll start to look at some of that kind of stuff. So check us out there.

So today we're going to talk about some signings that have happened in the last week or so, some roster cuts, and then a one-day signing slash retirement today that i'm really excited about so we'll get to that at the end um all right so the titans have added a couple players since the draft ended um they're veteran guys jamel president i think it's how you say his name an outside linebacker they claimed off of waivers uh from Texans. They added him, I think, right after the draft was over. And again, we talked about the need at edge and that they were still going to need some money. So not surprised to see them go after a guy like that,

a guy that Mike Vrabel is familiar with because he was with the Texans last season. So that's a pick that kind of makes sense there. And they also agreed to terms with Kendrick Lewis, the safety who was most recently with the Ravens. And, again, we talked a lot about the need for depth at safety. And so Lewis is the guy that can come in and kind of fill that role. So any thoughts on those guys, Terry? Yeah, you can draw the connection from kendrick

lois back to the dean peas who we played two years for in baltimore uh was out of football last year but played in 2015 2016 in baltimore so uh we we talked a lot about the need at safety uh they added crook shank he's more of a strong safety type. Now you get your veteran presence there. A guy that's probably going to take some of the reps that Denor Sturcy filled last season. He's not a

no-brainer signing. He's not a guy that's a guarantee to make the team or anything like that. We'll see what he has left in camp and go from there. Hopefully they can maybe find a guy that gets cut coming out of camp or something like that from another team uh it's safety if you know if louis doesn't work out like you said the familiarity is there um and and a guy that you know obviously we you hope that doesn't have to see the field but um you know've got their top two guys there.

We talked a lot about that. And just remember, too, you know, this is a different coaching staff, so they're going to use the safeties differently than they have the last couple of years. So all those things to just kind of keep in mind as we sort of talk about those kind of things. Right after the draft, they cut Alex Tanney, Johnny Maxey, and Kalfani Muhammad. No real big surprises there. We talked a lot about Alex Tanney last summer because I still believe, and I think you're of the same belief as well,

that they were really hoping he was going to be the backup in 2017. It was hoping that he would beat out Matt Castle and they wouldn't need to keep Castle around. But something happened with Tananey between 2016 and 2017. He was just terrible in camp in 2017. So they couldn't rely on him. Obviously, they ended up bringing him back on the practice squad. But a guy that's pretty clear that he's not going to be a starter for you in the NFL

and probably not even a guy you want to rely on as your backup. Did catch on with the Giants, so we'll see how that goes. Kawhi Muhammad was a 2016 draft pick and a guy that – he had a seventh round, so you don't expect a whole lot of him. But he was a guy that even led on the field in preseason last year, which was kind of weird. It's been mostly seen on the practice squad. Again, no real surprises to him.

St. Johnny Maxey had been kind of on and off the roster a little bit. So no real surprises there. And just the kind of stuff that you typically see, you know, once you have a draft class and you know that you've filled some of the needs that you had before, obviously, you know, those three days of the draft. I'd love for Jason Michael to take me through what happened with Alex Tanney because that was really strange. Jason Michael will take me through what happened with Alex Tanney.

Because that was really strange. Just a guy in 2016, I thought, had beat out Matt Castle, honestly, for that QB2 spot. Of course, they ended up going with Matt Castle. But he comes back in 2017, and it looks like he's never played football before. So, yeah, I thought it was pretty interesting that the Giants jumped right on him and signed him. You know, I don't know that he makes that team, but clearly the NFL still has somewhat of a belief in him. So that's interesting. But, yeah, Calphani Muhammad was a head scratcher from the get-go. Really small guy.

I think it says all you need to know about him that he couldn't find the field in preseason until the final snaps of the game. I really think he only played maybe five or six snaps total last preseason, which is just strange for really anybody on the team. Usually you see undrafted guys get entire fourth quarters of work, but for a draft pick not to even find the field, that's pretty strange. Yeah, and back to what you were saying on Tanny, I agree 100%. And I think if they would have had, if he'd have been here for a year, and my year's confused now, I guess 15, right?

I think they would have kept him over Matt Castle. But I think at that time they just felt a whole lot more comfortable with Matt Castle, with that veteran presence, and so weren't willing to part ways with him that time. But I think that was their plan coming into 2016, but it just didn't work out. I don't know what happened, but it was just really weird to see a guy that you thought had a shot at being a guy that could be the backup and not work out.

But, yeah, we'll see. He'll get a shot in New Yorkork and maybe he can catch on there um you know if you if you don't know about alex tanney he's the trick shot quarterback on youtube yeah that's right if you yeah if you haven't seen that stuff go watch it's really cool you can do some really cool stuff with that so um that was cool that was you know fun when they initially signed him but didn't didn't necessarily translate all right so kind of all that um all that being said, what are some places you think they'll still be looking to upgrade, whether it be in the third wave of free agency as it is

or roster cuts once they happen around training camp? Running back is really interesting. You've got Akram Wadley here now as an undrafted free agent, a guy really productive at Iowa, a guy that probably should have been drafted. But at the same time, he totally flopped at the combine. He came in under 200 pounds, really didn't blow anyone away with any of his athletic stuff, ran, what, 4.54 in the 40.

That's about the only semi-impressive thing he did. So not a great athlete, but you can't deny the production that he did in Iowa. So I think he's probably the first guy that's going to get the crack at the third running back role. But behind him you've got David Flewellen, a guy that Mike Keith last week told us that the Titans like a lot for special teams reasons and stuff like that. So if Wadley doesn't work out, if he doesn't show out in camp, I could see a veteran addition there.

You know, some running backs are going to hit the market. They always do in training camp. They're going to hit the market. They always do in training camp. Yeah, I think they're going to have a pretty significant role for Deion Lewis in this offense. We don't know how all of that's going to be split up, whatever. But I think that they need somebody who can do some similar things to what Deion Lewis can do in the event that Deion Lewis were to get injured. things to what Deion Lewis can do in the event that Deion Lewis were to get injured.

Wadley seems like a guy that could fill a role kind of like that. He makes sense there. Like you're saying, if it's not Wadley, Fulwell is not that guy. They need somebody else that can help them out in that way. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see them upgrade there. I think they'll still look interior offensive alignment i know they signed a couple you got quentin spain i mean i think they're probably okay with with going into camp with that letting that battle play out you know seeing who who comes out on top there but you could still use maybe a guy that could be an upgrade you know ben jones um i mean he's going to be the center but you know what happens what happens if he goes down look for a guy that could replace him down the road because i mean all those

kind of things i think they'll still be looking at but you know we talked a lot about it heading into the draft john robinson has done a remarkable job with this roster and you know the fact that we're talking about them needing to add depth pieces instead of they a starter here starter here starter here which is a conversation we were having a couple of years ago. Just, again, says a lot to what he's done in free agency, in the draft. So it's a good spot for them to be in. Yeah, I'll disagree with you on the offensive line. I think they're set.

I think one of those, whether it be Pam Field or Sue Filo, I think one of those gets that backup guard role. I think one of them gets cut. So, honestly, if I'm going to put my money anywhere, it's going to be on a veteran receiver. I've said it all offseason. This receiving corps is so young. And it's a big leap of faith that you're banking on Taewon Taylor

and Tajay Sharp to come back healthy. You've got Michael Campanaro back there. That's just not a lot of confidence for me in receivers four through six back there. So I'm interested to see what hits the market. I'm interested to see if they bring in an Eric Decker type receiver. Yeah, that's an interesting point. I think they could look through cuts. People keep saying

they're gonna they're gonna sign a guy like they did last year with eric decker but who's the guy like that that's the that's the confusion that i keep having um you know sure there's they'd like to add a veteran presence or whatever but like who's available right now that they would want to sign um i mean i think i don't i don't doubt at all that they could add one but i think it's more likely to be through cuts in camp than it is somebody, I mean, maybe there's somebody that I'm not thinking of. Like, did Jeremy Macklin ever sign with anybody? I don't think he did.

I think you're right on the money there. I don't think the guy that they're going to sign is on the market yet. I think he's going to come through cutdowns. You know, going from 90 to 53, a lot of good players are going to hit the market. Yeah, absolutely. So, yeah, I think that's probably a route they'll be looking at. Like I said, they need just some more veteran presence in that room, if nothing else, and the fact that you're still in Taewon Taylor, in Tajay Sharp.

You're still, you know, counting on a couple of guys that you just don't know about at this point. So that'll be something interesting to watch. All right, so that kind of does it for setting up where the titans roster is as we head into you know these these mini camps it'll be happening over the next couple of weeks uh coming up we'll kind of wrap things up and talk about the one day signing that's happening on monday all right so my boy michael griffin is making his triumphant return to the Titans, signing a one-day contract on Monday and retiring as a Titan. There are circumstances where I understand this being done.

We talked a little bit about it before we jumped on. You know, like Joe Montana, Hall of Fame quarterback, Super Bowl-winning quarterback with the 49ers, signs with the Chiefs. I get him. I don't even know if he did that, but signing a one Bowl winning quarterback with the 49ers, signs with the Chiefs. I get him. I don't even know if he did that, but signing a one-day contract with the 49ers, and retiring with the 49ers. Michael Griffin and the Titans just doesn't –

I don't understand what the big appeal or draw is here. I mean, he was a first-round pick. He had one really good year, but that one really good year came in a year where you had Albert Hinsworth and calvary and bosh playing out of their minds um in front of him so i mean i think a lot of safeties could have been good in that defense my my lasting memories of michael griffin or him like putting his head down and and ducking and waving at guys as they ran by him i was telling terry before we

came on i have this vivid memory of a a Texans game at what was then LP Field where Arian Foster breaks into the – he catches a pass, breaks into the secondary. Griffin's running after him. Arian Foster makes a cut, and Griffin just kind of like keeps running past him. It was one of the most ridiculous things I've ever seen. It ends up being like a 50-, 60-yard touchdown. So I don't know. I don't really understand the need for Michael Griffin to retire as a Titan.

Am I missing something? Michael Griffin's career arc is so strange here because, you know, he came into the league and was pretty good. He had that one great year. I think we determined that was 2008. And he was a solid player until about 2010. Then, you know, you start seeing these plays he's given up. He becomes a liability.

I remember in Andrew Luck's comeback win for the Colts, he blew a coverage to somebody deep. And it was just a dagger that brought the Colts all the way back in that game. So I don't know if we have a negative connotation with Griffin just because he played on some of the worst Titans teams that ever will be or what it is.

But yeah, it's kind of strange. You want to save these ceremonies for someone that really deserves it. Adding Michael Griffin in kind of dilutes that product a little to me. Did Keith Bullock do it? I don't remember either of them.

I don't remember that one. Like, that one would make sense to me. Yeah, sure. You know, because obviously he left here, went to the Giants, but everybody remembers him as a Titan. He was on some really good teams, was a key part in a lot of those really good teams. And, again, I am not a michael fan if that's not coming through but like i don't even think the year where he had seven

interceptions in 2008 like yeah he was good and uh obviously productive that year but i don't think he was the reason that defense was so good i think the guys in front of him were uh anyway so whatever they'll do that today and it'll be whatever. And Jimmy and Michael have Twitter beef. We have. We went back and forth a few times on Twitter back in the day. He reads Twitter and apparently name searches himself. So just be careful if you're out there. Anyway, I wrote a post about it on Museum Miracles on Sunday night,

and he hadn't responded to that yet, so I'm still waiting for that. But anyway. What are the odds that he finds this podcast? Yeah, there you go. Maybe he'll comment on the iTunes page. He'll give us a bad review or something. That would be fun. But anyway.

Yeah, that's the kind of stuff that goes on this time of year. Not a whole lot of news out there. We will get a rookie minicamp, like I said, in the next couple of weeks, and we'll at least get some stuff on that. At some point this week, we'll probably go through just kind of the undrafted free agent list, at least talk about that a little bit. But the weird thing is the Titans still haven't confirmed it.

You know, we saw on Saturday night after the draft was over, a lot of the agents and players and all that stuff saying that they're calling us out on the Titans or a little player's name change going to the Titans. But the Titans still haven't really confirmed that list. So we'll kind of touch on that once they do that. And then we hope to get a show with the Jaguars guys, Lockdown Jaguars guys this week as well,

kind of talking about their offseason, their draft, and all that kind of stuff. So keep an eye out for all that stuff. Send questions if you have them to Lockdown Titans on Twitter. We'll respond to those. Talk about them on the podcast. And like I said, check out music all that stuff. Send questions if you have them to LockedOnTitans on Twitter. We'll respond to those, talk about them on the podcast. Like I said, check out MusicianMiracles.com. That's it for today. All right, I think that'll do it. Like I said, check us out at MusicianMiracles.com.

Between now and the next episode, subscribe to the podcast, iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, wherever you get podcasts, you can find us there and just stay up to date with most stuff there. So for Terry, this is Jimmy saying thanks for listening, and we will talk to you again next time.