Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Sounds of the Titans - GM Jon Robinson on the Titans Offseason so far

Episode Date: June 16, 2020

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Welcome to the Locked On Titans podcast. I am your host, Tyler Rowland. Titans fans, this week opening Monday edition of the Locked On Titans podcast is brought to you by Built Bar. Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to BuiltBar.com and use promo code LOCKEDON and you'll get $10 off your first order. They are also doing a charity special this week where it is 50% off on every item. And 100% of the profits go to charity. So make sure you take advantage of that promo code LOCKEDON at BuiltBar.com right now. We are going to jump into today's show. Remember, last week on Friday's show, I told you, we got to hear from General Manager John Robinson,

Head Coach Mike Rabel, some of the players on the team at length, and what may be the last time we hear from any of these guys for quite some time. We are getting ready to see a big gap in the NFL schedule. The Titans have decided to end their virtual offseason program earlier than the NFL required to allow some of these guys to get back to their families for a minute before things really kick off for training camp in late July. And Mike Vrabel actually talks about some of that in his Zoom conference that we're going to be breaking down on Wednesday. But today we are going to start with General Manager John Robinson.

And of course, he talks about all the social issues going around the country. I'll make sure to put that in the show as well in our last segment. But he also just talks about how he's operating the team right now, his feelings on where the Titans are at as an organization, some of the bigger things that we look at. He also talks about certain players as well. So I'm going to bring you all of the highlights from his Zoom conference because, of course, like I said, this may be the last time we hear from anyone from the Titans for quite some time until training camp gets closer and closer. So we'll discuss that. But I'm excited to break down all of the highlights from John Robinson's conference call.

Let's get it. This offseason has not only been incredibly unusual for NFL coaches and players, but obviously very unusual for the scouting staffs and the general manager and the football operations people as well. And John Robinson talks about how you could possibly manage to have some sort of training camp or some sort of football activities and at the same time have the social distancing that's necessary to keep players and staff safe. The question becomes, how do you have six feet separation with all parties at all times in football? Yeah, you know, we've got the list of protocols, the initial list that the league sent out the other day. We've been trying to unpack that and think and brainstorm of how we're going to get training camp accomplished as normal as possible, as possible knowing that there's going to be hurdles along the way.

You know, we're looking at various spaces that, you know, so that we can maintain the distance required that our players are safe. And, you know, we've got a really good staff, a bunch of, a bunch of guys and gals that are willing to pitch in and help to make sure that, that, that we come out ready for the season, but we're safe and healthy as well. With the only activities that teams have been able to have with their players being virtual at this moment in time, there is some rumors and some noise going on that the NFL will look to extend training camp and make training camp

longer to make up for that lost time on the field. Robinson gives his thoughts on that possibility. Yeah, I think that's between the league and the players' union of the length of training camp. I know those last couple weeks, it gets long, and that's where those joint practices really help because you've got the time leading up to your first preseason game. You can get some work in against another team, which we can't do now.

But those are always good because, A, it gives us a chance to evaluate another team, but it gives our guys, you know, they get to go against a different guy and kind of see how they measure up that way. So, you know, the length of training camp and how long we've got to go through different stages of that, we're really just kind of waiting just to get, you know waiting to get a firm answer on where that's going to be. Not only have we heard rumors of an extension to training camp, but we've also heard talk around the NFL that the league may look to shorten the preseason

down to one, two games, further away from the four or the three that we initially thought. With a shortened preseason, that's obviously going to make it more difficult for Robinson and his staff to evaluate the roster bubble, the guys lower on the end of things, including undrafted free agents. So Robinson talks about the difficulties there. Yeah, no, that's a great question, TD, and I don't know what's going to become of shortening. Are we going to play four? Are we going to play two? Are we going to play three? We're kind of waiting on the league to kind of make a determination on that,

but those preseason games, they're extremely important for those guys that are on the roster bubble or that are kind of clamoring for spots. Maybe they're on the outside looking in for their team. But also, you know, these rookie free agents and evaluating those guys, it will have to be extremely creative. Maybe go back and watch some of their college film to see, you know, is there anything that we see in ever how many preseason games they play in that they might be a help for our football team? It's not only the fact that Robinson will lose opportunities

to evaluate players that are on the Titans roster, but of course Robinson is tasked with making the team as good as possible on the roster, as staffed as possible, and that will hurt his ability and his staff's ability to evaluate all of the other undrafted free agents or roster bubble guys from all the other teams. It's just less opportunity to watch guys actually play, which should make it tough, but of course that is a burden that everyone around the NFL is dealing with, not just the Titans. Robinson talked a little bit about how that gives him uncertainty around the roster.

At this time, usually, he has a good idea or at least has seen some of the guys that he signed or drafted out on the field to start forming an opinion. Well, you see the guys in the meeting rooms. It's hard to tell exactly what they're going to do when they get out there on the field. So how does Robinson feel at this moment in time? Is he worried at all about how uncertain he is about his roster without the opportunity to see these guys in the grass? Yeah, I think that I'm glad that the nucleus of our team is back. We've got a really good locker room.

We've got a bunch of great guys. It sounds like the rookies have really kind of taken off from a learning standpoint. But but you're right, you know, to see them on the grass and really evaluate how quickly they're acclimating to the pro game. Every team is is kind of dealing with the same set of cards on that one. So but but I feel good about the core of our football team, about the guys. And, you know, I was on that. We had a team meeting right before jumping on these calls. And it was good to hear the veterans speak up in that meeting and relay to the rookies,

hey, reach out to me. I'm here to help you. You know, you can't take these couple weeks off before you get back for training camp. You've got to be ready to go. We're all counting on you. So I think the leadership within the team is really good. so I think the leadership within the team is really good. And that's probably the most important aspect of some of these macro comments that John Robinson has made here in our first segment.

He's talked about some bigger team issues, and he talks about the leadership. In this uncertain offseason, it's more important than ever for teammates to hold each other accountable. They're the ones who's out there working with each other, talking to each other. The coaches can't babysit and monitor everything nonstop. So I do think that it's incredibly important for the leaders in the locker room to be the ones that are leading the charge, I guess, to use lead a million times in a row. But that's a big factor right there is the players holding themselves accountable and Mike Brable it's something that he talks about all the time and he mentions it again in his

zoom conference from Thursday that player-led teams will always rise to the top because ultimately it's your peers that you're responsible to and that you respect and that you you know you want to play for that's that's what it'll always come down to you can love your coach all you want and everything like that but loving the guy next to you and feeling a responsibility to the guy next to you when you're out on the field is what ultimately makes people hold themselves accountable so that's that's what's most important here but I hope you guys did enjoy the first part of John Robinson's conference call highlights. I am going to come back with you in our second segment and have a little bit more player-driven conversation where Robinson talks more about specific players and specific roles on the team that need to be filled. Before we do get into that, though, I do want to remind you guys about Bilt Bar.

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I'll make sure to give you a retweet and a shout out on the show. Make sure that you are following me on Twitter anyways, at Tic Tac Titans, and make sure that you are subscribed to the Locked On Titans podcast on Apple Podcasts, following on Spotify or whatever platform that you do stream your podcast. One of the big news stories that came out of last week was Jarrell Casey reacting to his trade and saying that he felt like the Titans threw him away like a piece of trash. I mean, that was something that's going to stoke the fire that's already sort of burning in the Titans fan base that's still upset about that trade. But Robinson obviously made comments in reaction to those comments

from Jarrell Casey, and this is what he had to say. No, I mean, I talked about, released a statement about Jarrell. Jarrell has been drafted here, been a pro bowler here, been a leader here, and he's an outstanding person. He's a heck of a football player. And the decisions that we make here, they're never personal. They just aren't. They have to be what's in the best interest of the football team,

and that was one of those hard decisions that I had to make. That wasn't an easy one. But it's one that I felt and we felt was best for our football team and that was one of those hard decisions that I had to make. That wasn't an easy one, but it's one that I felt and we felt was best for our football team. That's the exact type of comment that you expect to hear from John Robinson. He's not going to come out and trash Casey back or engage in any kind of verbal warfare. He's just going to say the same things he said when he traded him, be incredibly polite and incredibly complimentary to Jarrell Casey. So that was all expected. But Robinson also answered a question about what he intends to do with the money freed up from Jarrell Casey's trade. That's a question that a lot of people want answered. So Robinson tries to answer that in the best way possible. I think it's a fantastic answer myself.

Well, I mean, I think when you talk about cap space, that's whatever numbers is out there on these websites that track it. It's like your own personal budget. You know, you have to budget for things, and you have to budget for injured players. You have to budget for this or that, and being mindful of, um, potential extensions that might come up, you know, over the next couple, a couple of weeks, a couple of months. Um, and then whatever you don't use, you can, you can carry over depending upon what the, you know,

the crop of free agents is going to look like next year, or guys you're going to have to resign on your own football team. Um, so those are all, um all pretty complex questions and discussions that we have internally about how to use that. Just because you have it doesn't mean necessarily you have to burn it. But we certainly think if it makes sense for our football team collectively, once we get our heads together, then we'll spend it. Like I said, that's a great answer and the most honest answer that Robinson can publicly give.

That money could be used for a big name free agent, or the Titans could use that money to get an extension done with Derrick Henry. They could use that money to get ahead of the curve on Jayon Brown or Jonu Smith. The Titans could bring in more veteran additions to the roster if they're needed after we see these guys actually on the field. So other than just bringing in a big-name free agent, there are other smart reasons that justify the Jarrell Casey trade. Obviously, the number one thing that would make people feel at ease, though, is signing Jadavion Clowney, and it wouldn't be a conference call

with John Robinson if we didn't get one question about the negotiation status or the status whatsoever of Jadavion Clowney coming to Tennessee um no that uh no conversations of of recent I think we're going to continue to monitor it monitor it um and see where you know I've seen what you guys have seen that's been posted on social media. I know he wants to play. You know, I think we would be a pretty good fit for him. And there was some mutual interest there when we started the discussion.

But I would say that really hasn't grown any legs since we spoke last. I know that Robinson is just not trying to send any mixed signals or get any fans overly optimistic or anything like that, but that's not a very great answer to hear. It definitely sounds like Robinson is kind of moving away from the idea of Clowney, and it doesn't seem like it's something that they're majorly focused on. Kind of seems like they've given Clowney their offer, and if he wants to take it, he can take it, but they aren't actively doing anything to try to help the cause. At least that's what I get from that answer from John

Robinson. So Robinson also talked about some other contract situations that are pretty important, starting with Derrick Henry and his deadline that comes on July 15th to get a long-term deal reached. Yeah, you know, we've had a phone call last week, had a phone call the week before that, you know, just kind of continuing to work through things. I think the conversations have been positive between me and the reps there. And, again, just trying to find some common ground. You know, I've said it before, I'll say it again,

that Derek's an important part of what we do, and just trying to find the spot where we all need to be, where we all want to be. Robinson also talked about Henry's approach to the season knowing the contract situation that he's currently in. Yeah, I think that Derek's approach to how he prepares, he's been that way back since he was at Bama and probably high school. Like he's a tireless worker. He's been engaged in the meetings and he wants to get something done. We want to get something done and we're working towards that. And it's again, like I stated earlier, it's about coming to that kind of that

common ground spot as it is in every negotiation. So, you know, we're anxious to keep the conversations going and keep talking through things. Another contract situation that caught the eye of the NFL and Titans fans is the Titans declining the fifth year option for wide receiver Corey Davis and what was his reaction to that decline yeah it was good I mean it's it's real conversations I try to have um as transparent a conversation as possible with all our players and and talked about you know the monetary commitment that is and and hopefully he goes out and has a good year for us and um and we can figure something out but um But I'm charged to make those hard decisions, to manage salaries of a roster and make sure it all fits and plan certainly for this year, but for future years as well. And a lot of those decisions aren't easy.

And but that's what I'm charged to do. And at the end of the day, I have to do what I think is best for the football team, um, that I love him personally, that I love the way he's grown, uh, as a person, as a player. And, um, when we go out and have a good year, extremely professional, um, extremely, um, grateful for the opportunity that he has here and has had here, um, and just excited to get back to work with his teammates. and has had here and just excited to get back to work with his teammates. And speaking of his teammates, the wide receiver position is one that any Titans analyst or fan would point to and say it's possible that's an area that needs a little bit more help. So Robinson talks about what he sees at the wide receiver position besides the top three

of A.J. Brown, Corey Davis, and Adam Humphreys. Yeah, I mean, I think we've got some guys that have made some plays for us in the past. Kalief Raymond made some big catches for us, one in Baltimore, one in Indy, to stick out in my mind right off the top. Cam Batson's done some good things. He missed last year because of an injury. Rashard Davis kind of punched in there as a power turner, made a big third-down catch in a game four.

So, you know, all those guys and seeing what these rookies, there's some, there's some of these undrafted rookie guys that we spent a lot of time evaluating and meeting with and talking to. They've been really engaged in the meetings, but at that position,

you never know where they're going to come from. You know, it's kind of, it's kind of unique. You got Adam Humphries, who was, who was an undrafted guy. They come from all areas of the draft or the post-draft. So excited about the competition of that group and seeing if, you know, some of those guys,

you know, where it's Kalief or Cam taking that next step. Well, I think all those guys, if they know what to do, I think they've proven when the ball's thrown their way, they can come up with a play. We'll certainly have to see kind of where they're at when we get back to training camp. But really like the way all those guys have, A, approached their job and, B, performed when their number was called upon.

Robinson also talked about the backup quarterback spot with Logan Woodside and Cole McDonald. We'll see. I mean, that's probably one of the positions I was looking forward to watching. He's done a lot of really good things, you know, in some exchanges with a couple of his teammates. He's done a great job this offseason of getting guys together and slinging around.

He had a good preseason last year. And, you know, we've got to see what he's got and see what Cole's got. You know, once these guys get in here, we can work with them. Another position that John Robinson had to have had his eye on has to be kicker. And what are the possibilities that the Titans would bring back former kicker Ryan Sucka? Haven't talked to Ryan or his reps. I had a great meeting with him when we decided to release him there

and just told him to get healthy. And certainly we were not closing the door on maybe potentially looking at him again. But Greg did a great job for us down the stretch and looking forward to getting him back in here and letting him bang away and put a foot on the ball. But, I mean, really every position we'll continue to monitor and look at ways that we can put a team out there to hopefully win two more games than we did last year. Continuing to talk about position battles or certain positions that are obviously keys and things to watch,

the right tackle position, the battle between rookie Isaiah Wilson and then veteran Dennis Kelly. Robinson talks about that. Yeah, I mean, I think that I like the depth of our football team. We're constantly and we're charged to try to improve on that depth. And talking to Isaiah and all the work that we did on Isaiah, talking to the staff there at Georgia and those that were around him, and we got to know him.

I know he's going to compete. I know he's going to work hard to come in here and be a productive member of our football team. You want that competition back and forth with all the positions, and I'm excited to get the big man here and watch him work. Sticking with the offensive line, Robinson comments on Taylor LeJuan and his maturation and leadership process. Yeah, I mean, I think, you know, Taylor's really matured since I've been here.

He and I have obviously had several great conversations. But this team's important to him. He loves his teammates. He's got a really good room and I'm excited to take on, see him take on, you know, those leadership because we all know he's a vocal guy.

He's a really good football player. And I think that he can impact, you know, some of our younger players as that leader because of his skillset and the way he can impact some of our younger players as that leader because of his skill set and the way he can convey a message. And then Robinson talks about how he's evaluating all of his players in this unusual offseason. All they've been involved in really is Zoom meetings. So how do you evaluate guys' performance in those unusual circumstances?

performance in those unusual circumstances? Well, I really rely on Mike to kind of convey that to me. I never want to be like, I mean, in school, I can remember when the principal would pop in the back of the classroom and the teacher was nervous and the kids were nervous. So I want the, and these meetings have been outstanding. I've talked to some of the assistant coaches as well. It's been really going good. And that's the most important thing is that we're, you know, we're ready to go come training camp time. And as we discussed at the beginning, training camp will be the next time we get some more information about the Titans, probably hear from John Robinson, head coach Mike Vrabel, and some of the players. So that's obviously a date that we could see changed based on what the NFL decides to do with the training camp schedule.

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Rock auto.com. We have started out the show as as promised, with heavy, heavy football conversation. Actually talking about the Titans football team. But John Robinson, of course, during his Zoom conference, talked a lot about these social issues going on around the country right now. And I wanted to make sure to play what his thoughts were in totality so that his voice and his comments could reach as as many people as possible so here's what Robinson opened up his zoom conference with talking about everything that's gone on then then what is normal what we know is normal but I just wanted to start off with this being my first opportunity to speak publicly about the issues that our nation is facing with respect to social injustice, to racism, police brutality,

all issues that are wrong. I've been on web conference calls with others around the league. I've had several personal discussions with our players, with members of our staff, all of which have been extremely educational for me. Those conversations have been real. They have been empowering. have been real. They have been empowering. And our players especially have been outstanding. They were open. And they wanted assurance from the organization that when they do use their platforms, their voices to speak for those whose voice may not be as loud or who don't have a voice, those whose voice may not be as loud or who don't have a voice, when they use their voices to speak out against these injustice, that they have our support. And they do. There shouldn't be a standard for how to live as a Black person in our country.

And I had a great conversation with a staff member the other day who teared up in my office talking about how he hopes that this movement can create change, a sustained change, so that that talk that he had to have with his parents as a young Black man, that he does not have to have that same talk of how to be leery and how to conduct himself as a black man in our country. We got to be better. You know, I was thinking every single one of us, black and white, we were taught the Pledge of Allegiance as kids. of Allegiance as Kids. And that pledge was written by Francis Bellamy in 1892. And it's still recited today. And it's a pledge to a flag that represents our country. And a pledge is a solemn oath. It says one nation, not a black nation or a white nation.

It says one nation. It says indivisible, which means united, not able to be pulled apart. With liberty, which means a state of being free from oppressive restrictions and justice, which is defined by the quality of being fair and reasonable for all, which is for everyone, regardless of the color of your skin. So I just think this pledge, this oath that we've all recited, if we can truly put that into action, we can work to change. We can work to change the hearts and minds of those that need to be changed, that liberty, that justice, that feeling of one nation, a nation of human beings, a nation of God's children. I think that's our charge.

being as a nation of God's children, I think that's our charge. It's been extremely moving couple weeks, and I want to be a part. Robinson also talked directly about the murder of George Floyd. You know, I think that a friend of mine, country star here in Nashville, Jimmy Allen, said it best on the Today Show yesterday or the day before about envisioning the face of it being one of your children or one of your loved ones and the pain and the anger that that caused you. And I think that hit home with me. And that's you just don't want that. That shouldn't happen to anybody. You know, that shouldn't happen to anybody. And finally, Robinson just talks about the feeling that he gets from his players based on the conversations that they've had around these issues,

and also talks about just how tight-knit this Titans team is and how important that is. I think that we're all hopeful, and I think our players are especially hopeful. And, you know, some of the conversations were personal, but kind of in a global look at things, there's communities in Nashville where there's people there that their voice isn't nearly as strong and can't be heard like our players or our staff members or our team or anybody in the NFL. And I kind of close there with it, but we're all God's

children. We're all human beings and we should all have those rights and be treated as such. So I'm glad that our players know that they have the assurance of the team to be that voice and help those who may struggle to kind of help themselves. I think we've got a pretty tight team, Mike. I think that when you're two and four and you're not starting off too well and you make a change of quarterback and you know, Braybill did an outstanding job in that team meeting about looking to the guy to your left

and the man to your right and we're playing for each other and hold each other accountable. We came together as a football team and it's a really strong locker room full of a bunch of great guys. Some really strong and poignant comments there from general manager John Robinson.

And with that in mind, I do just want to take this opportunity to one more time remind you guys to please donate with the Locked On Podcast host at lockedonpodcast.com slash blacklivesmatter. We really appreciate all of the support. If you have the ability to help, also remember 50% off everything at builtbar.com with 100% of the profits going to charity as well. If you don't have the means to do so, that's perfectly fine.

All you can do is give what you have the ability to. But if you do want to do more than talk about change, actually be a part of the change, and you have the ability to give some change, please make sure to help out in any way that you possibly can. But that is going to do it for today's show. I'm going to be back with you guys on Wednesday when we break down all of Mike Vrabel's comments. He went for quite a bit longer than John Robinson, so we have a lot to talk about. Vrabel does a good job of giving some solid answers here and there.

So excited to be back with you guys on Wednesday to break that down. But of course, now that you are done with today's edition of the Locked on Titans podcast, make sure that you check out the Locked on Fantasy Football podcast. It's an excellent time to get ready for your fantasy football season. Start having those conversations about rankings, about values, about how to set up your draft board. So a lot to talk about in the fantasy realm of things going forward. So make sure that you check out the Locked On Fantasy Football podcast. But I'm going to be back with you guys on Wednesday with another show.

As always, I am your host, Tyler Rowland, and this was Locked On Titans. Titans