Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Tennessee Titans Cut Down to 53 Players: Who Was Cut, Who Survived & What Comes Next!!!

Episode Date: September 1, 2021

The Tennessee Titans officially cut down the roster to 53 players on Tuesday. Tyler is breaking down who was cut including names like Dez Fitzpatrick and Mason Kinsey. Also, Tyler goes over who survived cut down day and is now on the initial 53. Finally, the Titans have nine players on the COVID list who do not count towards the roster, when they come back, who will be pushed out??Follow Tyler on Twitter @TicTacTitansFollow the show on Facebook @LockedOnTitansPodSubscribe to the Locked On Titans YouTube page:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP3332GMOh4y5PX3q9NFybwSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.BetOnline AGThere is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus.Rock AutoAmazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you.NorthOneWith NorthOne, you’ll never pay overdraft or NSF fees again, saving you hundreds of dollars per month. To get started, visit apply.northone.com/locked.RunYourPoolCheck ‘em out TODAY and get $10 off at RunYourPool.com and use promo code LockedOn at checkout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to the Locked On Titans podcast. I am your host, Tyler Rowland. Titans fans, this Wednesday edition of the Locked On Titans podcast is presented by Locked On's Ultimate Season Preview 2021. The NFL season is about to begin and nobody covers it like the Locked On Podcast Network. August the 30th through September the 8th, Locked On's Ultimate Season Preview is taking you through every team and every division with the help of Odyssey's Ross Tucker and Jason LaCanfora.

Follow the Ultimate Season Preview 2021 feed on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts and make sure to tune in today as the ultimate season preview 2021 has begun. But it is time for a Wednesday episode of the Locked on Titans podcast and Tuesday was cut down day. So we do know the Titans initial 53 man roster. Now more changes are going to be coming as Titans players come off the COVID list, but we are going to dive into this initial 53-man roster.

I'm going to tell you who was cut on Tuesday. We had 17 cuts from the Titans to go over. Then, I do want to talk about the interesting names that stayed on the roster. Who made it through those first initial cuts to be there for the Titans today. Then I want to continue talking about the Titans roster. Like I said, nine players still on the COVID list who do not count towards the Titans 53. So they're going to have a lot of decisions still to make going forward. And I'm going to tell you who I think are some guys who made that initial 53 that shouldn't

get too comfortable when those guys start coming off the COVID-19 list. So an entire breakdown of the Tennessee Titans cuts and the initial 53-man roster on a Wednesday edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. Let's get it! You are Locked on Titans, your daily Tennessee Titans podcast. Part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. Let's go Titans fans. One of the, I would say, most interesting days on the Tennessee Titans offseason, preseason calendar.

Everyone has been waiting throughout training camp to see what this final 53-man roster looks like. But unfortunately, because of the Titans' COVID outbreak, this isn't really what I would call their final 53. A lot of decisions still to make and a lot of cuts still to come. But let's talk about who was cut in this first wave on Tuesday, and like I said, 17 players were axed from the roster by the Titans on Tuesday. We will start on the offensive side of the ball and in the backfield. A guy who was literally just signed before the weekend, Javion Hawkins, the running back, undrafted free agent out of Louisville. He was not able to stick on the roster, but really no shock there.

Out of Louisville, he was not able to stick on the roster, but really no shock there. Now, it's time to get into what could be considered some shockers, at least according to Titans Twitter. I was trying to kind of get you guys ready to go for the fact that these players could be cut. There's been some discussion, but seeing it actually happen feels totally different. Two wide receivers that were the headliners of the Cup players on Tuesday. Number one, Mason Kinsey, who had become a preseason darling for Titans fans because of his production out of the slot. And then Titans fourth round draft pick, Dez Fitzpatrick. Now quickly, Mason Kinsey, an uphill battle.

I would not be surprised to see the Titans get him back on the practice squad. There is a ton of talent at wide receiver in the NFL. So it's not like Mason Kinsey is one of these guys who is in the top 10, top 15 wide receivers that were waived on Tuesday. So good chance that the Titans are able to get him back on the practice squad. But as for Des Fitzpatrick, I crushed the pick when it happened. Trading three picks to get Des Fitzpatrick, you basically wasted four picks on Des Fitzpatrick

in the fourth round when he was valued as a sixth round, a seventh round, or an undrafted free agent by most draft pundits, including my evaluation, had him as a sixth or seventh round pick. So you reach multiple rounds ahead for a guy, you waste four draft picks on him, then you use a seventh round draft pick on Racy McMath, the wide receiver, who probably won't make the roster either. That's five, five of the Titans draft picks that John Robinson wasted at the wide receiver position. And don't call it

hindsight. Don't say that I'm just reacting now.. And don't call it hindsight. Don't say that I'm just reacting now. I killed the pick when it happened. I hated the trade. I hated the pick. There's video evidence. And now it comes to fruition. Des Fitzpatrick cut.

So those are the two headliners. Also, Fred Brown was cut at the wide receiver position. Not really a surprise there. Out of all the talented wide receivers on the Titans roster throughout training camp, no one ever talked about Fred Brown as any chance of being on the final 53 man roster at tight end. No real surprises here. Jared Pinckney and Miller Forrestal both cut. Now I could see Forrestal coming back to the practice squad for the Titans to continue developing him. Quite frankly, I'm kind of happy Miller Forrestal didn't make it just because his name has tripped me up throughout the all season, wanting to call him Forrest Millerstall and all these

other things. So for my own benefit, selfishly, I will say I'm not mad about that cut, but could see Forrestal back on the practice squad. On the offensive line, no real surprises here. Jordan Roos cut. We also saw Gray cut, who was just signed recently. Cole Bonwart was cut. I thought that was a little bit of a surprise, but the Titans are looking for experienced veterans along the offensive line. They already have a young guy in Aaron Brewer, so need a veteran to balance that out. Hopefully, they're

able to get Bonwart back on the practice squad. I thought he had some good moments in that last preseason game against the Bears. And then Christian DeLauro, who I thought was up and down throughout the preseason, but had some good moments as well. He could be back on the Titans practice squad. So four cuts on the offensive line. On the defensive line, we knew that the Titans were only going to keep five interior defensive linemen. We knew who the top four was going to be. Simmons, Autry, Tartt, and Murchison. The fifth spot was up between

Naquan Jones, Woodrow Hamilton, and Anthony Rush. Anthony Rush had been the favorite throughout training camp, but he's been on the COVID list for a lot of training camp in the preseason. I didn't think he played that great in the preseason games when he had a chance to, but it looks like he won that race because Naquan Jones, the undrafted free agent, and Anthony Hamilton, the veteran in the NFL, were both cut on Tuesday as well. And then at the linebacker spot, Jan Johnson at inside linebacker. I'd been saying I thought he would be cut for quite some time. And then this was a little bit of a surprise, but Wyatt Ray. Wyatt Ray had some good moments during the preseason,

came over to the Titans last year as a practice squad guy. I would see the Titans try to get Wyatt Ray back on the practice squad as well. That goes along with the cut of John Simon. That was kind of surprising. So the Titans looked like they might go with just five outside linebackers. We'll talk more about that later. And in the secondary, not a lot of cuts in the secondary, which was a big surprise, but two of them were safety Jamal Carter,

who was a late addition in training camp, no surprise there. And then Breon Boddy Calhoun at cornerback, not a real surprise there. So that's 17 players that the Titans cut on Tuesday. We are going to change the conversation over to who were the survivors? Who were the guys at those positions that did survive the training camp cuts? And we'll make it to the initial 53-man roster. Before we get into that, I do want to remind you guys that football season is here. And the best place to bet on pro or college football is betonline.ag.

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Before we get into that, just a reminder to you guys, I'm going to be putting out daily, Monday through Friday, Tennessee Titans content here on the Locked on Titans podcast. Make sure that you subscribe to the Locked on Titans podcast on whatever platform you stream your podcast. Subscribe to the Locked on Titans YouTube page as well. Smash that notification bell so you never miss an episode. Follow me on social media at Tic Tac Titans on Twitter at Locked on Titans pod on Facebook and give us a five star review.

I say us because it's just me and my wonderful dog Kobe here, but give us a five star review if you're enjoying the show and make sure you like the YouTube video if you're watching that way. But diving into the people who made the roster, of course, the Titans have nine players still on the COVID list and those nine players do not count towards the 53-man roster. So the Titans kept both quarterbacks that we have been obsessing over throughout the preseason, Logan Woodside and Matt Barkley. One of those guys is going to get trimmed when Tannehill comes back though, but that's a conversation for our next segment. Moving forward

at running back, the other preseason darling outside of Elijah Molden, Rashad Weaver, and Mason Kinsey was running back Makai Sargent, and Makai Sargent has made the initial 53-man roster hoping that he stays there.

At wide receiver, of course you have the big three. A.J. Brown, Julio Jones, Josh Reynolds. But the question was, will the Titans keep six or will they keep seven? Well, at least on this initial roster, they're keeping seven. They have Chester Rogers. They have Marcus Johnson. They have Nick Westbrook-Akina. And they have Cam Batson.

So those are the four guys that are on there right now. We'll talk more about who could return and shake that up in just a moment. But that's the four wide receivers that were able to stick. At tight end, big discussion. Are the Titans going to keep three tight ends and seven wide receivers? Will they keep six wide receivers and then keep four tight ends? Well, right now, we show four tight ends likely to make the roster. The Titans kept around Tommy Hudson.

I love that. I love that. I want to see Hudson on this roster. They also kept around the KG veteran, Luke Stocker. That makes sense as well, although I thought Luke Stocker struggled during the preseason. Remember, though, Jeff Swaim on COVID list. When he comes back, he's getting a roster spot, so we'll see there. On the offensive line, David Questenberry did make this team.

I like that as well, and quite frankly, people have been arguing about it, but I think Questenberry is set to be the starter at right tackle day one. I think it was more likely that Ty Sambrillo was cut than Questenberry. But either way, Quest has made this team at least the initial roster. And then Aaron Brewer, who had a press conference on Monday, he said he's 100% fully ready to go. The reason he was on the non-football injury list wasn't an injury from last season.

It was something that happened during the offseason. But he passed his physical. He's back on the roster. He's cleared. He's ready to go. And I really like Aaron Brewer as an undrafted free agent from last year. I think long-term, he might be the Titans starting center when Ben Jones moves on to other places. Ben Jones is in the last year of his contract. Maybe the Titans don't bring him back and they have plans to install Aaron Brewer at the pivot. Who really knows? But all I know is I want Aaron Brewer on this team. I want the Titans to load up at offensive line

and make sure that they have depth there. So I love seeing that both those guys made the roster. Also worth saying, Daniel Murner made this roster up front. I thought maybe Cole Barnward could supplant him, but that did not happen. And Murner made the team. We'll talk more about Daniel Murner in just a second though. On defense, Anthony Rush, as I kind of insinuated in the first segment, Anthony Rush was the boy who lived on the interior defensive line. Bunch of

flowery reports coming out about him on Tuesday that the staff just loved what he did in practice, loved what he did for the Titans during training camp. I'm not as high on Rush as the general consensus. I think that's an area the Titans could look to improve using the waiver wire, using guys who are cut from other rosters over the last 24 hours,

but we'll see what happens with that spot for right now. Rush is that fifth interior defensive lineman. And then at linebacker, Derek Roberson, up and down. The coaches are high on his athletic potential, but have talked publicly about him needing to improve and run defense. They seem to be happy with his progression so far. So Derek Roberson makes this team, and Ola Dainey makes this

team. I don't think there's any chance Ola gets cut. He flashed as a pass rusher. He's already a special teams dynamo. He's a guy like a Nick DeZubnar from last year. Could even be a purely special teams guy, but so important that I think he needs to be on this team. And then at defensive

back, Holy cow! The Titans kept 13 total DBs. They kept seven cornerbacks. We know the top five. Janoris Jenkins, Jack Rabbit, sorry. Christian Fulton, Elijah Molden, Caleb Farley, Breon Borders. That's your top five. Guaranteed. But they also kept Chris Jackson and Chris Jones. Elijah Molden, Caleb Farley, Breon Borders. That's your top five. Guaranteed.

But they also kept Chris Jackson and Chris Jones. So loading up there. And then in safety, things got even crazier. Of course, you have your starters in Imani and Kevin. But then they kept Matthias Farley, who just got healthy again. They kept Bradley McDougal. They kept Dane Cruikshankank who cannot get healthy for the life of him. And they kept Brady Breeze. That's kind of a shock to me. So the Titans have six safeties,

seven cornerbacks, 13 total DBs. I just don't see how that can hold up once some of these COVID guys come back. But speaking of the COVID guys, that's what we're going to talk about next. I'm going to tell you who's still on the COVID list. Who on the COVID list I think just gets cut immediately and never makes it to the roster, who I think on the COVID list does make the roster, and when they do make the roster, who might be pushed off of it from this initial 53. So a lot still to discuss about roster cut down day. Before we get into that, do want to tell you guys about

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Compatible device required. Content varies by package. Alright Titans fans, let's cap off this Wednesday edition of the Locked on Titans podcast, continuing to talk about the roster cuts and roster moves the Titans have made over the last 24 hours. We talked about the guys who were cut to start off today's show. We talked about the guys who survived in the middle of today's show.

Now, I want to end things by telling you the additional moves I think could be coming in the next few days. Before we get into that, though, just another reminder. Make sure you check out Locked On's Ultimate Season Preview 2021. It's airing between August the 30th, which was Monday, until September the 8th. Every team, every division, with the help of Odyssey's experts, Ross Tucker and Jason LaCanfora. I personally am pretty excited. Ross Tucker is going to be breaking down the AFC South with me. Remember, I am the host of all of these AFC South total division programs that we do.

So show me some love. Check out the Ultimate Season Preview. It's an honor for me to have Ross Tucker on that. I've been a fan of his for a long time, going back to his NFL career, into his podcast career. So that's pretty cool for me as well. But make sure you check that out. It's going on right now. And I promise you, the AFC South episode is so awesome.

It's going to be the best division episode out of any of them. I guarantee it. Follow the Ultimate Season Preview 2021 feed on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. So as I've been. Follow the Ultimate Season Preview 2021 feed on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. So as I've been mentioning throughout the entire show, I hate to kill all the buzz in the air, but this isn't the real Titans

53-man roster. You have Ryan Tannehill, Jeremy McNichols, Ben Jones, Nate Davis, Jeff Swaim, Racy McMath, Nick DeZubnar, Harold Landry, and Justin March-Lillard all on the COVID-19 list, not counting towards the 53. So let's dive right in.

When Ryan Tannehill comes back, the Titans are cutting one of those quarterbacks. It's going to be Matt Barkley. It pains me to say it, but it's going to be Matt Barkley. So we know that that's a cut, and that's one of the five spots that I think, well, let's do it this way. Out of the people on the COVID list, the nine guys, who are the guys I think are locks to make the roster?

Tannehill, Ben Jones, Nate Davis, Jeff Swaim, and Harold Landry. That's five guys. Tannehill, Ben Jones, Nate Davis, Jeff Swain, Harold Landry. Five guys. So that means no matter what, five players who were kept on the 53-man roster today are going to be cut when those five guys come back. So who could that be?

Well, the Titans kept 13 defensive backs. So I know that there's going to be some cuts there. I think three of the cuts will be defensive backs. Brady Brees at safety. Bradley McDougald at safety. Chris Jones at defensive back. That's my three who I think are going to be cut from the defensive backfield, leaving the Titans with 10 DBs. That makes sense to me. Six cornerbacks, four safeties. Then, I think Daniel Murner gets

cut. I don't think that the Titans are going to look to carry as many offensive linemen as it would take for him to make it. You're going to have Taylor LeJuan, David Questenberry. You're going to have Ty Cimbrillo and Kendall Lamb. And then you're going to have Dylan Radins. So that's five

offensive tackles. You have the three starters on the interior. Davis, Saffold, Jones, and then Aaron Brewer is the fourth guy. Will the Titans keep 10 offensive linemen? I don't know about that. So Daniel Murner, in my opinion, is probably going to be one of the guys that gets cut, especially when you think Ben Jones and Nate Davis both coming off the COVID list.

That's two new interior offensive linemen. It's going to be hard to not cut an interior offensive lineman, and there's only two left, Aaron Brewer and Daniel Myrner. So it's got to be one of those guys, and I don't think it's going to be Brewer. So Myrner. So the three DBs, Daniel Myrner, and then, like I was mentioning, Ryan Tannehill is coming back.

The Titans aren't going to keep three quarterbacks. Matt Barkley will probably be the cut there. So those are the five guys I think automatically get cut. Now ask yourself, Jeremy McNichols, Racey McMath, Nick DeZumnar, Justin March-Lillard. Will any of those guys make the team? Racey McMath, not going to make this team. He's not knocking off Batson or Nick Westbrook-Akina. They'll look to get him on the practice squad and it should be more possible since McMath will be coming off the COVID list a little bit later than some of the other guys, and waiver wires have gone through, cuts have gone through, teams have solidified their 53-man roster, so maybe that gives Ray C. McMath an easier chance, or the Titans an easier chance,

to get McMath back on their practice squad. So I don't think McMath makes it. Justin March-Lillard at linebacker? Nah, I don't think he's making it either. So that really leaves us with two guys, Nick DeZubnar and Jeremy McNichols. So to me, it comes down to this. Do the Titans keep Jeremy McNichols and cut Makai Sargent? It's one of those two guys. I hope they cut McNichols and keep Sargent,

but it's one of those two guys. And then Nick DeZubnar, the question has to be asked, are the Titans going to keep five safeties or keep five inside linebackers? Because I think that they'll end up cutting McDougal and then that'll leave them with DeZubnar who does make it and makes the roster so they'll have five inside linebackers and only four

safeties but you could see that flipped on its head if the Titans want to keep their four inside linebackers of Rashawn Evans, Jayon Brown, Monty Rice and David Long and they think they'll get more valuable special teams out of the safety position, then you could see Nick DeZubnar just outright cut. And then maybe the Titans keep McDougal.

And they look to keep, you know, maybe Daniel Murner in that way. They could go a multitude of different ways. But what, in my opinion, basically, five guys are coming back from the COVID list who have an absolute guaranteed spot. So that means five guys who are on the roster right now will not be there. I think it's most likely Brady Brees,

Bradley McDougald, Chris Jones, Daniel Murner, and Matt Barkley. Then, two guys, McNichols and DeZubnar, those are wild cards. The Titans could shuffle things around. I could even see the Titans getting rid of Luke Stocker and maybe keeping an extra guy on the defensive side of the ball. Maybe they keep Nick DeZubnar and cut from the offensive side. Maybe they keep four tight ends. They cut Nick DeZubnar. They cut

the safeties, I say. They only have four safeties, four inside linebackers, and they keep 10 offensive linemen and four tight ends. It's all in the realm of possibility, and we won't get absolute clarity any time soon because these guys are going to be coming off the COVID list one by one, one by one, one by one, as the next seven days, eight days progresses. But either way,

I'll be here to break it down for you. The last bit of news again. This is crazy. I'm recording the podcast and breaking news happens. Malcolm Butler's retiring from the Arizona Cardinals. And I missed a little tentacle of this story yesterday when the breaking news happened while I was on air again with Malcolm Butler. But number one, I hope Malcolm Butler is okay.

This has to be something pretty serious if he's willing to retire. Doesn't look like a guy who was ready to retire. He played pretty well last year. So I hope Malcolm Butler and his family are okay. Number two, the Titans dodged a bullet. If they had Malcolm Butler instead of Jackrabbit Jenkins, it would be a nightmare. Caleb Farley is not ready to start.

And Breon Borders is not a starter, full-time starter. You go into the season thinking he's one of your starting cornerbacks. So Titans dodged a bullet there. And then number three, Titans play the Cardinals week one. Who the heck is guarding A.J. Brown and Julio Jones? They got Byron Murphy, who's a good corner in the slot, but who's going to guard on the outsides? Feel good about that game.

Feel good about that game. Either way, that is my recap of cut down day for the Titans. More information to follow as the cuts continue to happen with the COVID returns. Going to be here to break it all down. Make sure that you never miss an episode of the Locked on Titans podcast by subscribing to the podcast on whatever platform you do stream. Subscribe to the Locked on Titans YouTube page. That's going to do it for me today, folks.

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