Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Tennessee Titans HIRE Dennard Wilson as DC, TOP TARGET ACQUIRED & Titans New Era Continues!!

Episode Date: February 1, 2024

The Tennessee Titans continue a masterful offseason with the hire of Dennard Wilson as their defensive coordinator. Wilson has been involved in the top pass defenses in the NFL for two straight years and was the top DC candidate on the market. This continues to show the Titans are in a new era of football and it is time to be HYPE!!Follow Tyler on Twitter @TicTacTitansFollow the show on Facebook @LockedOnTitansPodSubscribe to the Locked On Titans YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/c/LockedOnTitans/videosSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!eBay MotorsFor parts that fit, head to eBay Motors and look for the green check. Stay in the game with eBay Guaranteed Fit at eBayMotos.com. Let’s ride. eBay Guaranteed Fit only available to US customers. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply.NissanOur friends at Nissan have a lineup of SUV’s with the capabilities to take your adventure to the next level. Take the Nissan Rogue, Nissan Pathfinder, or Nissan Armada and go find your next big adventure. Shop NissanUSA.com.  BetterHelpThis episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Make your brain your friend, with BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/LOCKEDON today to get 10% off your first month.PrizePicksGo to PrizePicks.com/lockedonnfl and use code lockedonnfl for a first deposit match up to $100!GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase.LinkedInLinkedIn Jobs helps you find the qualified candidates you want to talk to, faster. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/LOCKEDONNFL. Terms and conditions apply.FanDuelMake Every Moment More. Right now, NEW customers get TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS in BONUS BETS if your best bet of FIVE DOLLARS or more wins. Visit FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON to get started.FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Tennessee Titans have hired the top defensive coordinator on the market, and it's more proof that a new era of Tennessee Titans football has begun. I'm breaking down the latest news on an emergency 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. Welcome to an emergency edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. I am your host, Tyler Rowland, 25 years as a Tennessee Titans fanatic. I've covered the team for Sports Illustrated, USA Today, a certified film junkie,

breaking down the X's and O's with you and the hardest working man in the industry. Denard Wilson is the new defensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans. The Tennessee Titans get the top defensive coordinator candidate on the market. I told you folks before and I'm telling you again, it is a new era of Tennessee Titans football, and this is just another, another piece of evidence. You all and I should be so hyped right now for the future of this football team. I'm going to dive into my instant reaction, talk about Denard Wilson's history,

why this is so big for the Titans before I do. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for making the Locked on Titans podcast your first to listen each and every day, Monday through Friday, Tennessee Titans content all year round, always for free. And you get emergency episodes like this because I don't care if I'm about to lay down. I don't care if I just got out of the shower. If Tennessee Titans news breaks, I am here with you just as excited as you are. So make sure you get subscribed stay subscribed

It's your team every day thumbs up on the video as well shows always free All I ask for in return is the press of a button But again, the news breaks Jordan Schultz from the score says I think Schultz is with Bleacher Report now, if I'm correct, but Denard Wilson will be the next defensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans. Again, Denard Wilson was the top name on the market. I know that not everybody watching the show and listening to the show is as plugged in to social media all day long as I am,

but that is my job, to monitor everything. And I can tell you that fans of numerous different teams, the Packers, the Giants, the Jags, numerous teams out there wanted Denard Wilson as their defensive coordinator. But you know who got him? You know who got the top defensive coordinator target on the market? The top defensive coordinator target in the NFL. You know who got him?

Your Tennessee Titans. Again, I've been a fan of this team for 25 years now. Do you know how many times the Tennessee Titans got the top guy? Do you know how many times the big name free agent, whether it's player, coach, whatever, picked the Titans? I mean, this is not something that's happened for this franchise consistently throughout its history. It just

has not happened and it's starting to happen now. In Brian Callahan, we trust. We've talked about Denard Wilson and his incredible resume. Number one, he was a player in the NFL, so he's going to be able to connect to the defensive players. You do worry about the connection between Mike Vrabel and the Titans players, especially on defense. Harold Landry, Jeffrey Simmons, Amani Hooker. But when you bring in a guy like Denard Wilson, who has been in their shoes and can connect with them the same as a former player, that is huge.

That is huge. Defensive quality control coach for the St. Louis Rams, where he worked with Jeff Fisher. Then goes to the New York Jets as a defensive back coach. Then goes to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021 as a defensive back coach. Gets promoted in 2022 to be the passing game coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles defense.

And what'd they do? Number one pass defense in the NFL. Then he gets hired by the Baltimore Ravens to be their defensive backs coach. And what happens? The Baltimore Ravens, number one pass defense in the NFL. Two years in a row now,

this guy has been the passing game coordinator and the defensive backs coach of the number one pass defense in the NFL. Two years in a row now, this guy has been the passing game coordinator and the defensive backs coach of the number one pass defense in the NFL. And again, we're going to get there, but this just shows a fundamental change in the way the Tennessee Titans are operating as a franchise. And this move in itself is absolutely phenomenal. Again, the guy has been a scout.

He was a pro scout for the Chicago Bears. A defensive control coach. A defensive backs coach. A passing game coordinator for multiple teams. I mean, some people view Denard Wilson as the next D'Amico Ryans. Like, he is a guy who is in that mold, in that lineage. A guy who will be a head coach in the NFL in the next few years,

and the Titans got him. The top talent on the market, the Tennessee Titans, Amy Adamstrump, Rand Carthon, and Brian Callahan sealed the deal. We had all resigned ourselves that,

oh, the Titans are going to bring back Shane Bowen. That's good. It's not great, but it's good, you know. But no, the Tennessee Titans aren't doing good anymore. The Tennessee Titans are doing great now. That is what we are after. Greatness.

We don't want our loyal buddies. We don't want guys who are good. No, we're taking the top guy on the market. That's who we're going after. And again, my overall point here, other than Denard Wilson, and again, Denard Wilson hired as the head coach, or the head coach, the defensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans,

top candidate on the market that multiple teams interviewed. The Giants had two interviews with them. Tons of teams were trying to get their hands on Denard Wilson, and he picked the Titans. The Green Bay Packers wanted him, and they had to go with a college defensive coordinator because the Titans, the Tennessee Titans, got the top candidate on the market.

I mean, what kind of world are we living in, baby? Let's go, man. Let's go. Like, and I can't put it off anymore. I can't put it off anymore because the most important thing about all of this, and again, I said it when Brian Callahan was hired. I said it when Rand Carthon was hired and hired Chad Brinker and hired Anthony Robinson. I said it then and I will continue to say it now.

This is a new era of Tennessee Titans football where they are no longer going to be the mom and pop shop being beat out by Fortune 500 companies. The Tennessee Titans are coming to the modern era. The Tennessee Titans are rising to the challenge. They will meet the opportunity. We are no longer the po-dunk franchise from Nashville. As Nashville has grown into a national power, the Tennessee Titans are now modernizing and making that move. I'm going to dive into what's more important than anything, the new era of the Tennessee Titans being right in front of us.

I'm going to talk about that in just a moment. Before I get into it, though, I do want to let you guys know that today's emergency episode is brought to you by LinkedIn Jobs. At the start of the new year, every small business owner is asking themselves the same question. What's the one move I can make that will take my business to the next level in 2024? LinkedIn Jobs knows your success depends on the team you surround yourself with. That's why LinkedIn Jobs has created the tools to help you find the right professionals for your team faster and for free.

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That's LinkedIn.com slash LockedOnNFL to post your job for free. Terms and conditions apply. Also want to let you guys know that today's emergency episode is brought to you by FanDuel Sportsbook. The NFL regular season may be over. We're getting into the Super Bowl, but that is a perfect time to hop on FanDuel. Again, America's number one sportsbook. Look, you're going to hop on there.

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Make every moment more with Fandle, official sportsbook partner of the NFL. We're diving into more Denard Wilson content right now. Titans fans, let's continue this emergency edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. Again, Denard Wilson hired by the Tennessee Titans to be their defensive coordinator, the top target on the market for those people joining us. Again, scout for the Chicago Bears.

Defensive quality control coach, defensive backs coach, passing game coordinator, defensive back coach, and passing game coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022, number one pass defense, defensive back coach for the Baltimore Ravens, number one pass defense in 2023. This guy, and it's not just me. It's all over the place.

Ben Fennell, NFL reporter, says, Denard Wilson, just 41 years old, rising star. He'll be a DC and then a head coach soon. D'Amico Ryan's like presence with players. This is what I'm talking about when I talk about the Tennessee Titans being in a new era. Okay? And before I really dive in here, let me just say this. I was naked.

I was naked. Just got out of the shower. About to lay down in bed. Literally laying down. I turned on my sleep videos. I turned off the lights. And then this news hit. And you know what I did?

I jumped out of bed. I threw on my Titans gear. And I came down here to celebrate with you guys. So, get subscribed. Stay subscribed to the Locked on Titans podcast, the number one Tennessee Titans podcast in the world. Throw a thumbs up on the video as well. Show is always free.

All I ask for in return is the press of a button. But, this Denard Wilson hire, why he is incredibly qualified, why he is an incredible coach who is going to, I don't know how to, just legitimize this Tennessee Titans defense. Let's just break it down. Number one, from a more granular perspective here, this is the Tennessee Titans putting an emphasis on pass defense.

Pass defense. No longer do we have to hear Mike Vrabel say, we need to establish the run, we need to stop the run. No, we need to throw the ball and we need to stop the pass. Welcome to the modern NFL. Throw the ball, stop the pass. It's not that hard. I mean, it's hard,

but when you have a head coach and an offensive organizational philosophy that you need to establish the run on offense and stop the run on defense, while the NFL is like, okay, we're going to pass the ball all over the place and you're not going to pass on us. What are you doing? What are you doing?

And that is over. It's over. 25 years of 1980s caveman football. It's over. This is a new era. This is, you know the meme Michael Jordan with the lyrics from Meek Mill? I used to pray for times like this. Oh, I can't get started.

Copyright strikes. But I literally used to pray for times like this when the Tennessee Titans would no longer be completely behind in analytics, would no longer be completely behind in data analysis, would no longer be completely behind in sports science, would no longer completely be behind in paying coordinators

and paying assistant coaches. You know that Denard Wilson is going to cost a pretty penny. All right? He's going to cost a pretty penny. He is not going to be a cheap coordinator. He is going to be one of the most well-paid coordinators in the NFL. The Tennessee Titans are known for being cheap and paying coordinators. Not anymore. Not anymore. And again,

Amy Adamstrunk, I started off your day. I started off your day by saying it's time for everybody to apologize to Amy Adamstrunk. People calling her impulsive. People calling her overreactionary. People telling her she needs to sell the team. She doesn't know what she's doing. Why didn't they trade Mike Vrabel? Why did they fire Mike Vrabel? The Titans can't hire anybody.

When are they hiring coordinators? Shut up. Shut up. That's all it comes down to. Amy Adams-Strunk, whether you want to do it or not, she is going to drag you, kicking and screaming into the modern era of Tennessee Titans football and this hire, not only is

look, Denard Wilson is an incredible talent Denard Wilson is an incredible defensive mind Denard Wilson is an incredible football coach period, the proof is in the pudding. La Provena Augusto, baby. Alright? Yes, I learned that from a pizza commercial. Get off my back. But, outside of Denard Wilson, and I'm throwing this picture up for those watching on YouTube. Outside of Denard Wilson

just being an incredible hire on its own, again, it's just another example that this football team is in a new place. Again, on a granular schematic level, we are now focused on passing the ball and stopping the pass. From an organizational level, we are now focused on collaboration, including analytics, including data analysis, including improvements in sports science and staff and culture.

And from the top, it all starts with ownership. And Amy Adams Strunk decided that we're not doing things the way we used to. I go back to the quote, the day we got all the news about Brian Callahan, the organizational restructure, Amy Adam Strunk said this, this is not my father's NFL. This is not my father's NFL. And she is putting action to those words.

We are not doing what my father did in 2011. We are not doing what my father did in 2004. No. We're not doing those things anymore. And at the end of the day, we got to give a big shout out to Titans President Burke Nihill who clearly has been a bug in Miss Amy's ear. And we got to give all the credit in the world to Rand Carthon. Rand Carthon came in here and said, Miss Amy, the San Francisco 49ers are not doing what you guys are doing.

The Los Angeles Rams are not doing what you guys are doing. Why aren't we doing this? Why aren't we doing this? Why aren't we doing this? Why aren't we prioritizing this? Why isn't this something that's important? I just, again, I do get emotional. And I think, honestly, that's why we bond. That's why we vibe.

That's why we connect, ladies and gentlemen. Because I love this football team just as much as you do. And I am as passionate about this football team as you are. Like, this means something to me. I'm not just a guy getting paid up here to talk who doesn't care about the team. I have been on this boat, rowing in this boat with all of you guys for 25 years. It means something to me when this team does these things. It means something to me to see this team grow up right in front of our eyes. Like, I'm getting misty-eyed.

I am. And I'm not ashamed of it. I'm not ashamed that I care this much about this football team. I'm proud of it. I've been through it. I was there. I saw it all live in 4K. This team floundering.

This team doing things in an arch. This team floundering. This team doing things in an archaic, caveman way. Not modernizing, not following the trends of the best organizations in the NFL. I saw it all and I knew about it too. One thing that you guys should know by now, I'm an educated, intelligent fan. I'm not Casual Joe on Facebook who doesn't know about the salary cap and doesn't know about roster management.

I know. And I knew before I had a podcast. And it's hard to know about all of the great things that other franchises are doing and know that your team isn't doing it. And know that your team's falling behind. And we ain't there anymore, man. That day is over. It is a new era, and this is how you win.

Not by surrounding yourself with loyal, yes, man, my number one priority for a coaching staff is loyalty. No, it's talent. I don't care if I haven't worked with you before. If you're the most talented guy on the market, I want you. And people started creeping because people want to hate the team so bad right now because they fired Mike Vrabel. People want to use any little thing that they can to hate on the team.

Oh, well, it sounds like Brian Callahan, he's going to sign his dad. He's going to sign Nick Holtz, his old high school. He's just hiring all his buddies too. Is Denard Wilson his buddy? No. No, he's not. You know what Denard Wilson is? The most talented, well-regarded defensive coordinator on the market.

And Brian Callahan said, that's who I'm going to get. Again, this is a new day, man. This is bigger than just a defensive coordinator hire. This is more than that. This is another example of this franchise moving towards modern NFL football. And that is how you create sustainable success.

And I'm okay with the Titans not going out and hiring their coaches right away. I'm fine with that. Let Denard Wilson come in and say, hey, Denard, who do you like? Who works well with you? Is there people in Philadelphia? Is there more people in Baltimore? Who do you want? Who works well with you? Is there people in Philadelphia? Is there more people in Baltimore?

Who do you want on your staff? Instead of Brian Callahan going full Mike Rabel and saying, no, you're hiring him. You're hiring him. We're keeping this guy. You got to do this. Collaboration. Hey, Denard,

you're one of the most well-respected defensive minds in the entire NFL. Who do you want us to hire for your defensive staff? Rand Carton sitting down. Again, the Tennessee Titans are moving from Main Street to Wall Street right in front of our eyes. I could not be more happy. And I also got to say, there is no way in the world that I'm going to sleep anytime soon.

I sat down to go to sleep at 10 o'clock, took my shower, threw all my sleep videos, got down in bed, got comfy, petted my dog, said goodnight, and then the Titans dropped the bomb. And I don't even care. I'll be up all night because this feeling that I have right now for what this means for this franchise, I talked about this before the season even ended. Before the season even ended.

And you know what? We'll dive into that in just a second. Titans fans, let's continue this emergency edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. The Tennessee Titans hired Denard Wilson as their defensive coordinator. It's a brand new era for the Tennessee Titans, and it's only continued today with this hire. I'm not going to lie to you guys.

I didn't have an advertisement to read. I just needed a drink, man. Like, I just had to take a drink of water. So hit the little transition video. Get a little drink of water. It's, you know, locked and load, ready to go once again. But it just, it's just a moment here for all of us to recognize how different things are going to be.

Like, we don't have one guy with total control telling everybody what to do, who wants full control over everything in the organization. No. People are working together here. People are going to collaborate. People are going to share ideas. People are going to collaborate. People are going to share ideas. People are going to respect each other's opinions.

And, Rancart Thon, Amy Adam Strunk, Burke Nihill, Brian Callahan, Chad Brinker, Anthony Robinson, like, this is a brain trust

that we can all be proud of, and we can all have hope in, and I'll get back to what I was saying right before the transition. At the end of the season, the last two, three weeks of the season, I really started talking about, man, should the Titans fire Mike Rabel? Like, and one of the big reasons why that I was so worried about this is because this is the most important offseason in franchise history. What this team does with a top 10 draft pick,

with $80 million in cap space, with where the roster is at right now and how moldable and shapeable it is, what the Titans did in this offseason has the ability to impact this franchise for better or for worse for 10 years, for an entire decade. That's where they're at right now and how important this offseason is. And for the Titans to not sit on their hands, for the Titans to not rest on their laurels, for the Titans to come out and say,

you know what, Mike Vrabel, you're a good coach, but we got to be great. We're not doing things the way that good organizations are doing them. We're not modernizing our operation. For the Titans to come in, kick Mike Vrabel to the curb, despite him being good, but looking for great. Hire the offensive guru, the quarterback whisperer, who's going

to call plays, who's going to create an offense from the ground up that benefits the quarterback, that benefits the wide receivers, that focuses on the passing game. Brian Callahan's press conference. We want to be balanced. We want to run the football. But we're going to do what it takes to win each Sunday. We're not running Derrick Henry into the line of scrimmage

for negative yards 20 times in a row like they did against the Texans to establish the run. We've got to establish the run. No, we're not doing that. If the Texans have one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL and one of the best run defense, what are you going to do? You're going to pass the ball. Mike Vrabel has forgotten more about football than I will ever know,

but watching him run Derrick Henry into the line of scrimmage over and over and over against one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL and losing to Case Keenum made me want to rip my beautiful hair out. Look at it. Look at this. It's all crazy right now because I just got out of the shower. But I'll let my freak flag fly, baby. Like, watching Mike Vrabel do that made me want to die inside. And to know that we have a coach that isn't that moronic, that hard-headed,

that, hey, the offensive line may not be playing very well. Doesn't matter. We're going to find a way to win. We're going to throw on this team over and over. Not because that's what NFL teams should do, but because that's what's going to win you the game this week. And then on the flip side, again, it's not about stopping the run in the NFL anymore. It's about stopping the pass and to get Denard Wilson, whose boss and Mike McDonald just got hired as the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, who again, Denard Wilson,

Philadelphia Eagles passing game coordinator and defensive back coach in 2022 under Jonathan Gannon, number one pass defense in the NFL. Goes to the Baltimore Ravens as their defensive backs coach. Number one pass defense in the NFL. Has studied under Jeff Fisher, Todd Bowles, Jonathan Gannon, Mike McDonald. Amongst others too. I'm doing this free off the top of my head. My notes are upstairs.

Everything that I've said to you today about Denard Wilson's history, I'm just remembering. Freestyling. So if I forget a little coach here and there, forgive me. It's about the hype right now of this team. To prioritize the things that need to be prioritized in the NFL. To see the organization modernize their front office procedures. And again, the Titans were known as cheapskates when it came to paying assistants and coordinators.

This ain't going to be a cheap hire. If you're like me, and you've been a fan of this team for decades and decades, 25 years I've been a fan of this team, to see this happen this offseason, again, I thought draft picks, cap space, most important offseason I've seen in a long time. But now, seeing the changes organizationally, philosophically, with the coaching staff, I mean, I believe

Burke Nihill, Tennessee Titans president, when he said it on his radio interview, he said, this his radio interview, he said, this is a watershed moment for the Tennessee Titans. We'll look back. I said it when the news came out that Brian Callahan was hired. And then Burke Nihill said the same exact thing. The president of the Tennessee Titans organization said the same thing I said three days later.

He said, we will look back at this week. We will look back at this moment as a monumental franchise changing week for the Tennessee Titans. And every, every bit of evidence that we get going since then has proven that fact. So if you don't believe in Amy Adams Strunk, and you don't believe in Rand Carthon, and you don't believe in Brian Call Strunk, and you don't believe in Rand Carthon,

and you don't believe in Brian Callahan, I don't know what to tell you. Doubt at your own peril. But again, huge hire, Denard Wilson, defensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans. What an incredible moment. What an incredible piece of evidence

to show where this team is at. One of the biggest off-seasons in Tennessee Titans history. There's over 600 people watching right now with me at 11 p.m. Eastern Time, 10 p.m. Central Time. Tennessee Titans fanatics just like me. Get subscribed. Stay subscribed. Hit the thumbs up button. This is a bonus episode.

I'm going to deliver a sixth episode of the week to you guys at 6 p.m. Eastern on Thursday night for my podcast crowd. Love you guys. It'll be there for you on Friday morning for your commute. Tighten up in the chat. That's how we're going to end this show. I want to see tighten ups in the chat right now. Tighten up baby. This is a brand new team growing up in front of our eyes. Absolutely incredible. Thank you all so much.

So blessed. So thankful for the community that we're building here on Locked on Titans. Couldn't do it without you guys. But with that being said, I feel bad for my fiance because I probably ain't sleeping for a while. Woo! Titan Up, baby. That's going to do it for me today, folks.

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