Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Tennessee Titans Robert Saleh MUST CLIMB Out of WORST COACH Rank in AFC South & Best DTs in Division

Episode Date: July 6, 2026

The Tennessee Titans hired Robert Saleh to turn things around, but heading into Year 1 of his tenure he sits at the bottom of the AFC South rankings. Saleh will need to prove he can climb up as he brings the Titans with him. If Saleh finishes the season not in the last spot, that is a big win for the Titans. On defense, the defensive tackle spot clearly goes to the Titans. With Jeffery Simmons and John Franklin-Myers, it isn't close. However, that is the last spot where the Titans rank first on defense, but by the end of the season it would not be unrealistic to think the Titans could take first at linebacker and safety.   LOCKED ON TITANS EVERYDAY CLUB: https://lockedontitans.supercast.com/   Subscribe to the TicTacTitans Film Channel:  https://www.youtube.com/@TicTacTitans   TicTacTitans Merchandise: https://dixons-dream.square.site/shop...   Follow Tyler on Twitter @TicTacTitans   Follow the show on Facebook @LockedOnTitansPod   Subscribe to the Locked On Titans YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@LockedOnTitans   Everydayer ClubIf you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. From the opening whistle to the final kick, Let There Be Goals on FanDuel. Visit https://FANDUEL.COM to get started now. Odoo Great organizations win because operations matter. And that’s why you should get Odoo. Try for free today at https://Odoo.com/lockedon.   Betterhelp This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp.Sign up and get 10% off at http://BetterHelp.com/LOCKEDON. 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) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

I am excited for Robert Sala to coach the Tennessee Titans. But right now he's got to be ranked dead and last in the AFC South. And he's got a lot of work to do if he wants to climb up. We'll discuss on today's edition of Locked on Titans. You are Locked on Titans, your daily Tennessee Titans podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast network, your team every day. Welcome to the Locked on Titans podcast. I am your host, Tyler Rowland Titans fans.

Today's edition of the Locked on Titans podcast is brought to you by Odu. Great organizations win because operations matter. That's why you should get Odu. Try for free at Odu.com slash locked on. That's OD OO.com slash locked on today's show. We are going to continue. AFC South rivalry week. Right?

Rivalry week. Say that five times fast. Yesterday we ranked all the positions on the offensive side of the ball. Where do the Tennessee Titans fit within the division? We talked about the teams overall. Now, I want to talk about the coach, the GM, and the defensive side of the ball.

Where do the Titans rank? I'm going to tell you why I think the Titans could get up the first at safety and at linebacker, why they're already first at defensive tackle. But again, we've got to start with the head coach rankings. And again, I think that Robert Sala has to be considered dead last. and I don't think that Robert Sala is dead last because he's not any good. I just think with where the division's at right now,

you've got to give a lot of respect to the head coaches that are already here. I don't see any of them as bad head coaches. Tomiko Ryans has had the Texans competing for the division or winning the division basically every year since he got hired. Their defense is absolutely fantastic, year in and year out, elite defense that's an absolute game changer. Not only that, but the Texans were a disaster before Domeco Ryan's got there.

Remember, they had hired Lovie Smith and David Cully and like they were just burning through coaches. The Watson situation had happened, they were an outright joke. And Domeco Ryans turned them into one of the best teams in the NFL, year in and year out. And I think this year the Texans are going to be even better. So I'm high on Domeco Ryans.

I think he is excellent. excellent coach. For Demika Ryan's, it's the same problem that all the other defensive or CEO style head coaches are going to have like Mike Brable or Dan Campbell or Nick Siriani, you know, it's the same problem. Are you going to be able to replace offensive coordinators? Are you going to be able to find good offensive coordinators? And Nick Cayley, okay.

But right now, until Domeca Ryan's flames out completely, after multiple offensive coordinators, I have all the respect in the war. Liam Cohen won 13 games last year and took the Jags to the playoffs. I think that the Jaguars had much more talent than they did in their last year under Doug Peterson than people thought that they did.

I think the Jags had talent all along and all they needed was a decent coach, and they were going to be fine. But Liam Cohen was that decent coach. He did a great job. The trade for Jacoby Myers, he allows James Gladstone to be aggressive, got Anthony Caponelli to stay another year.

Like, you got to give Liam Cohen his credit. He's fiery, he's got the Jags in a good spot, they won the division. I can't put Robert Sala over Liam Cohen when Liam Cohen just had a better season than Robert Sala's ever had as a head coach in his life. Now the Jags were more talented than the Jets were. You could make that argument, certainly. But I also think that Liam Cohen is a more important, like, building block where,

let me put it this way. Anthony Campanelli is less important than Brian Dable. Brian Dable is more important to Robert Sala's success than I think Anthony Campanelli is to Liam Cohen's success. Now, Campanelli's really good. All right, Campanelli's really good. I'm not trying to take anything away from him. I just think with Robert Sala,

basically giving away control of the offense to Brian. Ryan Dable, it kind of limits his ranking and his rating as a coach, in my opinion. That has to factor in. Now, I would still have Shane Steichen over Robert Salas. Well, I think Shane Steichen is a really good football coach. I think that he has elevated the Indianapolis Colts. I think that the Colts roster looks better because Shane Steichen is such a good coach. I think getting Lou Anarumo, after having Gus,

Pratt, like I think those are smart coordinator hires. He's done it with, you know, less than stellar quarterback play. Now, the problem with Stuyken is he failed to develop Anthony Richardson.

And I think the big problem for Stuyken is an even bigger problem is Chris Ballard's not a good general manager. And I think that Cali Ursa Gordon, I think is her last name, right, Callier Seag Gordon.

I think she's got new owner syndrome. She wants to put her impact and her mark on the franchise. And I think if the Colts disappoint this year, Shane Steichen's getting fired. Even though I think he's a good coach. And if Brian Daibble gets hired

to go be, you know, head coach somewhere, well, he's hire Shane Steichen to take over. I'd be cool with that. I know Luke Stocker's waiting in the wings, but I think very highly of Shane Steichen. Now, his team hasn't had the success that Domeico Ryan's and Liam Cohen have gotten their teams too, so I can't put them over them.

But I have to put all three of those guys over Robert Sala. Come on now. Now, by the end of the year, I think there's a good chance it looks like this. Domeco Ryan's at number one, because I think the Texans are going to be great this year. I really do. Liam Cohen at number two, because I think that the Jags will take a little bit of a step back, but I think that Liam Cohen and then will still be better than the Titans record-wise. Then I'll have Robert Sala at number three

because I think the Titans will be improved and I think the Titans will be the third best team in the division this year and I'll have the Colts at number four because I think that Stuyken and Ballard get canned. I think the Colts have a bad year. They win five or six games. It's not good enough for the new owner. She's impatient, wants to put her mark on the franchise,

wants to hire her head coach and her GM at the same time, go after a new young quarterback, after it's obvious Daniel Jones isn't the answer. He's got one more year left on his contract. We'll have Daniel Jones start. We'll bring in the rookie behind him and they'll do the whole thing over again. So I think that Robert Sala moves up to third.

Now, Sala would have to overtake Liam Cohen and get to two by beating the Jags and making it to the playoffs. Like Liam Cohen won 13 games and went to the playoffs. So even if the Jags take a step back and go 9 and 8 and don't make the playoffs, and the Titans finish 7 and 10 and don't make the playoffs, I can't put Robert Salah over Liam Cohen.

So to pass Liam Cohen, Robert Salah would have to beat the Jags, have a better record, and go to the playoffs. And for the Titans to maybe win a playoff game. And then you could say, hey, you know, didn't have as good of a record Liam Cohen, my first year, but I won a playoff game and he didn't.

So right now, you can only, only put Robert Solo last. There's nowhere else you could reasonably put him. But again, by the end of the year, I have high hopes that he'll move up. Now, part of that is, again, the Colts demise. But do want to mention general managers real quick. Right now, I think you've got to put Nick Casario from the Texans at number one, James Gladstone from the Jags at number two, Chris Ballard, at number three and then Mike Borganzi at four.

Again, Mike Borgesi has one year and he won three football games. I think Chris Ballard is one of the most overrated general managers of all time, but he's accomplished more than Mike Borganzi has so far. So again, by the end of the year, though, I think we could look at Casario number one, Borganzi number two, Gladstone 3, and then blank for the Colts because Ballard got fired. But if the Jaguars disappoint this year,

if the Jags disappoint, it'll probably be because they didn't do enough in the offseason. And people have been heavily criticizing the Jacksonville Jaguars offseason because they didn't really add anybody in free agency. They went against the consensus board in the draft and got some guys that make you look sideways at them. they let Devin Lloyd go, they let Travis E.T.N. or H.N. go. However, he wants to say it now.

James Gladstone could take the brunt of the blame if the Jacks disappoint issue. So with that in mind, I think that it's possible that if the Jacks disappoint, the Titans have a really good season. Cam hits, the draft picks look good. The Titans are young. So if the Titans have a good season, it's going to be because they're young players that might be, Morganzie drafted, played well.

And then the free agents, Mike Borganzi brought in, played well. Whereas James Gladstone, a lot of the best players on the Jaguars right now are actually guys who were drafted by Trent Balky. So, I think that gives Mike Borganzi a great chance to jump to James Gladstone in the rankings. But let me know where you would put Robert Salah and Mike Borganzi right now in your AFC South ranking. Now it's time to dive into the defensive side of the ball.

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Then we're going to have an episode for the Jacks, an episode for the Colts, an episode for the Texans. We're going to talk about the moves that they made, how I think the Titans match up. We're going to get inside info from our locked-on hosts that cover those teams. So much coming your way this week. Make sure that you get subscribed. Stay subscribed. It's your team every day. With that being said, though,

the Titans have the best defensive tackles in the NFL. I mean, let alone the AFC South. To me, there is no doubt in my mind that the Titans' defensive tackles are by far the best. Jeff, John Franklin Myers, shut your mouth, close the case, end of the day. that's it what else do I need to say

Big Jeff John Franklin Myers Now if you want to sure Solomon Thomas Jordan Elliott there's depth there too there's depth there too

so I mean I think that you could look at the Colts group I would put them number two you have DeForest Buckner and you have Grover Stewart who are really good players. Now Buckner's getting a little bit older. Stewart's getting a little bit older.

Are those guys going to be as good as they've always been? I'm going to say yes. I do like the Colts defensive tacklers. But I will tell you, if there's anybody, if there's any team that I think could fall back here, it is the Colts defensive tackles. Just, again, they're getting a little bit older.

And I think when you look at the Houston Texans, Sheldon Rankins, Tommy Togiye, Caden McDonald, their second round pick. Logan Hall, who really isn't a defensive tackle, but he's kind of like a Caldric Falk type where he can play outside, he can play inside. I think he's going to rush from the interior a ton for the Texans. Sheldon Rankins, Toggiye,

Caden McDonald, Logan Hall, Naquan Jones, that's the name Titans fans, might recognize. That is not a bad group right there. not a bad group. So I'll throw the Texans at number three. I could see the Texans jump in the Colts by the end of the year, but I'm just not going to

predict that quite yet. Not going to predict that quite yet. I know that the Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tacklers are last, though. Eric Armstead, who didn't play that great, a lot of Jacks fans were hoping that Armstead would get released. Devon Hamilton, not a bad player. They trade for Rook

Aurora Rowe and get rid of Mason Smith. I liked Mason Smith coming out of LSU. Rooker Ro Ro Roe, wasn't as big of a fan of coming out of Clemson. But nonetheless, clearly the Jaguars are not happy with their interior defensive liner.

They wouldn't have made that move. They did a literally DT for a DT swap because they think that they're getting the better player. But I don't care if Rooka Rororo Ro Roe is better than Mason Smith or not. That is a bad defensive tackle group. Armstead isn't even a true defensive tackle. He was always a tweener.

You know, he could play inside, outside, more of a Keldrick Falk, Logan Hall, you know, De Nico Autry was that style player long enough and big enough to play outside but kick inside too. That's Eric Armstead.

He's not even a true defensive tackle. That's a bad defensive tackle group. Right there now. The Jacks have other things to make up for it. Like their edge group, which is very, very good, but the Jacks don't have the best edge rushers in the division.

They don't. because the Texans, the Texas's eddressers are absolutely ridiculous. Will Anderson Jr., Daniel Hunter, freaks. $90 million a year in salary right there between those two, and it's worth it. Those dudes are nasty. But Jacksonville is a great edge group too. I mean, Josh Hines Allen and then Trayvon Walker.

Tramon Walker is underrated man. He's a good play. All right. But again, that's pretty good right there. like they don't have much depth after that. But those starters for those two teams, those are some of the best edge groups in the entire NFL. But I will tell you this,

I'm not super high on the Titans edge group, but I think that they're third. I think they're third down. I think they'll finish the season third as well. I just don't love what the Colts have on the edge. Let me, let's play a game here. La Tula 2 is a good player. First round pick.

Two years ago, very good player. Do you know? Do you know who is the Colts? Other starting edge rusher. Do you know? Arden Key. Arden Key. They're starting Arden Key. J.T. T. T. T. T. T. T. T. Mollamaloowal from Ohio State

never has worked out so far. Well, it had a bad year last year. Let's not say never has worked out. He's been in the NFL one year. Second round pick last year. They didn't like him. Wasn't that impressive. They brought him Michael Clemens. Like, that top four right there is awful.

That might be, well, I won't say that because LATU is so good. But that's not just the worst edge group in the division. That's one of the worst edge groups in the entire NFL. And I mean, the Titans edge group is not good. I'm not going to pretend like it is with Jermaine Johnson, Keldrick Falk, Femiolidio, Jacob Martin. But boy, it's all. I mean, LATU is better than any of them.

those players individually, but two through four is so slanted towards the Titans, it's ridiculous. Rough, rough for the Colts at edge rusher there. So whether it be right now, whether it be at the end of the year, I think the Titans are going to be third at edge rusher. They don't have the talent to get out of that because Jacksonville and Houston are so good, but they should be better than the Colts. Now, the final position I want to talk about here in this segment is linebacker.

And right now, the Texans have the best linebacker group. They have Aziz Al Shire, who's the best linebacker in the division. And they have Henry Toa Toe, who I don't think is a super great player, to be honest with you. But E.J. Speed as a backup, Aziz Al Shire being the best linebacker in the division, I'll give the edge there. The Jags, though, Foyosite-Lulikon is a very, very good player. But Ventro Miller next to him, that brings. brings that ranking down.

I'm going to put the Titans at number two. Cedric Gray was awesome last year. And I truly do believe that Anthony Hill is going to be a good player right away, better than Ventrell Miller. That's what I'll predict. So if you have Cedric Gray, who I think is as good as Foyas Side of LoewCon, and you have Anthony Hill, who I think is going to be better than Ventrell Miller, whether it's now or later, I'm putting the Titans at two.

And quite honestly, I think by the end of the season, the Titans will have the best linebacker group in the division. Because Henry Toa Too, Toe, again, I'm not very high on him. I don't think he's a very good player. Aziz Al Shire, a very good player. But I think Anthony Hill and Cedric Gray is by far the duo with the most potential in the division. If you just look on paper at the Texans,

again, Toa Toa and Aziz, the Colts with C.J. Allen, and Akeem Davis Gather. Give me a break. What a bad linebacker group. The Jacks with Aloacon and Ventro Miller and Dennis Gardek. Like, you look at that on paper, it is clear that the Titans linebackers have the most potential. Man, the Colts, bad edge room.

Two old defensive tackles. Bad linebacker group. But the Colts do make up for it in some other areas because I think they're secondary. Actually, isn't all that bad. But nonetheless, the linebackers are bad. And I think by the end of the year, again, the Titans could have the best linebacker group in the entire division.

But with that being said, it's time to move in to the secondary where things get a little more dicey for the Titans. Do you want to let you know that today's episode is brought to you by Odu. Running a business shouldn't feel like you're trying to connect a bunch of systems that were never designed to work together. You have one app for accounting, you have another for inventory, you have another for sales, and somehow none of them. talk to each other. But that's where Odu comes in. Odo is an all-in-one business management software that brings every part of your business together

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Let's cap off today's edition of the Locked-on Titans podcast. Again, it's AFC South rivalry week. We are ranking all the position groups in the division. Yesterday I did offense and the teams overall. Today I did head coaches and we're doing the defense. Tomorrow we'll have a Jacksonville Jaguars centric show. Then we'll do a Texan-centric show. Then we'll do a Colts-centric show.

So so excited to dive into all the Titans division rivals as the week continues. but before we finish off the defense, do want to thank you for making Locked on Titans your first listen each and every day. Do want to remind you to join the Locked on Titans Every Day or Club. Hit the link down below in the description. You're going to get commercial free versions of the podcast

in your favorite podcast staff. You're going to get added to a Locked on Titans everyday or group chat with me and a bunch of other every dayers for the Locked on Titans podcast. Make sure again that you hit the link down below in the description. Join the Locked on Titans every day or. club now. But with that being said, we look at cornerback.

And right now, I think it's exactly the same as it's going to be at the end of the year. I don't see a lot of potential for things to change if I'm honest with you. But number one on that list is the Houston, Texas. I know that if you just

did the two outside corners, sauce Gardner and Mooney Ward would be the best starting outside corners. you play three cornerbacks in the NFL these days. And Justin Wally versus Jalen Petrie? Okay, Derek Stingley Jr. might be better than Sauce Gardner anyways.

Camari Lasseter is awesome. So maybe not as good as Mooney Ward at his best, but right there. And then Jalen Petrie is one of the top five nickelbacks in the entire NFL. I love Jailen Petrie. I've been a Jalen Petrie stand since he came out of college. Love Jalen Petrie. Baylor, baby. But nonetheless, you can't beat the Texans starting three corners.

They're sick. They're awesome. So I admit the Colts have very, very good starting corners. Except I don't know how to feel about Justin Wally. And if the Colts still had Kenny Moore, I'd have the Colts at number one. So unless there are big time injuries, which I don't forecast. I don't like doing that. I wouldn't want to predict that they're going to be big injuries.

even for my enemies, it's not what we want. I have a hard time believing that the Titans cornerback group, even if they're good, even if they're worth the money, I have a hard time believing they're going to go over the Colts or the Texans, period, at any point in time,

now or by the end of the year. Now, Alante Taylor, Cordell, Flaught, Marcus Harris, I don't think that's a bad group, but the Texans of Colts just have great cornerback groups. Now, the Jags are last for me. Jordan Lewis

her all the time Travis Hunter I guess I guess he's good still don't know Buster Brown is a really good outside corner I like Buster Brown I wanted the Titans to sign him

in free agency he's good but Jordan Lewis I don't know how to feel Travis Hunter should be very good but has a lot to prove so until I see all that I can't put them over the Titans

who have some veterans who have proved it like Alante Taylor now when you get to safety, I just don't think, I don't think that any of the safety groups in this division

are all that great. I really don't. I mean, right now, I guess I'd take the Texans with Kalin Bullock and Reed Blankenship, I guess. Maybe then the Colts. Cambine them is probably,

you know, maybe the best safety in the division right there, but I'm really high on AJ Hossy, the third round rookie out of LSU. So I think that's a pretty good group right there. Then the Titans, Amani Hooker was so bad last year. Tony Adams is a solid veteran.

It's all about Kevin Winston, right? Because if Kevin Winston is who I think Kevin Winston could be, I think the Titans end up with the best safety group. in the division by the end of the year. Tony Adams is solid. If Kevin Winston is great, it's going to allow Monty Hooker

to do things that he hasn't been able to do and move around the field and stay a little close to the line of scrimmage. AJ Hossy could be bad. Read blanket chip, solid, but getting out of that Eagle system will he be the same?

You look at Jacksonville, Eric Murray, Antonio Johnson, Nope, not going to do it for me. So I think as good of a chance as any of these positions, the Titans can move up big time at safety. But again, it's all going to be on Kevin Winston.

It's all on Kevin Winston. So that's the total rankings. All right. Then offense, the defense, the coaches, the team's overall. If you missed anything, go back and check it out again. It's AFC South Rivalry Week. We're going to start into our rival deep dives over the next couple of days. But that's going to do it for me today, folks. As always, I am your host, Tyler Rowland,

and this was Locked on Titans.