Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Tennessee Titans Rookie Injury Concerns, Preseason Power Rankings Round-Up & Vrabel Talks Simmons

Episode Date: September 1, 2020

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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, we are less than two weeks away from the Titans season opener against the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football. And two key rookies for the Titans have missed a significant amount of practice time recently. I'm going to talk to you guys to start off our show about who those rookies are, how much time they have missed now, and how this could impact the Titans heading into the beginning

of the 2020 season. And then it is September 1st, so it is time to check out the most recent power rankings. Every month I have been doing an update with you guys on the power rankings, and now that we are into kickoff month, September, it is time to check those out again. So we will look over where the Titans rank amongst the NFL and a few power rankings. And then we will cap off today's show hearing from Titans head coach Mike Vrabel as he answers a few questions about some of the young players on the defensive side of the football and talk about how far along the Titans are and installing their offensive and defensive scheme. So a lot to break down on today's show.

I'm going to be bringing you guys Monday through Friday Titans content throughout the entire regular season. So make sure that you subscribe to the Locked On Titans podcast on Apple Podcasts, follow on Spotify, or whatever platform you stream. Less than two weeks to kick off. Big rookie injuries, power rankings, updates, and hear directly from head coach Mike Vrabel on the Locked on Titans podcast. Let's get it.

Judging the severity of injuries during training camp can be a very difficult task. NFL teams aren't required to report with any transparency about these injuries during training camp as they are during the regular season, so you don't necessarily know what the injury is or how long the player is expected to be out, and that is by design, is or how long the player is expected to be out and that is by design specifically with the Tennessee Titans who head coach Mike Rabel has discussed at length that they aren't required to give out timetables nor would they want to as that puts unneeded pressure on the player to rehab by a certain time that the public expects them to be healthy so teams don't have to report, nor would they, even if they had the opportunity to do so. But that leaves us to worry and to speculate about the severity of injuries to certain

players. And with the Titans, our ears are perked up at the extended absence of two highly drafted rookies. One, second round cornerback Christian Fulton, who after missing Monday's practice, has now missed five straight practices for the Titans. And then third round running back Darrington Evans, who also missed on Monday,

has now missed six straight practices for the Titans. The Titans had a few key roles to fill heading into the offseason, and we see them do that in a number of ways. They went out and re-signed Dennis Kelly to a contract so that they would be covered up at the right tackle position before drafting Isaiah Wilson in the first round to have a developmental rookie there behind Kelly, but then you look at some other key roles that the Titans had to fill, and they decided to do that with highly drafted rookies, the two I just mentioned, and that is the slot cornerback role, and then the secondary complementary running back to Derrick Henry.

Those are valuable roles on this Titans team. Well, now you have to wonder if the Titans coaching staff is concerned about their viability early in the season, and it's for two reasons. The first obvious reason is the players aren't going to be healthy enough to play, and even if Fulton and Evans recover from these injuries in time to play early on, are they going to be 100%? Are they going to be up for the pounding that comes along with an NFL season?

Are they ever going to get off on the right foot after having injury setbacks in training camp but the second reason is not only that they won't be healthy but the time that they have missed has prevented them from getting the necessary reps that they need to be ready for the regular season kickoff in less than two weeks in Denver. So how much concern we should have is unknown at this time since we do not know the severity of the injury or what the injury is, but considering the extended absences of these two key rookies, it is fair to be worried at this time. But what is Titans head coach Mike Rabels take on the injury impact to these highly drafted rookies? He tells us with audio from Tennessee Titans dot com. And I would say that regardless

of high draft pick or any draft pick, I would say any player, any young player, those are valuable reps that that you're missing from just the speed of the game to how we do things. And there's a learning progression that has to take place from the classroom to the walkthrough. And then they got to start to see it in practice at a speed close, but not at game game speed which is which is the final element because you know we may go through a walkthrough and you know it looks okay and then then in full speed or practice speed you know it's a lot different and so I think that that's you know those are critical reps that you know we're gonna have to make up as soon as those guys are available. we're going to have to make up as soon as those guys are available.

Aside from the injuries to the rookies, there is also the obvious absence of free agent signing Vic Beasley. Of course, Beasley is still on the non-football injury list. It doesn't appear that he has passed his physical at this time, and he has not joined his teammates on the field for any sort of practice. With less than two weeks before the regular season opener, it's also fair to wonder whether Beasley would be ready to contribute and what the time limit would be, where the Titans would even feel comfortable playing him in the season opener

if he isn't able to get on the field. So that has been a situation to watch since the beginning of training camp, and it continues to be. But what did Mike Vrabel have to say about Vic Beasley? So that has been a situation to watch since the beginning of training camp, and it continues to be. But what did Mike Vrabel have to say about Vic Beasley? Well, we got another non-answer answer from Vrabel. You know, we'll just kind of see where it goes. We have to make sure that he's ready and what's best for the team. And, again, there's no timetables for players return.

You know, we have to have plans for all positions, you know, whether there's guys that are down or out or away, whatever it may be. So, again, we're hopeful that we can get, you know get working with Vic here on the field. I'm getting updates from the people that he's working with, and that's where we're at right now. You know those essays that you used to have to write in school and they had word limits on it, and you maybe were about 10 to 20 words away from the limit, but you didn't really have anything else to say. So you kind of just said what you already said but just more wordy that's basically what Vrabel does every time he's asked about Vic Beasley and at this point he keeps talking about what's best for the team what's best

for the team well Mike what's best for the team would have been to not sign Vic Beasley so at this point I don't like that he's kind of saying, you know, we're doing what's best for the team, what's best for the team. I think that kind of coddling Vic Beasley in this way isn't what's best for the team ultimately. But frustrations are obviously boiling over from my end about the Vic Beasley situation.

But with that in mind, let's head into our power rankings Tuesday here a little bit of a power rankings recap about two weeks before the season starts and see where the Titans stack up before we jump into exactly where the Titans rank in these power rankings want to talk to you guys about Bilt Bar. Bilt Bar is new and improved and that can only mean great things as you guys completely wiped out their inventory last time we had a promotional deal going on with built bar and i don't really blame you the bars are absolutely delicious they have incredible flavors the 12 originals coconut almond raspberry german chocolate peanut butter banana bread mint brownie my favorite, the salted

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So go to BuiltBar.com and use promo code LOCKEDON. You'll get $10 off your next order and a chance at a free cooler with purchase. That's promo code LOCKEDON for $10 off at BuiltBar.com. It is September 1st, so before we head into the regular season, let's do a little power rankings roundup here and take a look at where some of the bigger publications have the Titans ranked amongst their NFL competitors. And we are going to start over at ESPN. And what they like to do is they take the NFL Nation reporters, each reporter that is assigned to cover each individual team, have them write up a little bit of a blurb on the team,

and they do it as more of a committee approach, which is understandable. But in that power rankings for ESPN, the Titans came in at ninth. And I have to say, right there at nine 9 overall I don't think that's too crazy it sounds about right I can see the Titans being a little bit higher of course wouldn't really expect to see them much lower than the top 10 top 11 teams there so just about the right area for the Titans but when you start to look at some of the teams that are ahead of them let's look at the eight teams that are in front of the Titans here the Cowboys I start to look at some of the teams. That are ahead of them. Let's look at the eight teams. That are in front of the Titans here.

The Cowboys. I have to say. I really like the Cowboys roster personally. I'm not going to. You know. Debate that one very much. They have a lot of talent. On both sides of the ball.

It's just about having a coaching staff. That can kind of. Put it all together. For them. The Green Bay Packers. While I think there is some debate there. They both went to similar. Similar spots. And and have similar teams and are getting similar narratives painted around them throughout the all season. I can't hate Tampa Bay's roster, but not completely sold on their offensive line, not completely sold on their defensive line, and especially not sold on their secondary.

So I think that the Titans have a better roster and should be higher in the power rankings than the Buccaneers. I think that adding a 43-year-old quarterback, even if he is the best quarterback of all time, Adding a 43-year-old quarterback, even if he is the best quarterback of all time, doesn't just all of a sudden rocket ship your team into one of the top five, top six teams in the NFL. So a little bit of a debate on that one with the Buccaneers, in my opinion. But then the next five, not a big debate from me. The Seahawks, the Saints, the 49ers, the Ravens, and the Chiefs. We always see the Saints, 49ers, Ravens, and Chiefs in some order ahead of the Titans,

and I agree with that. The Seahawks are consistently a contender. They've added a few good pieces with, you know, someone like Jamal Adams this offseason. So, I never want to doubt the Seahawks because they always find a way to be competitive and be one of the better teams in the league, even if they're having a down year by their standards. So not a terrible power rankings there. The Titans come in at ninth, but one of the interesting parts of this power rankings is they not only talked about where the team ranked, but picked a player or a coach from

each team that is on the hot seat. And of course, the Titans ESPN Nation reporter is Teron Davenport, and he picked wide receiver Corey Davis. And this is what Teron had to say in his blurb here, quote, Davis could end up elsewhere after this season since the Titans didn't pick up his fifth year option. Davis showed flashes in 2018 when he had 891 receiving yards, including a 125-yard performance versus Stephon Gilmore in the Patriots. Davis needs to get back to that form in his fourth season.

The Titans' offense surged when Ryan Tannehill took over at quarterback, but Davis was the exception. Tannehill has said multiple times he wants to get Davis more involved this season. If Davis has a productive season, another team will likely try to sign him. But will the Titans match a contract offer? In my opinion, no, the Titans would not match a contract offer even if Davis balls out. But one thing that should keep people optimistic for Corey Davis in 2020 as he has really shown out in training camp since returning from the PUP. So Corey Davis looks great right now in training camp for the Titans. Will that translate to a healthy and productive season ahead? Who knows, but he's definitely somebody

that should be on the hot seat. Moving into the next power rankings, and that is going to be at nfl.com from one of my favorite personalities in the NFL blogosphere and that is Dan Hanzoose so Hanzoose put out his power rankings for nfl.com and this is the highest I have seen the Titans ranked in my research for this power rankings roundup and Dan Hanzoose had the Titans all the way up at fifth as Hanzoose lovingly calls the Titans at times the Titans it appears that they have moved away from that pet nickname from Hanzoose and moved directly into being the Tennessee Titans and this is what Hanzoose has to say about the Titans and coincidentally he is focusing on the return of Corey Davis as well quote welcome back Corey Davis the receiver was activated off the PUP list on

Monday after an offseason spent recovering from toe surgery Davis played through the injury last year when he averaged a career best 14 yards catch. The Titans have probably given up on Davis ever realizing the potential that led to him being selected with the fifth overall pick in 2017. The team's decision not to pick up his fifth-year option tells you everything you need to know there, but that doesn't mean Davis can't fill the role as a solid second banana to A.J. Brown. Brown's playmaking ability will command attention from opposing defenses

and give Davis plenty of opportunities to put up some numbers in a contract year. End quote. Obviously have to agree with everything Davenport and that Hanzo said right there about Corey Davis having the focal point of defenses. B.A.J. Brown should give Davis more opportunities and more openings than he's ever had before. But the four teams that are ahead of the Tennessee Titans in this power rankings, I'm sure you could have guessed them. The New Orleans Saints, the Baltimore Ravens, the San Francisco 49ers, and the Kansas City Chiefs. And like I said before when talking about the ESPN power rankings,

those are four teams that I really can't quibble with when it comes to being ahead of the Titans. And that brings us to our last power rankings to take a look at. And coincidentally, it is where the Titans are ranked the lowest. And this comes from profootballnetwork.com. And I wanted to use this one specifically because it comes from our guy who hosts the Locked On NFL show, Matt Williamson.

And Williamson, like I said, has the Titans ranked their lowest out of these three power rankings. And that is at 12th overall. So let's talk about the teams that are ahead of the Titans. And my blood is already starting to boil. We have at number 11, the Indianapolis Colts. It is my opinion and something that was supported recently by an article from Bucky Brooks from NFL.com, NFL Network, talking about how Phillip Rivers was actually one of the reasons that the Chargers were bad last year, not one of the reasons that they were good or held it together.

Rivers was a detriment to the Chargers last year. So replacing Jacoby Brissett with Phillip Rivers, as I've talked about this offseason, I don't really see the upgrade there. And I'm not as high on the Colts because of that. But outside of that, their skill position players are a question mark. They have a good stable of running backs. But Jack Doyle is a primary tight end. They lost Eric Ebron, so not really high on what they have to offer at the tight end position.

Yeah, T.Y. Hilton is good, but he's always banged up. He's getting older. And outside of that, Paris Campbell, a second-year player who has been banged up quite a bit and is banged up right now in Colts camp. And then a rookie in Michael Pittman Jr. who you know has a lot of upside but it's still a rookie in a very limited offseason so yeah the offensive line is great but don't like what they have at quarterback don't like what they have at pass catcher and really don't like what they have at secondary on the defense so I'm not too high on the Colts at this moment

in time and having them ranked above the Titans in the power rankings just seems asinine in my opinion. The Buffalo Bills are next at number 10, and the Bills have a solid roster, but their offensive line isn't one of the better offensive lines in the NFL. It's merely average. Their running back stable is a bunch of young, unproven guys in rookie Zach Moss and second-year player Devin Singletary.

They have John Brown, they have Cole Beasley, and they have Stephon Diggs, which is a solid receiver core, but I'm not sold on Dawson Knox as a tight end. So questions at running back, questions at tight end, questions on the offensive line at the minimum. And then Josh Allen, a lot of folks aren't very high on him as a quarterback in general and think that you know he's one of the below average quarterbacks in the league and just had solid coaching and a solid cast around him on defense admittedly the Bills have a very good defense especially in the secondary and at linebacker but you know along the defensive line

there are question marks and consistency questions that we could have. So the Bills, I'm not as fiery red about as I am the Colts being above the Titans, but still some question marks there. The Rams and the Chargers, just not buying that. I don't understand the Chargers. They have some good members in the secondary, two good edge rushers, but the offensive line is a question mark. The offensive line is a question mark. The quarterback position is a question mark. The interior defensive line and the linebackers are a question mark.

So I just can't see the Chargers above the Titans there. And then we get into some more familiar names. Packers, Eagles, Cowboys, 49ers, Saints, Ravens, and Chiefs. Those are pretty typical names to see right around that area with the Titans but ultimately this is what Williamson had to say about the Titans in his power rankings quote the Tennessee Titans have their preferred style of play that starts with Derrick Henry but that sells what Ryan Tannehill did last year a little short he was excellent and Tennessee's defense is on the rise with a lot of young playmakers. End quote. I definitely do agree, but if that is the case,

then why are the Titans ranked at 12th? So the lowest we saw them ranked is 12th. Highest we saw them ranked is 5th. I think overall that's a pretty decent range for the Titans. And, man, it feels good to have the Titans always ranked in the top third of the league, top half of the league, after having a ton of years. In the early aughts.

Of just miserable Titans football teams. So glad that I can complain. About the Titans roster being ranked 12th overall. But that is going to do it for our power rankings. Round up in the month of September. We are going to come back. And hear directly from Titans head coach Mike Vrabel. Audio courtesy of TennesseeTitans.com As we round out today's show, let's hear from Titans head coach Mike Vrabel

as he gives his after-pract practice zoom conference from Monday's practice and he talked a lot about some overall things some bigger topics that I wanted to let you guys hear from in these highlights and the first thing that he talks about is just the opportunity that they have to actually evaluate the roster with no preseason games and I thought Mike Vrabel's answer was really interesting because he made it seem like they had plenty of opportunities to do so. And what was most interesting is he talked about where those opportunities are found. Well, we've had a lot of opportunities.

I mean, guys have up until, you know, until Friday, they're going to have opportunities to show us. One-on-one settings, they have the ability to not make the same mistakes twice. How are they in the situational practices and the call-its when they don't have the ability to see the script and know what plays they're going to be in there for or maybe what plays they're going to be asked to run. Maybe they had an opportunity to play another position without notice, and they were

ready to step in there. Those are a lot of ways that we can evaluate them. And one player that is still being evaluated and is no lock for this roster is outside linebacker Derek Roberson. Roberson, of course, has immense pass rushing talent, but it has been publicly stated he needs to improve on first and second down, not only by Mike Rabel, but also by outside linebacker and pseudo defensive coordinator Shane Bowen. So Mike Rabel kind of just gives us an update on Roberson's progress, some of the improvements that he has made. And Roberson could be a very key factor for the Titans,

considering they don't have much on the edge right now with Vic Beasley being out of practice. Well, you know, on the edge, he's showing some speed, the ability to corner. You know, I've asked him to do some drops, and he's been able to do that. You know, I think for a lot of these second-year players, there's been a, you know, there's a a lot of these second year players, there's been a,

you know, there's a comfort level in what we're doing in our scheme and about how we approach the daily schedule. You know, I think that those guys, you know, a lot of these rookies are still kind of figuring out what, you know, this is our first day of what our end season schedule will look like. So that, that, that's probably a little different. I think Roby's a lot more comfortable, you know, around the building and, um, and what we're asking him to do on the football field. And so I think he's, I think he's stronger in his second year and, and, and hopefully he'll continue to develop here as we practice. You have to think that Roberson's pass rushing ability will get him a roster spot just to give the Titans an opportunity to continue to develop Roberson. I mean, he showed incredible flashes against the

Saints and in the playoffs last year in his pass rush. So he has the ability there if they can kind of, you know, groom the rest of his game and make him a little bit more well-rounded. But another person who, you know, Mike Vrabel has been tracking his improvements is Jeffrey Simmons, and Vrabel had a lot to say about Simmons. And it's very exciting to hear all of the positive reviews of Jeff, not only on the field, but off the field as well. You know, I think just his maturity level, just in all phases of our program, watching him work and watching him lead, that's been something that's really exciting for me to watch,

his maturity level, his leadership with Daquan in that room, as well as on our defense. And that's been really positive. And obviously we're excited about what he can bring as a player but um it's all the other stuff you know his study and his understanding of our defense and our system and I really think he's been been a great leader uh for that room and in the effort in which he's practiced with and you just love hearing about all of those things. You know, Jeffrey Simmons taking his game from a mental perspective up a notch,

his leadership up a notch. But was there any moment actually on the practice field where Mike Vrabel could see how all of those improvements kind of manifest themselves? I mean, just, you know, I think he's feeling better, you know, physically. I think that his effort, you know, has been outstanding. You know, we had talked about it. You know, when you track the GPS and you see, you know, the guy's mileage in practice and maybe how fast they were going.

And, you know, to be able to see a guy 315, 320 that that's running 18 miles an hour is pretty impressive. And, you know, he was just chasing 30 or 40 yards downfield on a screen, just playing with effort and trying to get his conditioning in. So that was something I think that maybe stood out, you know, early on or whenever that was. Well, Jeffrey Simmons running 18 miles per hour is enough to give you nightmares if you're an offensive lineman. So really excited to hear about that athletic feat from head coach Mike Vrabel. But that is going to do it for our show today.

Throughout the rest of the week, I am going to get into an AFC South division preview of sorts. Take a look each of the next three days at one of the division foes. So excited to get into that with you guys as we get closer and closer to the regular season. Make sure that you're subscribed to the Locked on Titans podcast on whatever platform you do stream so you don't miss any of the Monday through Friday content I will be putting out basically all year round for you guys. So appreciate anybody subscribing in, reviewing the show. Follow me on Twitter at TicTacTitans as well, but that is going to do it for me today. As always, I am your host, Tyler Rowland, and this was Locked on Titans.