Tennessee Titans T'Vondre Sweat Contract Concerns, Leroy Watson MUST STEP UP & NPF Must RETURN Now
00:00 Tennessee Titans second round pick to Vondre Sweat has still not signed his contract. And this continues a frustrating start to his Titans career. I'll explain on today's edition of the Locked On Titans podcast. 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 Roland, Titans fans.
00:35 Today's edition of the Locked On Titans podcast is brought to you by FanDuel. Make every moment more. Right now, new customers get $150 in bonus bets with any winning $5 bet. That's $150 with any winning $5 bet. Visit FanDuel.com slash locked on to get started. The Tennessee Titans hit the practice field once again on Wednesday, and I'm getting you guys ready to go on today's show. First, we're going to talk about how Tavondre Sweat is still the only unsigned rookie for
01:07 the Titans and why it's part of a concerning pattern. Also, we're going to talk about guys who have a major chance to step up at this week's OTAs. And finally, who missed last week who must return this week. Before I get into all of that, thank you for making the Locked on Titans podcast your first listen each and every day, Monday through Friday. Tennessee Titans content all year round, always for free. You're not going to beat that anywhere else.
01:33 Make sure you get subscribed, stay subscribed. It's your team every day here on the Locked on Titans podcast. And speaking of every day, shout out to my everydayers out there tuning in Monday through Friday. Got a great show planned for you guys tomorrow, breaking down what happened at Tennessee Titans practice that takes place on Wednesday afternoon. So make sure that you're with me again tomorrow for that. But throw a thumbs up on the video if you're watching on
01:56 YouTube. And with that being said, let's get it. So number one, I was on vacation last week when Tavondre Sweat missed OTAs. Alright, he was absent and came out, according to Paul Kaharski, it's a minor injury that he's rehabbing, nothing serious. But, I can't lie, it made my eyebrows raise a little bit. It kind of caught my attention here.
02:24 So you have a guy in Tavondre Sweat who his number one concern coming out of college is conditioning. His number one concern coming out of college is keeping his weight in a manageable place
02:36 going forward. And then immediately the first full team activities that he is set to be a part of, full team with the vets now there's a minor injury. And the timeline of things doesn't really add up.
02:51 Okay? So two weeks prior Tavondre Sweat was at rookie minicamps. Working. No big deal. Awesome. Sweat's out there.
03:01 Great. And then the team's social media department releases a video of Tavondre Sweat catching out there. Great. And then the team's social media department releases a video of Tavondre Sweat catching a touchdown pass in practice early last week. But then when it's time to be out on the field for OTAs during the open portion of the media, Sweat isn't there.
03:20 He's rehabbing a minor injury. So what happened in between those things? And it makes you wonder, was there an injury that he had previously that they let him play through during rookie minicamps and then whenever that video was of him catching that touchdown pass before OTAs, the week of OTAs? What happened in between that video taking place,
03:45 rookie minicamp, and then this injury? So either one of two things happened there. And I said this on Twitter last week, and I'll let you decide. Either the Titans let him play through an injury that they were aware of, and it got worse, or the Titans weren't made aware of an injury that was present, and then they finally found out about it and had to do something about it during the first full week of OTAs. Either way, it's concerning.
04:11 All right? And look, it's not a panic situation. People are going to make more of what I'm saying right now than what I actually mean. But it's just something where it's like, hmm, because this is a guy who needs to play. He needs to be out on the field. Let's not forget here, this is a rookie.
04:30 This is not only a rookie, but the Titans' second round pick. This would not be such a big deal if the Titans didn't need to Vondre Sweat so badly. Look at the defensive line, and we're going to talk about the backup defensive line when I talk about the guys who need to step up at OTAs here in our next segment. But the Titans have to have Tavondre Sweat. And he has to not only be out there, but he has to play well. Okay? Not only because of the need
04:56 on the defensive line, but he is their second round pick. A high second round pick. And those players, where they're drafted, right there, need to come in and contribute right away. That right beginning of the second round, those are guys who had potential to be taken in the first round. This is a player who should be able to contribute and contribute in a big way
05:16 right away. So not only him not being on the field hurts his ability to contribute, but it also hurts the biggest concern that you had about Sweat coming out. And that's the conditioning. That's the weight. All of that.
05:28 And then we get to, so I was concerned about that already. Like, what in the world? Already, we're not off to a great start. And now, on Tuesday, we find out that Cedric Gray, the Titans' fourth-round linebacker, has signed his contract,
05:45 which means that the only rookie on the team that hasn't signed their contract is Tavondre Sweat. Now, Tavondre Sweat's going to sign his contract. He doesn't have a choice, okay? This shouldn't be something, I won't say isn't, but it shouldn't be something that lingers much longer. I mean, he could be signed as soon as Wednesday. He could be signed as soon as Thursday, you know?
06:11 But it makes you wonder. Because the way that rookie contracts are now, everything is slotted. The money is basically already mapped out based on the NFLPA's agreement with the NFL, all right? They're not haggling over money. Alright? The money is set. It's the language in the contract that is the reason Tavondre Sweat is not signed right now.
06:35 And what could be the language that they're debating? What could be the argument between the Titans cap guys and Tavondre Sweat's agent? What language involved in the contract could be holding things up? Well, I know that some of you don't like when I bring this up, but it is very, very common in the NFL for there to be weight clauses, conditioning clauses in contracts. Hey, if the player doesn't meet this weight for training camp, they lose money. Hey,
07:08 if the player doesn't meet this, you know, body mass index percentage, then they lose out on this bonus money, this guaranteed money, stuff like that. So I would wager, and this is my opinion
07:24 of course, but I would wager, and this is my opinion, of course, but I would bet that the language that is not agreed to in Sweat's contract right now probably has to do with that weight clauses, conditioning clauses, which to me means that Sweat's team, his agent, his people, are pushing back on the idea of the Titans putting stuff like that in his contract.
07:47 So, then it brings you back to the injury. The minor injury. Is this something that Sweat is doing because his contract is unsigned? Hey, if you're not going to make my deal the way that I want it language-wise, and you're not going to take out that weight clause, and you're not going to take out that BMI clause, if you don't do that, well, then I'm not going to practice. I'm not going to be out there OTAs.
08:17 Now, of course, again, this is just one man's thought process. I am introducing you to my inner monologue. I don't have the answers for you, but it does make you wonder. Is Sweat the only unsigned draft pick because he doesn't want to agree to the weight clause in the contract? And
08:35 is his way of pushing back on the Titans, skipping out on voluntary OTAs when he's a rookie and a second round pick who not only needs to be out there to learn the defense and contribute to the team, but also for those conditioning reasons. It just makes you wonder. And again, I don't think it's time to panic.
08:53 I don't think this is any, oh, I was right about the sweat pick. I'm not saying that. What I am saying, though, is this is a frustrating start for a rookie that the Titans desperately need to work out and was a big risk. So let's hope sweat is back out on the field for OTAs this week. It's something that we'll definitely be talking about on tomorrow's show.
09:12 Make sure that you don't miss that. But with that being said, who needs to step up at OTAs this week? I'll tell you. Before I do, though, I do want to let you guys know that today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel Sportsbook. Look, it's winner-take-all time in the NBA and the NHL,
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10:06 All right. And the Boston Celtics. The Boston Celtics. They made it to the Finals. They're the favorites to win. I get it. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. But I'm going to be rooting heavy for the Dallas Mavericks.
10:20 And the Mavericks right now on FanDuel are still plus 200 underdogs. I think that is great odds for a really good Mavs team. You guys need to check out Fandle, let's continue today's edition of the Locked on Titans podcast, previewing Titans organized team activities, which kick back off on Wednesday. I'm going to be breaking down everything you need to know from practice on tomorrow's show as well. Before we dive into all of that, though, I do want to thank you for making the Locked on Titans podcast
11:08 your first listen each and every day. Again, Monday through Friday, Tennessee Titans content all year round, always for free. Make sure that you get subscribed, stay subscribed to the Locked on Titans podcast, part of the Locked on Podcast Network. But we talked about my concerns with Tavondre Sweat. Now we need to talk about guys who need to step up. And there are people who need to step up
11:28 in Tavondre Sweat's absence, but they aren't alone. And we'll get to those guys. But first, we got to talk about the offensive line. Specifically, right tackle. And my everydayers remember we talked about right tackle in abundance earlier this week.
11:44 But Nicholas Petit-Ferrer, who is, I guess, the favorite right now to be the starting right tackle, he's rehabbing an injury still. Who knows if he'll be back on the field? Who knows? Jalen Duncan, the Titans' sixth-round offensive tackle from last year that, if you recall, I was not a big fan of that pick. But, hey, Duncan has a chance here to compete. But Jalen Duncan wasn't out on the practice field.
12:12 Now, according to Teron Davenport from ESPN, Duncan was present in the building. It's not like he's skipping out or gone or anything like that. But he wasn't out on the field. So that makes you wonder, okay? But if both of those guys, MPF and Jalen Duncan, are not on the field, then Leroy Watson needs to step up in a big way. Again, the Titans traded a seventh-round pick for Leroy Watson.
12:45 He's a developmental prospect who worked with Bill Callahan in Cleveland last year, started one game, played 60 total snaps last year, appeared in five games, was a backup, undrafted in 2022. The Titans were willing to give up a seventh-round pick. Look, I thought that was a little questionable when I first heard the news that that happened. What is it now? A month and a half ago?
13:08 A month ago? Because you're taking somebody who's been in the NFL for two years. So you could make the argument that you'd have a better chance of maybe hitting on a gem, you know, a diamond in the rough per se, with a younger guy in this year's draft, a good tackle class, although it, you know, did fall off after a certain period of time. You could take a guy in the seventh round
13:31 who might give you more than Leroy Watson and is younger. But Bill Callahan believed in Leroy Watson. And as a converted tight end, he's a guy with great athleticism, but still has pretty good power. He's a thicker guy, all right? He doesn't look like a converted tight end, he's a guy with great athleticism, but still has pretty good power. He's a thicker guy, all right? He doesn't look like a converted tight end. Even when he was playing tight end in college, you could see, okay, this guy's got an offensive lineman body, all right?
13:55 So Leroy Watson has the tools and the talent and the belief from the people in the organization to take that right tackle job. And I would not be shocked whatsoever if Leroy Watson is the starting right tackle for the Titans starting week one. Now, would that be great news? I think that that would lead us to the Titans need a right tackle next year pretty bad.
14:20 Alright? But, maybe, maybe, he beats out NPF, he beats out Jalen Duncan, and he proves to be a better player than people expect. And that process starts right now in OTAs. With Jalen Duncan and NPF out of the picture, that is going to give Leroy Watson the opportunity to be the starting right tackle right now in any team drills that the Titans do.
14:44 That's a huge advantage, and he needs to step up and take advantage of the opportunity because there is a spot to be won, and it would be a huge moment for a guy with his path to where he's at right now. Also, at edge.
15:01 We talked about edge earlier in the week, yesterday's show, guys that the Titans could bring in a free agency. Well, someone who's missing from OTAs or was last week, who knows if they missed this week, but was last week, it is voluntary, so it's Harold Landry. And if Harold Landry isn't out there, then you're going to have Arden Key,
15:24 and then there's going to be an open spot. And nobody needs to step up more edge than Rashad Weaver. And I talked about Weaver earlier this week. He looks slimmed down. He definitely does look slimmer. And I just thought it was crazy that, you remember, Rashad Weaver had five and a half sacks his second year. And then what happened?
15:51 Nothing. Nothing. He got, I don't want to say misused, because he's got to earn it. He's got to prove it. And he's been not very good against the run. So he's only a guy that you can use on passing downs. And when you have Arden Keene, you have Harold Landry,
16:12 you know, and you have Danico Autry at the time, who am I taking off the field to put on Weaver? But now, if Harold Landry's not out there because he's a veteran, he has his routine, I trust Harold Landry's not out there because he's a veteran, he has his routine, I trust Harold Landry to be ready, then Weaver needs to take advantage of this opportunity because you have guys like Caleb Murphy, Thomas Rush, who I'm sure are chomping at the bit to get an opportunity.
16:36 People expected a lot out of Caleb Murphy, all right? So if you're Rashad Weaver and you're going into money time for you, this is whether your career is going to continue or not time for Rashad Weaver. Are you an NFL player or not? He has to step up right now, learn in the new defense, do exactly what the coaches ask, set an example, show out, make people notice you.
17:00 Because Rashad Weaver, if he could get back to two years ago and be a 5.5, 6, 6.5, 7 sack guy, all our concerns about edge could be answered by Rashad Weaver. So, big opportunity for him, especially with Harold Landry missing OTAs, and since they are voluntary, I'm not expecting Harold Landry to be out there. Also, look at the defensive line. Like I mentioned, Tavondre Sweat, is he going to be out there. Also, look at the defensive line. Like I mentioned, Tavondre Sweat, is he going to be out there? I don't know.
17:31 TK McClendon was not out there last week at the Open to Media. Jeffrey Simmons not out there. And let me just take a small moment. Well, I'll do that later. I'll do that later. But, so with no Simmons, no Sweat, no McClendon, that's three out of the top four defensive linemen for the Titans this year, with Sebastian Joseph Day being the other guy who is out there, actually. Quentin Bohanna.
17:54 Keiondre Coburn. Tevondre Sweat's babysitter. Marlon Davidson, who the Titans just brought back. Isaiah Iton, the undrafted free agent out of Rutgers. All of these guys have the opportunity to get way more reps than they would if most of the starters were in practice. I am not a big fan of the Titans defensive back depth, okay? Or defensive back, defensive line depth. Not a big fan of any of these guys. But if they're ever going to set themselves apart
18:28 and they're ever going to make a name for themselves, I think all of these guys, Bohanna, Coburn, Davidson, these are practice squad level players who should not be on NFL rosters. But the Titans' talent D-line is rough. So here we are, all right? But this is a great opportunity, again, in a new defense, getting increased reps because of the guys that are missing.
18:50 It's a big chance for those guys to step up and prove that they do deserve to be on NFL roster. And they do deserve a chance to be in the rotation come the regular season. So that's a big area where those dudes really need to step up, in my opinion, the last
19:05 group of guys that I want to talk about is Jarvis Brownlee Jr. The rookie cornerback who left practice at one point last week with an injury with trainers. Hopefully he's back out there. Caleb Farley, another guy that needs to step up here because LeJarrius Sneed was not out there. Now, Sneed was another guy who, according to reports, he was present. He's been in Tennessee. He's been involved. He's just not out there for OTAs. And that makes sense with the concerns about the knee and all that. Why would you need LeJarrius Snead out there?
19:32 I'll talk more about why I'm not concerned about that here in just a moment. But Jarvis Brownlee Jr., if Caleb Farley is ever going to make a comeback here and prove he's an NFL player, it's got to happen right now. It's got to start early. He can't wait any longer. So, the D-line, Leroy Watson, Rashad Weaver, Caleb Farley,
19:52 those are guys who really need to step up this week, but let's talk about guys who need to return from last week and guys who I'm not that worried about. Titans fans, let's cap off today's episode of the Locked on Titans podcast. We talked about some mildly concerning things at the start of Tavondre Sweat's career with the Titans. We talked about guys who need to step up in OTAs this week. Now I need to talk about guys who must return to OTAs
20:34 after missing some practice last week. Before I get into it, I do want to thank you for making the Locked On Titans podcast your first listen each and every day. Also want to let you know that Locked On has launched the first ever national sports 24-7 streaming channel on YouTube. And now it's also available on Amazon Fire TV and the free Fire TV channels app.
20:55 It's called Locked On Sports Today. Locked On Sports Today is here for you 24-7 covering the top sports stories of the day with local experts from Locked On. Plus our national shows that cover every league. I actually host Locked On NFL on Thursdays. You guys should check that out. But you can find Locked On Sports today,
21:13 now available on the free Fire TV channels app. So, talking about guys who missed last week, who need to return this week, number one on the list is NPF and Jalen Duncan. Like I mentioned, right tackle is a big question mark right now. Leroy Watson is going to have the opportunity to step up in a major way if these guys don't
21:33 come back, but they're losing ground. And I don't think the NPF, specifically NPF, or Jalen Duncan, are in a position where they can lose out on reps to Leroy Watson, especially Jalen Duncan, who I don't think is better than Leroy Watson.
21:53 I didn't like the Jalen Duncan pick all along. Anyways, moving right along. If NPF wants to re-cement himself as a starting offensive lineman in the NFL, then he needs to get back out on the field. And he was injured in the middle of the season with a shoulder injury. But he's got to find a way. You know what I mean?
22:13 Like, the rehab has to be going poorly at this point if he can't get back out on the field. So every rep that NPF loses out to Leroy Watson decreases the chance that he gets to resubmit himself as a starter in the NFL. And for better or for worse, perception is reality. The moment you lose the perception that you're a starter and people start to look at you as only a backup,
22:35 it's hard to get back past that. It's just hard to get back past that. So NPF needs to find a way to get back on the field and Jalen Duncan too. He's fighting for his NFL career. So he needs to get back out on the field. He needs to find a way to get back on the field, and Jalen Duncan, too. He's fighting for his NFL career. So he needs to get back out on the field. He needs to return. Also, TK McClendon and Tavondre Sweat.
22:52 Sweat, I talked about enough already. Look, it's not just that they need him. It's his conditioning and all that's wrapped into it. Big opportunities getting missed right now for the rookie. But TK McClendon is a guy who the Titans bring back. They extend. Expected to have a major role in the D-line rotation. He needs to be out there learning the defense. TK McClendon is not a good enough player or have the history of success that you would need
23:19 to be okay with him missing time. So need to get both of those guys back out there on a D-line that sorely needs them. Jarvis Lee Brown or I always want to say Jarvis Lee Brown. I don't know why that happens. Jarvis Brown Lee Jr. Big opportunity with LeJarius Sneed probably not getting a ton of reps during these voluntary periods. And coming back, you don't want to start out injured. You just don't want to start out injured. You just don't want to start out injured. It's just a terrible start. You don't get to learn the defense. You don't get reps over guys
23:50 you're competing with. He needs to be out there. So hopefully Jarvis Brownlee Jr. is able to return. But what I did want to take a moment and talk about is the guys who I don't really care if they return to OTAs. Number one, Jeffrey Simmons. Number two, Harold Landry. Number three, LeJarrius Sneed. And number four, Colton Dow. Colton Dow had a serious knee injury late in the year. I wouldn't expect Colton Dow to play pretty much the whole year.
24:16 That's not my expectation. But you talk about the three main guys here. Jeffrey Simmons, Harold Landry, LeJarrius Sneed. Sneed has proven it. I don't need Sneed to do this voluntary stuff. Don't need it, okay? And I feel the same with Harold Landry. I know he was coming back from an injury last year, but once Harold Landry got past the bye week, he was phenomenal, okay? So Harold Landry, I'm not worried about Landry. He's
24:42 a hard worker. He's proven that he's got the right stuff. He knows what to do. He'll have himself ready to go. He came back from the ACL, and again, it took him a little bit to catch his feet, but once he did, he looked like himself again. So I'm not worried about those guys. Same with Jeffrey Simmons. What are we doing here?
24:58 Why would I be worried about Jeffrey Simmons? He doesn't need to be out at voluntary OTAs. He's a $100 million player, one of the best interior defensive linemen in the NFL. I'm not worried about Jeff Simmons. But I wanted to make this small point, okay? Because I've had some people, I've had some people
25:18 basically tell me, hey, it's hypocritical for you to be worried in any amount about Tavondre Sweat missing OTAs, but then not be worried about Jeffrey Simmons. Listen to yourself and how insane that is. You're telling me that you have the same level of faith and confidence in Tavondre Sweat as you do Jeffrey Simmons? How does that make any sense at all?
25:55 Okay, Jeffrey Simmons has been an all-pro, a two-time all-pro in the NFL. He's a $100 million player who's been incredibly productive and is the center of what the Tennessee Titans defense is built on. And you don't see the difference between his situation and Tavondre Sweat, a rookie who has conditioning issues and weight concerns
26:27 and has never played a single down in the NFL. This isn't meant to be hate on sweat. Replace him with any, I would say the same about Keiondre Cobra. How can you compare these guys who have never produced anything in the NFL, to Jeffrey Simmons.
26:48 What? What? I don't need Jeffrey Simmons to be in the first week of voluntary OTAs. I know what Jeffrey Simmons is going to do. I know what Jeffrey Simmons is about. We don't know that with the younger players. We don't know that with a rookie like Tavondre Sweat. Sweat has never proven
27:08 that he is going to be in the best shape of his life ever. But Jeffrey Simmons has. Jeffrey Simmons you can count on. So I just think it's absurd to act like there isn't a difference between a rookie
27:24 with conditioning concerns and then one of the top five interior defensive linemen in the entire NFL who's proven it to the point where he got a hundred million dollar contract like we gotta be honest with ourselves here I mean come on like what is really going on so anyway that just frustrated me a little bit last week when I was on vacation I want to take a moment to speak about it. But guys need to step up. Guys need to get back on the field. But there are certain people who, sure, take your time. I need you in September.
27:52 That's when you really need to prove it. But with that being said, again, another reminder, I'm going to be back with you guys tomorrow to break down practice. The Titans are practicing, baby. You can smell the football in the air. So excited to talk about that. Make sure you're here with me. Throw a thumbs up on the video.
28:10 Get subscribed. Stay subscribed. It's your team every day. With that being said, as always, I am your host, Tyler Rowland. And this is Locked on Titans. Outro Music
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