Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Tennessee Titans T'Vondre Sweat DISASTER PICK, Missing on Trade Offers & Draft Strategy Doomed

Episode Date: April 27, 2024

The Tennessee Titans have made a disaster pick at number 38 with Texas defensive tackle T'Vondre Sweat. The move makes zero sense on multiple levels and Ran Carthon looks like a liar. The Titans passed on multiple trade offers to make this selection, only stinging more. Finally, this puts a wrench in any draft strategy the Titans have going forward. Subscribe to the TicTacTitans Film Channel:https://www.youtube.com/@TicTacTitans TicTacTitans Merchandise: https://dixons-dream.square.site/shop/tictactitans-gear/C3AAPNWXSXA6SBYG3USV2I7R?page=1&limit=30&sort_by=category_order&sort_order=asc Follow Tyler on Twitter @TicTacTitans Follow the show on Facebook @LockedOnTitansPod Subscribe to the Locked On Titans YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/c/LockedOnTitans/videos Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Home ChefNo more asking "what are we going to have for dinner" thanks to Home Chef and their chef designed recipes. For a limited time, Home Chef is giving Locked On listeners 18 free meal, free dessert for life, and free shipping on your first box. Head to homechef.com/LockedOn today.   Monopoly GO!Get in the game and join your friends. Download MONOPOLY GO! now free on The App Store or Google Pay. The mobile hit twist on classic MONOPOLY. 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. 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. 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. GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase.FanDuelFanDuel, America’s Number One Sportsbook. Right now, NEW customers get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS with any winning GUARANTEED That’s A HUNDRED AND FIFTY BUCKS – win or lose! 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)

The Tennessee Titans make an absolutely disastrous pick with Tavondre Sweat at 38. I'll explain why on today's bonus 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 Rowland, Titans fans. The second round of the NFL draft came and the Titans made a massive, massive mistake.

Before I explain why, I do want to 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. Make sure you get subscribed, stay subscribed. It's your team every day here on the Locked on Titans podcast. Again, I am your host, Tyler Rowland. 25 years of Tennessee Titans fanatic,

a certified film junkie who's broke down the tape for Sports Illustrated, for USA Today. I just don't have anything good to say about this pick. This is a D minus. This is a disaster. The Tennessee Titans have completely let me down on multiple levels here. I mean, I'm absolutely distraught.

I know that my everydayers out there listening Monday through Friday. Thank you, guys. I know that my everydayers out there listening Monday through Friday, thank you guys. I know that you can tell from my demeanor. I cannot get on here and class this pick up for you guys whatsoever. This is an absolute disaster of a pick for the Titans to waste their second round pick in this way.

I mean, we're just going to get into the depth of why this is such a bad pick. I'll start. Alright, number one, let's talk about the off-field concerns. Tavondre Sweat, according to scouts, is a party animal. Dude loves to party, loves the celebrity life, loves having a good time outside, drinking, boozing, going to parties. He's a class clown in the building, according to scouts.

Not mature, doesn't take the job serious, isn't on his P's and Q's. To prove all of that, if you don't believe the scouts, the guy gets a DUI three weeks before the NFL draft. Now, let me say this. I am not going to sit up here and tell you that I'm an angel. I'm not going to act like I've never made mistakes. I'm not going to act like I'm perfect. And I know that all of you guys listening,

you aren't perfect either. You've made mistakes. Maybe you got caught. Maybe you didn't. But you've made mistakes. But to make that mistake three weeks before the biggest day of your life shows just how uninterested you are in being a professional,

shows just how little you give a crap about the process and about your career and about your family and about your children and changing your family. Every single player who has gotten drafted has gone up on that stage and said they're excited for what this means for their family, how this changes their family's legacy. Devondre Sweat didn't care about any of that. He wanted to go drink again because he's a party animal,

and then get popped for a DUI three weeks before the biggest day of his life. Imagine, imagine if you were three weeks away from becoming a millionaire you're three weeks away from becoming a millionaire and all you have to do is not go drink and drive

that's all you gotta do to become a millionaire is not go drink and drive and you can't do it after scouts already said he's a party animal he's a class clown for Rancor Thawne to sit there after scouts already said he's a party animal, he's a class clown.

For Ran Carthon to sit there and tell me that we only want guys who love football. We don't want guys who are this, that, and the other who don't really care about the game. We took players off our board for off-field concerns. There are players, good players, that we eliminated off our draft board because they're not a fit. And then you draft Tavondre Sweat at 38. I feel it's a smack in the face. It is spitting in the face of Tennessee Titans fans to act like they care about character concerns and then go get Tavondre Sweat, who is one of the worst character guys in the entire draft.

So that's the off-field. That's the off-field stuff, right? All of that stuff is the off-field problems that you have with Tavondre Sweat. Now let's talk about on the field. And it kind of blurs together, because clearly the dude does not love football, does not take it serious, is not mature, is not professional. And that's why he's been overweight his entire college career. 380 pounds.

And you're like, oh, he's a nose tackle. He's a defensive lineman. He needs to be big. Okay, that's great. But you have to be in shape. You have to be in condition. J.C. Latham is 340 pounds, but he is in shape. Tavondre Sweat only averaged 35 snaps a game in college

because he cannot stay out on the field because he is overweight and not in shape. So you have the off-field concerns that bleed into the on-field concerns. And outside of his personality being a super major problem for the Titans. Now we talk about him as a player. Tavondre Sweat cannot play full games as a three-down defensive lineman. He does not have the stamina and the conditioning to do so. So you're looking at a two-down nose tackle. Basically, you just picked T.R. Tartt in the second round.

T.R. Tartt was undrafted, and you picked him in the second round. He does not have power in his pass rush moves. He's 6'5", 380 pounds, and he doesn't play with power. He's a finesse player. It's absurd. It is absurd. Look, he's going to be a run stuffer. He's going to play on the nose and take on double teams and do all of that.

But man, man, to take a player like this at 38. To take a player like this. It. To take a player like this. It's just the character concerns I feel lied to. And then, screw the character concerns for a second. Just the player himself. He is not a three down player. This is a nose tackle. A run stuffing nose tackle

that you can't play more than 35 snaps a game. 35 snaps a game. 35 snaps a game. And now let's talk about his college career. Tavondre Sweat was a five-year college player, and he did nothing until his final year, until he was a five-year senior going against boys. Like, his first four seasons, one sack, four tackles. One sack, six tackles.

His third year as a junior, one sack, nine tackles. Or 22 tackles. So this guy had three sacks in his first three years in college. Zero sacks in his fourth year. That's four years of college football for this guy. Three sacks. And you picked him at 38. So he broke out in his last year, his second senior year,

his fifth year of college. The 380-pound behemoth finally put up some production with eight tackles for loss and two sacks. Eight tackles for loss, two sacks, and 45 tackles. That was his breakout season as a fifth-year senior. What is going on? What is going on? How in the world could this happen?

This is a disaster. I mean, I'm beside myself. And it's not just that Tavondre Sweat is such a terrible, terrible pick. It's what the Titans passed on. The players that were on the board that they passed on. The trade offers that they had that they passed on. Like, what just happened? What a disaster for the Titans. And we're going to talk about why it's such a disaster.

Because again, it's not just that they picked a terrible player with terrible character concerns, but it's what they passed up to do it. And I'll tell you what that is. Before I do, I do want to let you guys know that today's episode is brought to you by LinkedIn Jobs. When you're hiring for your small business, you want to find quality professionals that

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That's LinkedIn.com slash LockedOnNFL to post your job for free. The Titans should have gone to LinkedIn before making this pick. That's all I know. Terms and conditions do apply. I mean, I'm beside myself. I have not been this disappointed with a draft pick for the Titans since Des Fitzpatrick. The last time I was this pissed off about what the Titans did in the Titans since Des Fitzpatrick. The last time I was this pissed off about what the Titans did in the draft was Des Fitzpatrick. That was the last time I remember being this mad.

And look, some of you guys, some of you guys can bow down and worship every pick that happens. The Titans could take boo-boo the foo, and you would get in here and tell me that I'm wrong and it's a good pick. So a lot of what people are saying right now, comments, chat, whatever, I don't even care. Like, I mean, they could have picked an undrafted player right here and some of you guys would talk yourself into it.

So that's just what it is. Fan is short for fanatic, right? So that's just what it is. Fan is short for fanatic. Right? So, that's just what it is. But there is just no way, no way to color this as a good draft pick. There's just no way. So, as I explained, Tavondre Sweat did absolutely nothing for four years at Texas. His second senior year, his fifth year playing college football, he finally had two sacks and eight tackles for loss.

Big breakout year. Characterized as a class clown, as a party animal, who got a DUI three weeks before the combine, or three weeks before the draft. A two-down nose tackle who's overweight, isn't in shape, and can't stay on the field. 35 snaps a game he averaged in his second senior year at Texas because they know they can't have him on the field too much

because he's not in shape. So, the pick is bad enough. The pick is bad enough. But let's talk about what the Titans gave up to make this terrible pick. They missed out on Adonai Mitchell. They missed out on Roman Wilson at wide receiver. They missed out on Cooper Dujene, Kool-Aid McKinstry at defensive back.

They missed out on another offensive tackle. Patrick Paul, Kingsley Suomontai, Karina Amagaji, Blake Fisher, Roger Rosengarten, Chris Braswell, Marshawn Neeland at defensive line. Chris Jenkins even, defensive tackle for Michigan. They passed on all of that.

All of those players that were available, they passed on them for this overweight, immature nose tackle. I'm in shock. And it got worse. Ladies and gentlemen, it got worse. Rancor Thon said they had eight to nine trade offers. They had eight to nine trade offers.

Eight to nine trade offers that they passed on to take a two-down run-stuffing nose tackle who got a DUI three weeks ago, who doesn't care about football, who isn't a professional, who was a five-year college player and did nothing until his last year. I'm just in shock.

You know? And again, like I said, some of you guys, some of you listening are going to talk yourself into the pick no matter what. No matter what the pick is. Again, they could have drafted Boo Boo the Foo. They could have drafted Dez Fitzpatrick here. And you would have told yourself, this is a good pick. Titans did the right thing. Look at him. He's so big. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. T.R. Tartt was an undrafted free agent. And they just

took a guy who was a bigger character concern than T.R. Tartt with the 38th pick. So they missed on all of those other better prospects. And you don't believe me. All right. All right, Tyler, you're a hater. Tavondre Sweat's a good player. He should have been drafted there.

That's good value. All right, let's go over some of these big boards. James Foster from No Flags film. Everybody loves James, right? He covers the Titans. He breaks Flags film. Everybody loves James, right? He covers the Titans. He breaks down the film. Had Tavondre Sweat ranked 151st. Dane Brugler, the beast.

The beast is the best draft guide in the world. Dane Brugler, Tavondre Sweat, 93rd. All right. You don't know James Foster. You don't know Dane Brugler. You know Daniel Jeremiah, don't you? From NFL Network, Daniel Jeremiah. You've heard of that one, right?

Had Devondre Sweat ranked 114th. Mel Kiper, you've heard of Mel Kiper? Had Devondre Sweat ranked 87th. And that's the highest that you're going to get. 87th. Matt Miller, ESPN. Friend of the show. I've had him on. Tavondre Sweat, 97th.

Jordan Reed, ESPN. Jordan Reed does great work. 119th the highest rating that Devondre Sweat had on any of these big boards was 87th and the Titans took him at 38 so all of these people all of these professional scouts

are 50 60 spots off. And the Titans got it right? It's absurd. This is a disaster. To miss out on all of the prospects that they had. Available to them to miss out on eight to nine trade offers

to pick up a third round pick to take this guy? Again, this is a slap in the face to any Tennessee Titans fan. This is spitting in the face of Tennessee Titans fans. I never want to hear again that character matters to Rand Carthon. Because it does not. This is one of the worst character players in the entire draft, and they overdrafted him by 100 spots.

70 spots if I'm being nice. Like, we will look back at this and look at the players that were drafted after Tavondre Sweat and when we wonder what happened on the defensive line, we'll know about how big of a waste this is.

And not, I mean, on the field, this is going to be a disaster because he's not going to be able to play three downs. He's not. He is not in shape enough to do it. But when he embarrasses this franchise off the field, that'll be the moment where everybody goes, oh, oh, okay. I see.

So, just no way. There's just no way. I mean, this is crazy. I mean, this is crazy. They took Tierra Tart with worse character and worse physical shape in the second round. And you want the final kick in the nuts? Titans fans, you want that final kick in the nuts? Rancar Thon said, never say never, but it's very

unlikely. It's very unlikely that the Titans get back into the third round. So the Titans aren't going to pick again until 106. Until tomorrow. So enjoy your Friday night, Titans fans. Enjoy your Friday night. Because

the Titans aren't picking again. According to Rand Carthon. So you take a two-down, immature, overweight, party animal, class clown, fresh off a DUI. You pass on trade offers, so now you don't pick again until 106. It's just crazy, man. It is just crazy.

After being sold how much football character matters. Again, some of you guys are going to blindly follow whatever they do. They could have taken an undrafted prospect at 38 and you would get on here and tell me how great of a pick it was, how wrong I am, just like Des Fitzpatrick. This is just like Des Fitzpatrick. Tyler, you're wrong. Give him a chance. You're overreacting. They didn't overdraft him. He's the next big thing. This is Des Fitzpatrick all over again.

Crazy. Crazy, crazy, crazy. Oh, man. For a two-down nose tackle who can't play all three downs. 35 snaps a game. So what do they do now? Where do they go? I'm going to take some time and give you the positives. Explain what's good about his game.

But, man man this is this is a tough one this is a tough one ladies and gentlemen so we'll go over the positives and talk about tomorrow next

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So, Tavondre Sweat, I'm going to do my best here to go over the positives with you. So, Tavondre Sweat, 6'4", 6'5", right in between, 367 pounds, played at 380 last year, lost 13 pounds for the combine and all. He's got 10-inch hands, 33-inch arms. So, you know, decent length, I guess. It's not elite, but it's decent.

And he's huge. I mean, that's the best thing that I can tell you. At the top, he is just huge. You know, he's a big guy. So he should be able to take on a double team, not be moved in the run game. He's got good hands for a big guy. You know, uses his hands well,

has some good moves in the pass rush, swim moves. Obviously, for a guy that big, he can put both of his hands in your chest, knock you off balance. He does a good job batting passes down because he is tall, so he can get his hands up into passing lanes. If you block him one-on-one, he's probably going to beat you,

just with pure size, more than anything. Doesn't have a very quick step off the line of scrimmage, though. Doesn't really play with power much in his pass rush. I mean, he's 6'5", 380 pounds, and he doesn't play with much much in his pass rush. I mean, he's 6'5", 380 pounds, and he doesn't play with much power in his pass rush. That is whatever. You know, double teams are good, but he's not perfect against double teams.

He'll need to play with better technique to be able to do that. There are some people out there saying he was 390 pounds for Texas this year. And that's why he didn't weigh in at the Senior Bowl. Because he was 390 pounds. He's not going to be a full-time player, but when he's out there he should be disruptive in the run game. And again,

he didn't break out until his fifth year of college football. He did nothing his first four years. And then all of a sudden, once he's a man amongst boys in his second senior season, he breaks out. So maybe who he was in his senior year, as part of a great Texas defensive line, is great. But here's another concern for you, folks. He's going to be a nose tackle at the next level,

but Texas didn't really use him at nose tackle a ton. He mostly played the three technique. And Byron Murphy, the smaller guy, played nose tackle. So, again, he's huge. He's massive. he's thick strength size got some pop in his hands a scout compared him to

Donkey Kong in the Mario movie because he just destroys people according to the beast for a guy his size he does play with some good quickness, range to tackle ball carriers. Apparently he did make some improvements in his maturity in his final season. After four years of college football in his fifth year, he finally matured a little bit. Fun personality.

Like I said, he's a party animal. So he's going to be having fun. He's going to be joking, not taking anything serious, not working hard. So I guess that's fun to be around. Woo! We're having a good time. I mean, if by some miracle, Jeffrey Simmons and Tracy Rocker can turn him into a mature person and a professional, and he drops 30 pounds, 40 pounds

from what he played at last year, and he, I mean, the guy's almost 23. We aren't talking about a 21-year-old like we were with J.C. Latham. Like, he's going to be 23 in July. So he's going to be a 23-year-old immature guy. Boy. Rare size, though. Rare athlete for a guy his size.

Has power. Again, though, man. No flags films. Had him 151 on the big board. Dane Brugler, 93. Daniel Jeremiah, 114. Mel Kuyper, 87. Matt Miller, 97.

Jordan Reed, 119. So all of the most respected scouts in the business had him 50, 60 spots lower than where the Titans took him. So, I mean, if, if you guys want to believe in that, then go ahead.

Go ahead. It's just crazy to me. It is just crazy. And like Rand Carthon said, very unlikely the Titans move back into the third round. So, John says one mistake and he's immature. No, read his scouting reports. He's been immature his entire college career. The mistake isn mistake and he's immature. No, read his scouting reports. He's been immature his entire college career. The mistake isn't why he's immature.

He made the mistake because he is immature. Someone just said, who the hell is Mel Kiper? All right, I got to get off here. I mean, how stupid can you be? Like, what are we doing here? People in the chat telling me I'm dumb, don't know who Mel Kiper is. I guess, I guess this is life. But anyways,

the Titans aren't probably going to pick again until 106. And this is a terrible draft after the top 120 players, 130 players or so. Man. Where do they go from here? Where do they go from here? I mean, there are no more starters to find.

There are no more starters that the Titans can pick in this draft. So they got their left tackle. Good. And then they got a two-down nose tackle. So linebacker, slot receiver, safety, the other offensive tackle spot that is wide open, depth at any position whatsoever, any depth at any position.

Whew, man. The fact that they passed up on eight to nine trade offers to take a two-down nose tackle who played 35 snaps a game in college or in his senior year, in his final senior year, he had two of them. Man, passed up on Kool-Aid McKinstry, passed up on Cooper Dejean, passed up on A.D. Mitchell. industry passed up on Cooper to Jean passed up on 80 Mitchell. Crazy, crazy that they did this. Anyways, um, I guess I'll be back with you guys later tonight. 10 minute reaction show.

I'll look ahead to tomorrow who's still available, who the Titans should target. This is just, it's going to be hard for me to give this draft any kind of positive grade based on what's happened here at 38. It's just a massive mistake. And I get that some of you guys, they could have drafted, you know, a guy with a peg leg and an eye patch, and you guys would have said it was a great pick. That's just how it rolls sometimes. But I'm going to keep it honest with you.

Again, if you don't believe me, then go look at any draft scout that you want and you won't find Tavondre Sweat anywhere near number 38. That tells you all you need to know. It is with sadness that I say that is going to do it

for me as always I am your host Tyler Rowland and this was the Locked on Titans podcast Outro Music