Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Tennessee Titans Will Levis IS BACK, Amani Hooker is Underrated & Corey Davis Appreciation

Episode Date: August 23, 2023

The Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback Will Levis was back at practice on Wednesday and Tyler thinks there is a chance he could play the entire game on Friday against the New England Patriots. Next, Amani Hooker continues to be the most underrated Titan. Finally, Corey Davis retired today and Tyler took some time to appreciate his time with the Titans.Follow Tyler on Twitter @TicTacTitansFollow the show on Facebook @LockedOnTitansPodSubscribe to the Locked On Titans YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/c/LockedOnTitans/videosSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Harry'sGet your best shave ever this summer with Harry’s razors and skin care products. Get a $13 Starter Set for just $3 at harrys.com/NFL.  GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. Last minute tickets. Lowest Price. Guaranteed.birddogsGo to birddogs.com/LOCKEDONNFL or enter promo code LOCKEDONNFL for a white tech hat with any order. You won’t want to take your birddogs off we promise you.BetterHelpThis podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. If you’re thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. Visit BetterHelp.com/Lockedon today to get 10% off your first month.Underdog FantasyThis episode is sponsored by Underdog Fantasy! Sign up HERE with the promo code LOCKEDON to get your first deposit DOUBLED up to $100.Must be 18+ (19+ in Alabama and Nebraska, 21+ in Massachusetts and Arizona) and present in a state where Underdog Fantasy operates. Terms apply. Concerned with your play? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit www dot ncpgambling.org; In Arizona call 1-800-NEXT-STEP; in New York, Call 1-877-8-HOPENY; in Tennessee, call 1-800-889-9789eBay MotorsFor parts that fit, head to eBay Motors and look for the green check. Stay in the game with eBay Guaranteed Fit. eBay Motors dot 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.FanDuelMake Every Moment More. Right now, when you bet on a Super Bowl Winner, you can GET BONUS BETS EVERY TIME THEY WIN IN THE REGULAR SEASON! FanDuel.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) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback Will Levis was back at practice on Wednesday, and I think there's a chance that he plays the entire game on Friday. I'm going to talk about that and more on today's edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. Let's get it. You are Locked on Titans, your daily Tennessee Titans podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Welcome to 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 the GameTime app. Download the GameTime app, create an account, use the promo code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. Last minute tickets, lowest price guaranteed. We got a lot to talk about on today's show. Will Levis was back at practice, and I think there's a chance that he plays the entire game on Friday. I'm going to dive into why. Also, Amani Hooker continues to be the most underrated Tennessee Titans player.

He had two interceptions at practice on Wednesday. And then finally, Corey Davis, retired from the NFL. I'm just going to take a little bit of time, talk about Corey Davis' career with the Tennessee Titans. But before we dive into our first conversation, I want to thank you guys for making the Locked On Titans podcast your first listen each and every day. Remember, 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. It's your team every day. Shout out to my everydayers out there as well listening in Monday through Friday. Couldn't do it without you guys. Want to let you know that on tomorrow's show, we're going to have a preview

of the Tennessee Titans final preseason game against the New England Patriots. And then Friday night after the game, I'll be here on the YouTube channel live breaking down everything that happened. Make sure again that you get subscribed, stay subscribed for free daily Tennessee Titans content. But with that being said, again, Will Levis is back at practice now.

He was back on the practice field working just a normal practice form with the Titans. Continued to see the left thigh sleeve on Will Levis, which makes sense. But, I mean, again, he warmed up against the Minnesota Vikings. He has been thrown in practice all week long. He just wasn't a full participant in practice until Wednesday. So, to me, that opens up a box of worms here, quite honestly. And that's what I want to get into here.

I think the conversation about Will Levis and how serious his injury was, I think it leads us down a conspiracy path. I'll say that. Conspiracy Tyler is here. All right, listen, guys. Putting on my tinfoil hat here. I think there is a chance

that Will Levis could have easily played in the game against the Vikings, but Mike Vrabel didn't want him to because he wanted to see a full game of Malik Willis. Likewise, to add on to my conspiracy theory, I think that it's possible that Mike Vrabel did that because he wants to get a full game of Will Levis as well. Alright, I'll put my hat back forward because I look silly.

But, you know, just wanted to represent, I understand it my hat back forward because I look silly. But, you know, just wanted to represent, I understand it's a little bit of a conspiracy theory, but hear me out here. The first game, and let me know down below if you agree with me, if you think I'm crazy, let me know in the comment section, but the first game was the

backup quarterback test. Who could be the the backup quarterback test. Who could be the better backup quarterback? And Mike Frabel talked about it after the game. He said, I wanted to do it that way because they're going to be the backup in 2023, and you got to be able to come off the bench without any chemistry, without any rhythm, and be able to perform.

So he got his backup test in week one. Now what Mike Vrabel wants to see is, hey, remember, I've been talking about this. If the season goes according to plan, we are not going to see Malik Willis or Will Levis take meaningful snaps until a year from now. And Mike Vrabel in the back of his head has to be thinking, wait, I'm supposed to not re-sign Tannehill and let Malik Willis

or Will Levis be my starting quarterback next year? And I'm going to do that? Without seeing them in live game action? You have to. You have to get a full game of both of these quarterbacks to know where they're at right now in their ability to take the team for a whole game.

This preseason right here, these three games that the Titans are playing, the two they already played and the one they're about to play Friday night, it's not just about finding the best backup in 2023. That is part of the equation, but the other part is Mike Vrabel has an eye towards the future. Which one of these guys could I realistically see being the starting quarterback for this team next year? The only way to get an accurate judge of that is to see which player can perform better

when they run the team from start to finish. So I know it's a bit of a conspiracy, but I don't think that it would be outside the realm of possibility if Will Levis' injury was nowhere near bad enough to keep him out of that game, which is why he threw before the game, which is why he's thrown and stretched at practice all week, and now he's back at practice

fully, I think there's a chance that Mike Vrabel just wanted to give an entire game to Malik Willis so that he could then turn around this week and give an entire game to Will Levis to see what he can do with

a full game to get that rhythm, that stuff that we've been talking about. That was the difference between week one to week two for Malik. What does Will Levis look like when he gets in a rhythm and has the whole game? So I think, I think there's a chance. Now I'll tell you, if that's the case, I don't think it's a great sign for Malik, but either way, we'll see you on Friday night, how they divvy out quarterback snaps. Do want to say this. Mike Vrabel did not rule out the possibility

of Ryan Tannehill playing on Friday night. He said, that's a possibility. Talking about Tannehill getting some snaps. He mentioned the offensive line. Tannehill getting a chance to play in live reps behind this offensive line. This isn't years past

where you had Taylor LeJuan and Ben Jones and Nate Davis and guys that you were used to. This is a brand new offensive line. Brand new. And you could say Aaron Brewer is a holdover, but even Aaron Brewer is changing positions. So there may be some, there may be some validity

to the fact that Ryan Tannehill will play to start the final preseason game. But I got to tell you, I just don't buy it. I simply just don't buy it. I don't think Tannehill plays and it'll be interesting

to see how much Will Levis gets to play if Rabel gives him a whole game, if Rabel gives him more snaps than Malik Willis so that he can kind of make up for lost time with week two. Either way, I think there's a real chance that we see Will Levis for the entire game on Friday night.

We saw it from Malik. Now let's see it from Levis. I don't think it's likely, but I think there's a chance. I think there's a chance. With that being said, I want to talk about the most underrated Tennessee Titan on the team. I said it a month ago. I'm reiterating it now. Amani Hooker. Two interceptions on Wednesday. We're going to talk about that. Let me know down

below who your most underrated Tennessee Titan is. We're going to talk about it in just a second. Before we do, though, I do want to let you guys know that today's episode is brought to you by the Game Time app. Look, guys, football season is here. Buying tickets can be a little stressful at times. I know that it is. You know that it is. But buying tickets to your favorite events shouldn't be stressful. Game time is the fast, easy way to buy tickets for all the sports, music, comedy,

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Last-minute tickets, lowest prices, guaranteed. Titans fans, let's continue today's edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. We talked about Will Levis being back. Put him on tinfoil hat with a little conspiracy theory about what's going on there. Now I want to transition into our second conversation, which is about Amani Hooker and the training camp

that he's put together. And it kind of solidified one of my takes from before the season that was Amani Hooker is the most underrated Tennessee Titan. So I'm going to dive into that before I do. Thank you guys for making the Locked on Titans podcast your first listen each and every day.

Remember, Monday through Friday, Tennessee Titans content all year round on all apps, always for free. Make sure you get subscribed, stay subscribed. I'm going to have a preview of the final preseason game tomorrow night on Thursday night. I'm going to have an instant reaction live show after the Titans preseason game against the Patriots on Friday night. So make sure that you guys get tuned in to all of that. It's your team every day here on the Locked on Titans podcast. But with that being said, do want to dive into this.

So Imani Hooker at practice on Wednesday had two interceptions. He had an interception at the blue-white scrimmage that the Titans had on Tuesday. I don't know the exact number off the top of my head as the training camp days have rolled together, but Imani Hooker, over the last four weeks or so, five weeks maybe, however long training camps have been going, what, it was July 29th?

So yeah, about four weeks, Three and a half, four weeks. Monty Hooker's had to have had six or seven interceptions in training camp. I just want to take a moment and remind everybody schematically what the Titans

do and why a Monty Hooker and Kevin Byard are so important to the equation. So number one, the Titans are a multiple zone, multiple coverage defense. They play cover two from two high. They play cover three from single high. They play cover one man a ton. They play quarters coverage with four backs, four defensive backs, each taking a quarter, okay, a deep zone quarter. They will run rolls in the safeties or in the defensive backfield where they have one safety up top and they roll a defensive back back and make it a two high look. They'll roll from two high down

to single high and try to confuse offenses. So the Titans are very multiple with what they ask their defensive backs to do. But again, like I just mentioned, the Titans love their man coverage. And Richard, no discussion about the future kicker. That was yesterday's show. So Richard, if you want kicker talk and a deep dive on the kicker situation, Wednesday's show was the show for you. Every day, if you want kicker talk and a deep dive on the kicker situation, Wednesday's show was the show for you. Every day, if you listen every day, Richard, you're never going to miss any of the discussion.

So there you go. But go back and check that out if you guys missed it. But the Titans love to play tight man coverage. Cover one where they have an intermediate defender over the middle of the field. You can call it hook defender if you want. And then they have a deep defender over the middle of the field. You can call it a hook defender if you want. And then they have a deep defender over top. Cover one man.

Man across the board. One middle zone defender. One deep zone defender. Well, when Amani Hooker is that middle zone defender or Kevin Byard is that middle zone defender, and then the other one is back deep, let's say Amani Hooker back deep, Kevin Byard over the middle of the field,

that is when the Titans are at their absolute best. Because Imani Hooker and Kevin Byard, who are absolute ball hawks, absolute ball hawks. I call Imani Hooker a ball hawk guy because he went to Iowa. I know it's cheesy, but hey guys, what can you say? Middle-aged white dude from America. I'm cheesy. I'm corny. I lean into that fully. So he's a ball hawk on. All right. And I just know that the playmaking ability of Amani, let's not forget Amani Hooker had four interceptions in 2020. You remember the shoestring interception off the grass

that Amani Hooker had against the Bengals in the playoffs? When Amani Hooker is allowed to do what he does best in Roman zone, read the quarterback's eyes. He is going to create turnovers. And nothing is more important in a Mike Vrabel defense than creating turnovers. They're a bend-don't-break defense that wants to turn you over. So Imani Hooker's playmaking ability

and ability to give the ball back to the offense, I know that he's been out of the lineup. I know availability has been a question. And Mike Vrabel said that after practice on Wednesday, that availability's been the problem. For Hooker, it's not a talent thing. Amani Hooker has the ability to change the defense because of the fact that he creates turnovers.

And again, when the Titans are in their primary coverage on third downs, which is man across the board with two zone defenders, one middle, one deep, having him and Kevin Byard be able to read the quarterback's eyes consistently and break on the ball is a game changer for the Titans defense. So, Imani Hooker to me is the most underrated Tennessee Titan. He's a Pro Bowl-level player, and nobody talks about him like that. Nobody does.

But he's been showing it in camp, and people are seeing it. Some of the things that you guys are saying, Richie Guzman says, Mason Kinsey is underrated. I'm going to need to see some regular season production for that. Reggie Roberson. Guys, how can you call these people underrated? They haven't proved anything yet. You know, Reggie Roberson was an undrafted free agent

who didn't even make a roster. Let's see. Aziz Alshire. Maybe. Maybe. That could be the case. I like that. I like that.

Underrated. underrated Titans. Yep. But anyways, with that being said, I still think Amani Hooker takes the cake. Maybe Danico Autry you could put in there, but he kind of gets more national love than people realize on social media with all of his handwork and all that stuff. So to me, I said that Monty Rice was the most overrated Tennessee Titan.

Sorry, going to pat myself on the back for that one. But I really do think that Amani Hooker is the most underrated Tennessee Titan. He's going to show it this year. But with that being said, Corey Davis, retired, retired from the NFL on Wednesday. Absolutely insane. Just want to take a moment to talk about Corey Davis and his Titans career,

which I'm sure we're all going to have a level-headed discussion about that. But we're going to cap off today's edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. We talked about Will Levis being back at practice, what could happen with the snaps at quarterback on Friday. We talked about Imani Hooker being underrated and basically what he means to this defense and why he's so important.

Now I want to talk about Corey Davis a little bit. And he retired on Wednesday. It was a big surprise, I would say, to the NFL community. I think that most of you guys probably admit that you're surprised that he retired, especially considering that a Corey Davis reunion with the Titans has been something that's been discussed by fans all season long. Everyone has been wondering,

is Corey Davis going to get cut by the Jets? Could the Titans still pick him up? I mean, that even became a topic of discussion a couple of days ago. Well, that's obviously not going to happen because Corey Davis retired, so he's not going to be playing for anybody this season. But before we get into kind of my thoughts on Corey Davis, I do want to thank you guys again 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. Going to be here with you guys tomorrow to preview the Friday preseason finale. Going to be here with you guys Friday night, live going over what happened in the game.

Make sure that you stay locked on to the Locked on Titans podcast. We're at your team every day. But let me say this. Corey Davis did not live up to his draft pick. Number one. Number one. Corey Davis did not live up to his draft pick.

Make no mistake about it. That's not what I'm saying. Corey Davis was not good enough to be the number five overall pick. Make no mistake about it, that's not what I'm saying. Corey Davis was not good enough to be the number five overall pick. Honestly, I don't think any of those first round wide receivers were. Whether it be John Ross, obviously. Mike Williams has been good, but is Mike Williams worth the fifth overall pick? No.

So, if the Titans would have taken any of those wide receivers, they wouldn't have got the value that they wanted out of the fifth round pick. It was just a mistake. But, at the same time, let's just take a moment here. Corey Davis was a part of the 2017

Tennessee Titans team. It broke the playoff curse. It got the Titans back to the playoffs, won a playoff game. It had been, what, 10 years? Corey Davis was a part of that team. 2019, the Titans went to the AFC Championship game, the furthest they've gone since like 2003.

Corey Davis was a part of that team. Corey Davis was a part of that team. 2020, the Titans finally win the division again. The Titans win their division again. It had been forever. Corey Davis went for nearly 1,000 yards on that team. So I'm not here to tell you that Corey Davis was worth the pick. I'm not here to tell you that Corey Davis was worth the pick. I'm not here to tell you that Corey Davis,

one of the greatest Tennessee Titans in team history. All I'm here to say is we're going to look back at the 2017 to 2020 to 2021. You know, this range, we're going to look back at the years that Corey Davis was with the Titans, and at least we should, we should be thankful for what we got from that team and how good that team was. How exciting that was.

Those good moments. You know what I mean? Those were some of the best moments in Titans franchise history, and Corey Davis helped those teams get there. So, again, I'm not going to sit here and sell you guys that you should love Corey Davis, and that he was some big winner, because that's not the truth.

He never lived up to his spot. He was inconsistent, too. I mean, I'm not even saying that he statistically got it done all the time. I mean, 375, um, six or 34 catches, 375 rookie year. Not that great. Third year in 2019, 43 catches for 600 yards. Not that great, but you got the 891 yards on 65 catches year in 2018. Got the 984 yards on 65 catches in 2020. That year, he really helped that team. And I posted a picture on Twitter

of Derrick Henry, Corey Davis, and A.J. Brown all flexing together in the end zone. And it is one of my favorite Tennessee Titans pictures of all time. So, I just want to say, he wasn't worth the pick blah blah blah all of that being said but Corey Davis was a part of some of the best Tennessee Titans teams ever and we should at least remember him fondly for that

so shout out to Corey Davis I hope you I mean let's think about it realistically here from Corey Davis' perspective. He's getting out of football at 28 years old. He's made, what, $50 million? I mean, probably pretty close.

Let me double check just to make sure. Career earnings here, six seasons, $52 million. If you guys could make $52 million in six years and then retire, would you call that a failure? I wouldn't.

I wouldn't. So, congrats to Corey Davis, two kids, a wife, go be with your family man. Football as a full, long career for your family man. Football as a full long career for you maybe wasn't what you wanted and that's fine. But I just appreciate the time

that Corey Davis did spend with the Titans because again, it was some of the best Tennessee Titans football that we've ever seen. With that being said, I am going to be back with you guys tomorrow. Of course, we got a preview, the Titans preseason game against the New England Patriots. And then I'll be back on Friday night going live here

on the Locked on Titans YouTube channel to break down the game. But that's going to do it for me today, folks. As always, I am your host, Tyler Rowland. And this is Locked on Titans.