Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Titans Post-Draft Depth Chart Review & 53-man Roster Projection: Offense

Episode Date: May 18, 2021

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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, this Tuesday edition of the Locked On Titans podcast is presented by the Peacock and Williamson podcast. NFL analyst Brian Peacock and former NFL scout Matt Williamson host Locked On's Peacock and Williamson every Monday through Friday. Brian and Matt give you a national perspective on all of the latest NFL news every single

weekday. So make sure you check out the Peacock and Williamson podcast, part of the Locked On podcast network, wherever you get your podcast. But as for this Tuesday edition of the Locked On Titans podcast, we are going to begin a two-day event. I am going to, after we have free agency completed, now that we have the draft completed, we have the undrafted free agent signed, I'm going to go through the Titans projected depth chart one more time before we start getting into the training camp, 53-man roster predictions and things

like that. I want to take this opportunity as the dust kind of settles on the offseason and take a look at what the Titans depth chart looks like right now. So on today's show, we are going to take a look at the offensive side of the ball and the special teams unit. And what I want to do is I'm going to predict the 53-man roster, but also we will have some conversations about certain position groups as we come upon them. So again, a review of the Titans depth chart as it stands right now, starting with the offense and special teams today, and then

defense tomorrow. Excited to dive into this Tuesday edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. Let's get it! We are going to start off my 53-man roster projection and our depth chart review with the backfield, looking at quarterback and running back and fullback. But of course, before we dive into that, your daily reminder that the Locked on Titans podcast is a daily podcast. I'm going to be putting out Monday through Friday Tennessee Titans content, not only during the season, but all year long.

Make sure that you never miss an episode by subscribing or following the Locked on Titans podcast on whatever platform you do stream. Also, make sure you follow me on social media on Twitter at Tic Tac Titans and on Facebook at LockedOnTitansPod. But let's dive right into these offensive roster projections and a depth chart review as well. And we will start with what could be considered the two easiest positions to project, at least from a starter standpoint. Afterwards, it can get a little hairy.

So let's dive right in with the quarterback position and no shocker there but I see Ryan Tannehill making the roster being the starter and at the top of the depth chart at the quarterback position after that though you guys know I've been bemoaning the Titans for two off seasons now about getting a real backup quarterback but it appears that's just one place on the roster that they are determined to save cap space. So in my mind, we'll see Logan Woodside as the backup quarterback again for the Titans. Remember, they had Deshaun Kaiser on the practice squad, but in my mind, Brady White, a guy out of Memphis, is probably a better project to work on from a practice squad standpoint

at this moment in time with some of the COVID procedures, you know, lifting and easing up. That was one of the big reasons to have a guy like Kaiser on the practice squad, but you're not going to be able to keep a guy like Deshaun Kaiser on the practice squad this upcoming season. So a guy like Brady White from Memphis, I think makes more sense as a practice squad guy. Now that's not included in our depth chart conversations, our roster conversations, but for me, Ryan Tannehill, Logan Woodside will be the two quarterbacks on this roster and will fill out the depth chart. Moving to the running back position, again, no shocker here. The King, Derrick Henry, at the top of the list as the starter for the Titans.

But what about after that? Last year, the Titans had rookie third rounder, Darrington Evans, who missed a ton of time and was unreliable due to injury. So in his stead, you had a guy like Jeremy McNichols. He's still on the roster currently. The Titans also had Deontay Foreman, who I really enjoyed watching play, but the Titans have not brought him back. And instead of bringing him back, they brought on free agent Brian Hill, who ultimately, and I know this may be a tad controversial, I have high hopes for Darrington Evans, but from my opinion right now, the starting

running back is Derrick Henry. The number two running back is Brian Hill. If Derrick Henry were to get hurt, it would be Brian Hill who got the majority of the carries and he has a majority of NFL experience in this backfield as well outside of Derrick Henry. So to me, the number two running back on the depth chart is Brian Hill, the free agent signee from the Atlanta Falcons. Third on the depth chart is Darrington Evans. And for me, I'm at a crossroads here with Jeremy McNichols. I don't think that he should make the roster for the Titans. I would like to see him cut.

He doesn't really help the Titans at all on special teams. Not a guy who plays there. He's not a returner. So I don't quite understand, other than being relatively reliable in pass protection, why the guy is on the roster. But whether I understand it or not, he seems to have the favor of the coaching staff. So I think having four running backs, Hill can take the place of Derrick Henry if needed. McNichols is an emergency case if Darrington Evans experiences injuries again.

Now, remember, I see Brian Hill as the number two running back, but Darrington Evans has the chance to be used on gadget plays, on reverses, different motions out of the backfield. So I still think he will be a valuable weapon for the Titans, including as a kickoff returner. So four running backs on the roster, Derrick Henry, Brian Hill, Darrington Evans, and then Jeremy McNichols. And at fullback, which is the last position

that we need to talk about in this first section, and then fullback, which is the last position that we need to talk about in this first section, Kari Blossom game. But here's where the conversation gets interesting from my perspective. Kari Blossom game is going to have some major competition from an undrafted free

agent out of LSU named Torrey Carter. Very excited about what Carter can do. Carter can be kind of a move tight end. Then that definitely helps you in the Titans offense. He can play kind of an H-back, a flex back tight end who can go across the formation on not pulls, but flow back cuts on the outside zone, on the inside zone. He can play that traditional fullback. I think he's got a lot of tenacity. He's going to have exactly the kind of mindset that the coaching staff wants. But in my mind, Kari Blossomgame is a more gifted athlete.

He can actually help you running the ball if that needed to happen. He can catch the ball better out of the backfield. I'm going to go with Kari Blossomgame beating out Torrey Carter for that fullback spot. So just as a recap, we have Ryan Tannehill, Logan Woodside on the roster. We have Derrick Henry, Brian Hill, Darrington Evans, Jeremy McNichols, and Kari Blossom game at fullback on the roster. Right now, that is what I project the Titans 53-man offensive backfield to look like, and

that is the order that I would have them in. But we are going to move forward to the offensive line, the lifeblood of the Titans' offensive system, and things are very interesting there as well, and there's a big starting position that is up for grabs. So we are going to discuss that as we go through the depth chart. I do think the Titans keep close to nine offensive linemen this upcoming year. Before we get through the depth chart, I do think the Titans keep close to nine offensive linemen this upcoming year. Before we get to the offensive line, I want to remind you guys that BetOnline is the fastest and easiest way to bet on all your sports action.

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Running backs Derek Henry, Brian Hill, Darrington Evans, and Jeremy McNichols. And then fullback Kari Blossom game. But let's get into the trenches. Go down and hang out with the Hogmollies on the offensive line. One of the position groups and one of the groups in general that I find myself most interested in looking at who could potentially be on the team. And I started out looking at the offensive tackles. And in my opinion, and I'm going to stick to this until I'm proven wrong, I have Taylor LeJuan and new rookie second round pick Dylan Radins out of North Dakota State starting at offensive tackle.

I truly do believe that Radins will be ready to go week one. I do believe that he is a better player than Ty Sambrillo and Kendall Lamb. I also think that when you draft a guy, you want to maximize the value. And those second round picks, you get such a great rate for four years, you don't get that fifth year option that you can't squander one of those years by not having that player start, at least for the majority of the year. So to me, Radon should be the starting right tackle out of the gate. If he's not, I think it's Ty Sambrillo, not Kendall Lamb.

I'm going to talk about Kendall Lamb a little bit more in the final segment, but I think Kendall Lamb can serve a purpose on this team outside of just a depth tackle that will entice the Titans coaching staff so I'll talk about that more in our next segment but for right now Kendall Lamb I don't think that he's a better offensive tackle right now than Dylan Radins Ty Sambrillo while being a solid player and playing very well will he even be healthy enough to be ready to go by the time the season comes around? I don't know, but either way, I like Sambrillo as a depth piece, not a starter, especially on the right-hand side.

So I got LeJuan and Radins as the starters. But then the backups, I do have Ty Sambrillo and Kendall Lamb. I do think that they are going to make this roster and be the backup offensive tackles. And likewise, I think we saw last year, we saw two things last year. One, the importance of depth on the offensive line. We saw the Chiefs offense essentially crumble, despite having the best supporting cast of

pass catchers in the league, at least top three, the best quarterback in the league, at least top two, and the best play caller in the NFL, at least top two. Despite all of that, with both their starting offensive tackles out, they were a miserable offense. Couldn't do anything. Mahomes running for his life and couldn't do anything about it. So to me, we learned last year the importance of offensive line depth. We also learned that David Questenberry is a pretty solid player.

I mean, he held up at left tackle when LeJuan and Cimbrillo were both out, and while he did struggle at times, and I think part of the reason the Titans struggled so much with the Ravens in the playoffs is when things get concentrated, the game plan gets more specific, more exact. A guy like Questenberryberry who realistically is an end of the roster third string level player it's going to be hard for him to hold up when they're putting all that pressure on him and ryan tannahill didn't have time to beat the ravens blitz for a lot of

the time after the run game got shut down so questenberry is not a starter in the nfl but he's a damn good depth piece apologies toologies to any of the children. Damn, not that bad. Whatever. Just doubled down and said it twice. So, you know, I'm off the rails. But either way, the point is, I think David Questenberry does make the roster. I think he should make the roster.

I think he's a reliable guy who the Titans should want to have as a depth piece. So that's five offensive tackles that I have on this roster. Taylor LeJuan, Dylan Radins as starters, Tyson Brillo, Kendall Lamb, and then Questenberry as the depth pieces. And again, I see all three of those depth tackles being able to be versatile at other places on the roster. Kendall Lamb, I think he could help out at tight end. I'll talk more about that next. Tyson Brillo clearly has the ability to help out at interior end. I'll talk more about that next. Ty Sambrillo clearly has the ability to help out at interior offensive line, play a guard position. He also has caught a

touchdown pass in his career, so he could help out as a big-bodied, heavy-set tight end. Same thing with Questenberry. The Titans have used him as a heavy-set tight end before on the goal line. So I think that all those dudes have versatility. Kendall Lamb and Questenberry as tight ends. Sambrillo as an interior offensive lineman as well. So those guys make it. And then on the interior of the offensive line, of course, you have starters Roger Saffold and Nate Davis. Loving Nate Davis, guys. Going to do a player profile on him at some point during the summer, not getting the credit that he properly deserves from the fan base. Then you have Ben Jones at center starting,

and that's the obvious trio that we all know as the starters. But after that, I have undrafted free agent from last year, Aaron Brewer, as a guy who should make this team. He really impressed me last year in his spot duties for Roger Saffold. I think he has the ability to grow as a center as well and not just a backup guard. But if he does, you got Questenberry or you got Sambrillo and Brewer who can fill in on the interior. You got Lamb and Questenberry who can help out at tight end as well. Those nine guys make a lot of sense to me as the Titans offensive line group in the 2021 season. But of course, LaJuan, Radins, Saffold Davis, and Ben Jones as your starters.

But carrying nine offensive linemen, again, I think that's the right move with how much offensive line depth should be valued at this moment in time. But that's going to do it for the offensive line portion of our show. We've talked about the backfield. We've talked about the offensive line. We've talked about the offensive line. We are next going to talk about the pass catchers. We're going to talk about wide receiver. We're going to talk about tight end.

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RockAuto.com I can't lie to you guys this is one of my favorite off-season exercises I love just taking the temperature of the roster kind of looking at the different battles that are going on there wasn't a lot of battles to take a look at in our first two segments. In my opinion, things are pretty locked up from a backfield and offensive line perspective. Of course, you always have the ability of an undrafted free agent or a young veteran, something like that, making headway during camp and during the summer and making it onto the roster.

But for my money right now, that's the most reliable groups of people at any of the positions we went through. Of course, quarterback, I have Ryan Tannehill and Logan Woodside making the roster. Running back, Derrick Henry, Brian Hill, Darrington Evans, Jeremy McNichols, fullback Corey Blossom game. Offensive tackles, Taylor LeJuan, Dylan Radins, Tyson Brillo, Kendall Lamb, David Quessenberry. Interior offensive line, Roger Saffold, Nate Davis, Ben Jones as starters, and then Aaron Brewer.

But let's get into the pass catchers, which is one of the more hotly debated position groups or position sets on the team. Of course, we'll start at wide receiver. And in my opinion, there are going to be six wide receivers that make this team. A.J. Brown, Josh Reynolds are the starters on the outside of course and then I have Cameron Batson at wide receiver three, Nick Westbrook-Akina at wide receiver four and then Des Fitzpatrick and Racey McMath the two wide receiver draft picks making the team. Now that's some some veterans not making the roster for the Titans.

You look at a Marcus Johnson, you look at a Chester Rogers, a guy who the Titans have been keeping an eye on, a Mason Kinsey. There's a couple other names that are in there as well. But for my money, this is the way I see it. Of course, AJ and Josh are going to make it. They're the starters.

That's a fact. But Cam Batson right now, in my opinion, is the third best wide receiver on the team. Actually, wide receiver. We can talk about some other things they can contribute on. But Cam Batson as a slot wide receiver is the best the Titans got right now. So he's got to make the team. And then he can also help in special teams a little bit in the return game.

He's got to improve on that. But punt returner, I think right now, would be Cam Batson. I think Darrington Evans would kick off return, but I think Cam Batson would be the punt returner for the Titans. Then the fourth wide receiver, Nick Westbrook-Akina. And here's what I get into. So the kid can block.

He's a good special teamer. That's the real big reason that I have him here. He's a good special teamer as a gunner. He improved a lot there last year. But I just don't see him as a reliable NFL receiver. I just don't. I don't agree with the Titans. And all the commotion coming out of the Titans

not picking a wide receiver, and even prior to the draft, we were hearing commotion that they believed in Nick Westbrook-Akina, and it might influence the way that they handle wide receiver going forward. And I just think that is complete fool's gold. That is silliness.

That is smelling your own farts, quite frankly. Nick Westbrook, Akina, if he played for any other team other than the Titans, we would all say he is a practice squad player. You know why? Because he's a practice squad player. He's, at best, a fifth or sixth wide receiver on your team that plays special teams as well. But the Titans got Racy McMath to do that. And I think Racy McMath will be an even better special teams player.

So basically, you're going to have Nick Westbrook-Akina in the wide receiver four spot when really he's a wide receiver six and you drafted a wide receiver six. I just don't understand. At wide receiver five, I have Dez Fitzpatrick. Don't think we're going to see a big impact from Fitzpatrick in his rookie year, personally. I know a lot of you guys think I'm wrong about that. We'll see, but I have him at fifth. And then, as I mentioned, I have Racey McMath, the Titans' sixth round draft pick out of

LSU, at the sixth wide receiver spot. And basically, he's just a special teams player. I need five wide receivers who can actually play wide receiver. And then that last spot, maybe even the last two spots, five and six, that can be a guy who, while they play some receiver, we need special teams depth. Not every single one of these players on offense and defense is going to be excellent at their position. They're going to be a depth player, but if you can have some of those guys

as depth pieces, also be excellent special teamers, that is what you want for the back half of your roster. So I don't need Rayce McMath to be a good wide receiver. I need him to be a good special teams player to justify the sixth wide receiver slot on the team. And that's why your first four wide receiver spots, even your first five wide receiver spots, it's important to have guys who are good wide receivers. Not everybody can be A.J. Brown and Josh Reynolds and be starters. But why isn't Golden Tate on this team? Why?

Golden Tate is better than Des Fitzpatrick. Golden Tate is better than Nick Westbrook-Akina. Golden Tate is better than Cam Batson. Some of these guys wouldn't even be on the roster of other teams. It just doesn't make sense to me. It doesn't make sense at all, and it makes less sense when you look at the projected depth chart. AJ, Josh Reynolds, and then after

that, Batson, Westbrook, Akina, and two rookies, Des Fitzpatrick and Racey McMath. Yikes. In my mind, if the Titans do go out and sign a Golden Tate, or they go out and acquire any veteran wide receiver that's a lock to make the roster, I would take Cam Batson out immediately.

I know that, wait a minute, why would he go from third to out? And to me, if you have a viable veteran slot receiver, it just kills what Batson does. Batson doesn't play on special teams other than the potential to punt return, and I would rather have Golden Tate do that, quite frankly, or Darrington Evans do that. So the value is killed for Batson, and he's not big enough to really play like Gunner or anything else on special teams.

So it would just kill his role to have a veteran who does exactly what he does and is a smaller-bodied guy. So to me, I'd kick Batson out and keep the other guys on because Westbrook Akina gives you more value on special teams Des Fitzpatrick I think has wide receiver talent we want to develop that we don't want to get him off this right he's going to make the team and then McMath I'd rather have a special teams freak coming out of college than have a middling wide receiver who's a veteran like a Chester Rogers or a Marcus Johnson I would would rather go with McMath. Know that you're going to get a stud on special teams and see if you can develop him

into a back end of the roster wide receiver rather than going with a young veteran back end of the roster wide receiver who's not going to help on special teams. So that's how I see that going. A.J. Brown, Josh Reynolds, Batson, Nick Westbrook,Akina, Des Fitzpatrick, Racey McMath. And then at tight end, I only have three tight ends on the roster, which may surprise people. But I have Jeff Swaim, Anthony Ferkser, and then Jared Pinckney from Vanderbilt making the squad. I think his skill set, while he's not as dynamic of an athlete,

his skill set does kind of mirror Jonu Smith in a way. Even though, like I said, nowhere near as explosive. Don't act like I'm comparing the two exactly. I'm just saying the skill set does kind of mirror John O'Smith in a way even though like I said nowhere near is explosive don't act like I'm comparing the two exactly I'm just saying the skill set and how they can help in the passing game and help in the running game kind of be a versatile person there I think that gets Pinckney on to this roster but one of the big things that helps that is I think Kendall Lamb can be the Titans third tight end in a lot of situations I think Kendall Lamb has good athleticism and now you're giving double value to Kendall Lamb not be the Titans' third tight end in a lot of situations. I think Kendall Lamb has good athleticism, and now you're giving double value to Kendall Lamb.

Not only is he going to help you out as a depth piece as an offensive tackle, but he's also going to be able to help you play some tight end. He played third heavyset tight end for the Browns the entire season. It's something he's done a ton of in his career because of his athletic build. So to me, I think that having a guy like Kendall Lamb on the roster allows you to only carry three tight ends, even though the Titans are a tight end heavy offense. So that's the way I see that shaken out.

So that is 25 different players on the offensive side of the ball who I think will make the roster, and I ordered them on the depth chart as well. But I know that I said we were going to do special teams, but because of the time that we're at right now, I'm going to move special teams to tomorrow. We will discuss that as part of our defensive depth chart and roster breakdown. Hope to see you guys, or not see you, hope you guys are back for that show tomorrow. That's going to do it for me today.

As a quick reminder, make sure to check out the Locked On Today podcast. You're going to get all of the biggest sports news in under 20 minutes every morning. Check out Locked On Today on whatever platform you do stream. But that's going to do it for me today, folks. As always, I am your host, Tyler Rowland, and this was Locked On Titans.