Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Titans Projected Offensive Depth Chart: Starters Now, Remaining Needs & Roles to Fill

Episode Date: March 30, 2022

The Tennessee Titans are through the major portion of free agency and are now focused on the NFL Draft. What does the starting line up look like currently and what roles still need to be filled? Tyler goes through the entire offense position by position and talks about each spot. Should the Titans get a veteran or attack in the draft? Each spot has a different answer and plenty of possibilities. Tyler tells you his preferred route to fill each role and exactly where you can look.Follow Tyler on Twitter @TicTacTitansFollow the show on Facebook @LockedOnTitansPodSubscribe to the Locked On Titans YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/c/LockedOnTitansSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.BetOnlineBetOnline.net has you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before. BetOnline – Where The Game Starts!Rock AutoAmazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you.Athletic GreensTo make it easy, Athletic Greens is going to give you a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase. All you have to do is visit athleticgreens.com/NFLNETWORK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to the Locked on Titans podcast. I am your host, Tyler Rowland. Titans fans, it is a Thursday edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. On today's show, we are going to start a two-part series taking a look at the Tennessee Titans' current projected depth chart, who is available at each position, and what needs still need to be filled for the Titans throughout the remainder of the offseason.

We are going to start today with the offensive side of the ball. So a depth chart review on a Thursday 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. Titans fans, it is a Thursday edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. Going to take a look at the offensive depth chart as it stands right now for the Titans and use that as a way to figure out what needs do they still have remaining on that side of the ball.

Again, it's a two-part series. We'll talk offense today. We'll talk defense tomorrow to cap off the week of the Locked on Titans podcast. But before we dive in, got to thank you guys for making the Locked on Titans podcast your first listen every day. If this is your first ever listen to the Locked on Titans podcast, make sure you subscribe on whatever platform you do stream. I am going to be putting out daily Monday through Friday Tennessee Titans content, not only during the season, but all year long.

It's free and available on all platforms, so make sure that you stay locked in to the Locked on Titans podcast. Check me out on social media, on Twitter, at Tic Tac Titans, on Facebook, at Locked on Titans pod. But with that being said, going to dive into today's show. I do want to point out the new and improved intro. Hope you guys enjoy that. Had to make some alterations, but I think where we've landed is a very, very good spot.

So excited about the new intro and the timing of everything. So I hope you guys enjoyed it as well. Or maybe I'm just a nerd and care about all the technical aspects of the show more than anybody listening. But either way, I know you guys do care about the topic of the day, the Titans projected offensive depth chart. More than anybody listening. obviously slated to be the starter, despite the fact that Kevin Hogan makes more money than Logan Woodside. We know that Logan Woodside has blackmail on Mike Vrabel, and that keeps him as the backup on this team, despite any evidence saying that that should have been the case for as long as it has been.

But that's a gripe that I've been on for a couple of seasons now that I'm finally just going to move off of this year. So Logan Woodside at the backup. The question just becomes, and we talked about it a little bit on yesterday's show, but should the Titans draft a rookie quarterback? Well, let me say this. If the Titans do want to draft a rookie quarterback, cool. I get it.

But it better be early. Like, it better be in the first round. If the Titans draft a quarterback, it better be somebody who they think can supplant Ryan Tannehill within one to two seasons. Do not go out and get me a Billy Zappy in the fourth round. Do not go out and do another Cole McDonald or Luke Falk experiment in the sixth round. I think that's why Logan Woodside has survived for so long on the roster because

what is the difference? What is the difference? Neither Luke Falk or Cole McDonald lasted even a season with the Titans. So why would you waste one of your draft picks on a quarterback that has zero chance to be a starter in the NFL and be anywhere even close to Ryan Tannehill. Oh yeah, go ahead. Put Tom Brady down in the comments. But come on, man. Look at all the good quarterbacks in the NFL. Their first round picks. So if the Titans want to go out and get a first round pick quarterback, okay.

Alright. Then that guy immediately becomes the backup. Heck, keep him as the third stringer. Redshirt him. Let him rest. Let him get ready. That's fine. But do not, do not give me a half measure

where you go out and get a quarterback in the mid rounds or the late rounds. It's a waste. And I think John Robinson knows that now. So I'll take a quarterback there. But either way, not supplanting Ryan Tannehill. And I don't know if you would call quarterback a need, but it just depends on what the franchise decides to do. Now, I want to round out the backfield here.

We got Torrey Carter at fullback. He's the starting fullback. The Titans don't need any other fullbacks. Love Torrey Carter. I'm a Torrey Carter stan. You guys know this. But at running back, of course, Derrick Henry, the recently re-signed Dontrell Hilliard.

Jordan Wilkins, who was re-signed. Not in on that move. That was the D I gave out in my grades. Trenton Cannon, who I don't think is going to make the roster, but could potentially provide some value as a kick returner. In my mind, what the Titans don't have, either Cannon or Hilliard, are going to

be the backup third down running back, the pass catching running back. The Titans still need a viable Derrick Henry backup, a guy who can be the sledgehammer. You not only have to be careful unless Derrick Henry gets hurt, but to prevent him from getting hurt, the Titans cannot come out and give him the amount of carries they gave him in the first half of the season last year. They can't do that.

That's not a successful formula. They can't do that. That's not a successful formula. You can't do that. If you want Derrick Henry to be good for a couple more years, then it's even more important that you don't do that. You need a secondary hammer back. I think it needs to be in the draft. I think the Titans need to, in the sixth round, in the fifth round, go out and get a secondary hammer guy.

Don't go out and get a Darrington Evans type guy. You got that with Hilliard and Cannon. One of those guys is going to be able to do the job. Go out and get the guy who can actually run the damn ball on first and second down. Hit holes hard, break arm tackles, not just the compliment

pass catching back. Get a guy who can actually take 8-10 carries a game, 5-8 carries a game if you want to go there. You cannot continue to give Derrick Henry 30 carries a game. It's not going to, even 25 carries a game. I think it's a recipe for disaster. So I think one of the big needs that the Titans still have to fill is that secondary backup, the secondary sledgehammer, the direct Derrick Henry backup in the Derrick Henry mold.

I think that has to be found in the mid rounds or the late rounds of the NFL draft, but we're going to move into the pass catcher section of the offensive depth chart. Tannehill, Derrick Henry, Torrey Carter, the starters, they're pretty cut and dry, but I think there is a big need for that Derrick Henry direct backup in the Titans' backfield. Before we get into the wide receivers and the tight ends, though, I do want to tell you guys about betonline.net. Baseball season's pretty much here, folks.

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and info for all the latest odds, contests and player props. Go to betonline.net and you should head to their website today. It's new and improved, or you can use your mobile device. You're going to learn more about all the trends and all the action. Bet online where the game starts. Titans fans, let's continue this Thursday edition

of the Locked on Titans podcast, going over the current Tennessee Titans depth chart and using that as a way to view what needs still remain. We're talking offense today. We just did the backfield with the quarterback, the running back, and the fullback. Now we need to talk about the pass catching positions, wide receiver, and tight end. Before we get into those, I do got to thank you guys for making the Locked on Titans podcast your first listen every

day. Make sure that you also check out the Locked on NFL podcast. It's free and available on all platforms under 30 minutes, giving you all your national NFL news every single day, hosted by a bunch of different Locked on hosts, including ya boy, and I am actually the host of the

Thursday Locked on NFL show. So get your Titans news here with me. Head over to the Locked On hosts, including ya boy, and I am actually the host of the Thursday Locked On NFL show. So get your Titans news here with me. Head over to the Locked On NFL podcast on YouTube or whatever platform you do stream and get your national NFL news. We're talking quarterback hot seats. We're talking quarterbacks in the draft. We're talking Lamar Jackson extension possibilities. A lot of good conversation in the rest of the week.

Have some excellent hosts doing their job as well. So get your Titans news with me. Get your NFL news with the Locked On NFL podcast part of the Locked On Podcast Network. But moving forward into the pass catchers. At wide receiver, the Titans currently

have A.J. Brown, Robert Woods, Nick Westbrook, Akina. Boom. Locks. But after that, Des Fitzpatrick, Race Westbrook, Akina. Boom. Locks. But after that, Dez Fitzpatrick, Racey McMath, Mason Kinsey, Josh Malone, Cody Hollister.

Cody Hollister caught a stray from Mike Giardi, the national NFL guy who was talking today, put out a video where he basically said during that New England game, Titans didn't have AJ, didn't have Julio, didn't have Derrick Henry. Ryan Tannehill's throwing important passes

in the red zone at the end of the game to Cody Hollister. And his point was, that just can't happen if you want to be a real Super Bowl contender. And despite the fact that I think Cody Hollister is a solid practice squad guy who I want the Titans to keep around as an elevation at times.

If things happen, he could be a Nick Westbrook-Akina direct backup on the practice squad. He's right. You can't have Cody Hollister out there in important moments in real games catching passes for you and consider yourself a Super Bowl contender. So I agree there. So overall, the point is,

even with A.J. and Robert Woods as the starting wide receivers yourself a Super Bowl contender. So I agree there. So overall, the point is, even with A.J. and Robert Woods as the starting wide receivers on the depth chart, the Titans still have to fill that third wide receiver role. Nick Westbrook is much more of a fourth wide receiver. He can rotate in for the

outside receivers, and A.J. Brown, you can rotate in because the Titans like to keep the snaps down, and with the physicality demanded of the outside receivers in A.J. Brown, you can rotate in because the Titans like to keep the snaps down. And with the physicality demanded of the wide receivers in the Titans offense, it makes sense to rotate your receivers a little bit more than your average team would do. But Nick Westbrook-Akina cannot be the second leading receiver on the team. He cannot be the third wide receiver. Because if you have Robert Woods, who's not a fast wide receiver,

you have A.J. Brown, who is fast, but speed isn't the name of his game. It's physicality. And you have Nick Westbrook-Akina, who is not a fast wide receiver at all, a physical guy. I mean, that just makes you too easy to guard. There are no vertical threats. Nobody take the top off the defense. And if somebody's going to do it, it's going to be A.J.

But then A.J.'s not the guy who's running the intermediate and short routes to utilize that yards after catch ability that is the best part of his game. You have to have a speed threat to take the top off the defense. Somebody who can give you that, the Titans need it desperately. They're going to have to get it in the draft, whether it be early trading up from 90 into the 60 to 70 range to get a guy like Christian Watson, a Sky Moore. I think that makes a ton of sense for the Titans.

Will they do it? Do they value speed? Doesn't seem like it. They let Kalief Raymond go, and he's been really good in his role for the Lions and just got a new contract. Tywon Taylor, I'm not going to... Tywon Taylor. I'm not going to blame that on the organization. He just wasn't good enough.

But they haven't tried to fill that role. Even when they got a pure slot guy like Adam Humphreys. He's not a vertical guy. He's not a stretch guy. So the Titans need that speed stretcher. And they need it desperately at wide receiver to go with Robert Woods, who probably play in the slot, A.J. Brown on the outside,

and then that speed vertical threat on the other outside. I think that would just chef's kiss. That would set off this offense. Especially you put that speed receiver on the field and two wide receiver sets, let Robert Woods rest for a couple of plays because he is a guy who's going to be 30 soon. And then when the Titans run those play-action passes

where one of the outside guys runs a deep post and the other guy runs the dig over the middle, A.J. Brown doesn't have to be the deep post guy. He can be the dig guy, and you can have somebody actually take the top off the defense. A.J. Brown ran a deep route on that interception to Julio Jones on the first play of the playoff game.

The free safety did not honor that, was not worried about that and came downhill to intercept the pass from Julio Jones who was the intermediate guy on that play. So all I'm saying is if you have somebody who actually threatens the defense vertically, maybe

that intermediate area will be more open and maybe those safeties won't feel so comfortable coming downhill so quickly. And if they do, deep shots. So, there you go. Moving to tight end. Right now, the Titans have Austin Hooper, Jeff Swaim, Ryan Izzo,

Tommy Hudson, Briley Moore Austin Hooper, Jeff Swaim, Ryan Izzo, Tommy Hudson, Briley Moore, Austin Fort. I don't believe in any of those last four guys, Izzo, Hudson, Moore, or Fort. I know people say, what about Briley Moore? Can he step up? Guys, I'm not making roster decisions based on that, though. Maybe they can, but that would be a pleasant surprise. Not something that I'm counting on when I make roster decisions. You got Hooper, you got Swaim. Swaim should be tight end three.

Draft a tight end. The Titans need a tight end with speed. They need somebody who can maybe kind of mirror that Anthony Ferkser passing down tight end role while also having some upside to be in every down tight end. They need to draft a tight end rule while also having some upside to be in every down tight end. They need to draft a tight end in those mid rounds again, right? Like they do wide receiver with the depth of the tight end class. They could probably wait until pick 90. They can wait until our fourth round pick at 130 and probably still get a good guy.

But getting a guy with some good speed, I think would be critical. Isaiah Likely, Greg Dolchich, I think could make a lot of sense. That would be huge for the Titans. So that's what I'm still expecting, and that's a need that I still think is pretty wide open there. The Titans just need more speed on offense. They want to be a physical bully. They want to be an off-the-bus team.

I get it. But you have to have some speed sprinkled in to keep defenses honest. So speed, speed, speed is the name of the game for the Titans. They needed it wide receiver. They needed it tight end. The two biggest needs may be on the entire team outside of offensive line. But we are going to move forward into the offensive line, and that's obviously a big point of consternation.

There are a lot of needs there. So we are going to get into that in just a moment. Before we do, I want to tell you guys about the Locked On NFL Draft Podcast. You make the Locked On Titans Podcast your first listen every day. It's draft season, so make the NFL Draft Podcast your second listen. You get Ryan Tracy and former NFL cornerback Eric Crocker breaking down the draft for you every single day, giving it to you the front office perspective.

They're also breaking down prospects, doing mock drafts, talking pro days, all that. So make sure you check out the Locked On NFL Draft Podcast, free and available on whatever platform, part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Titans fans, let's cap off this Thursday edition of the Locked On Titans Podcast. We talked about the backfield on offense. We talked about the pass catchers on offense, wide receiver and tight end.

Now it's time to get into the trenches. Remember, I do appreciate you guys making the Locked on Titans podcast your first listen every day. Make sure that you make the Locked on Titans podcast your first listen. On Friday, we're going to be breaking down the defensive side of the ball like we did the offense today. But moving forward into the offense, time for the offensive line. At offensive tackle, and I know some of the names here,

we don't know for certain where they're going to be viewed, but at offensive tackle, Taylor LeJuan, Dylan Radins, Christian DeLauro, Derwin Gray, Brandon Kemp, I almost said Matt Kemp, the former Dodger baseball player. Too many sports names, man. My head is just full. But Brandon Kemp.

So Deloro, Gray, and Kemp are practice squad level players. That's the reality there. So if you consider Jamarco Jones a guard, which is what Mike Vrabel said he would start as, then looks like you got Taylor LeJuan and Dylan Radins at tackle and pretty much nobody else that you can

count on. I think the Titans from this position, if we're projecting a depth chart, Radins at right tackle, LeJuan at left tackle. I think if the Titans can get their hands on one of the four offensive tackles in the draft, you got up at the top

at Conwoo, you got Evan Neal, you got Charles Cross, you got Trevor Penning. If they can get probably Penning, then I think they do it. I think they would do that, and I think they would move Radon's guard

to left guard in a heartbeat and have him compete there. But right now, without knowing that, with what they have, you have to pencil in Radins at right tackle. You just have to. Now, could the Titans go out

and sign a guy like Dennis Kelly, bring back David Questenberry to at least give you some depth there if they don't get anybody worth it in the draft? I think that could make a lot of sense because with wide receiver and tight end as big needs, the Titans may attack those positions and then you're

getting an offensive lineman in the fourth round and I doubt that you're going to get a day one starter at that spot. I mean, the Titans couldn't even make a day one starter out of their second round offensive tackle from last year. So, I think tackle is still a huge need for the Titans. If you can get one of the top tackles in the draft,

maybe even a Tyler Smith from Tulsa, then go ahead and do that. But if not, then you need to go get another veteran in the summertime when teams start making additional cuts as we get closer to training camp. That position is not solved. And if DeMarco Jones truly is a guard for the Titans, then you need that swing tackle still.

He's not the Kendall Lamb role. So that's concerning to me. They need another tackle no matter what here if they view Jones as a guard. Going to guard, interior offensive line, you have Ben Jones. Somehow, someway, you still have Daniel Myrna. Insane. You have Aaron Brewer. You have Nate Davis. And you have Ben Jones. Somehow, someway, you still have Daniel Myrner. Insane.

You have Aaron Brewer. You have Nate Davis. And you have Jordan Roos. And maybe Dylan Radins if you guys consider him a guard. Jamarco Jones if you consider him a guard. So, that's where they're... I think if the Titans consider Dylan Radins and Jamarco Jones as a guard, then I think you're good at interior offensive line. You're starting

Jones or Radins with Ben Jones at center, LeJuan, and a new tackle at tackle, and Nate Davis at right guard. So that would put the emphasis on right tackle. But in my opinion,

I think it would be better to have Raidens at right tackle and to get one of these interior and more realistic I should say it's more realistic that the Titans have

a chance to get their hands on a good interior offensive lineman like Zion Johnson like Kenyon Green like Tyler Lindenbaum a Cole Strange I think can make a lot of sense

so I think it's more realistic the Titans can get their hands in the draft on an interior offensive lineman than a decent offensive tackle. So with that in mind, I guess you take the interior offensive lineman in the draft, you get a third offensive tackle in free agency, and you have them be the swing tackle,

have the rookie and Aaron Brewer and Jamarco Jones compete at left tackle, let Radins play right tackle, and get a veteran to push him and be his backup. I think that would probably make the most sense. But right now, Taylor LeJuan, Dylan Radins at tackle, Nate Davis, Jamarco Jones at left guard, and Ben Jones at center would be the projected starters. But two spots, I think, need to be filled on the offensive line.

One has to be a veteran. One has to be a rookie. We'll see what the Titans decide to do. Man, I'm so excited to see what the Titans do in the draft because that's going to tell us a lot about what they think about the current players that they have. And those are answers that I am

ready to get. But that's going to do it for me today folks. Followed up yesterday's long long 40 minute mailback with a shorter one today. I'll be back with you guys tomorrow to break down the defensive side of the ball. That's going to do it for me today though folks. As always I I am your host, Tyler Rowland, and this was Locked on Titans.