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Go To: FlashUpdate / August Update Main Page
| Tennessee Titans | ||||
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Go To: Off-season Team Review
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| Most Recent News Updates: | ||||
| TEN -- Titans Acquire PK Folk From Patriots (8/29/12:48 CT) | ||||
| TEN -- Burks Returns To Practice; On Track For Week 1 (8/28/16:31 CT) | ||||
| TEN -- Titans Place RB Haskins On IR (8/28/16:10 CT) | ||||
| TEN -- Titans Release PK Badgley (8/27/15:02 CT) | ||||
| TEN -- Vrabel Not Ready To Name His QB2 (8/26/21:12 CT) | ||||
| TEN -- Willis Closes In On No. 2 Spot In Win Over Patriots (8/26/00:18 CT) | ||||
| TEN -- Levis Won't Play Vs. Patriots; Willis Gets A Chance To Lock Up QB2 (8/25/12:26 CT) | ||||
| TEN -- Will Burks Be Ready Week 1? Hopkins Looks Great; PK Changes (8/25/09:24 CT) | ||||
| TEN -- Levis Hopes To Be Ready For Friday's Exhibition Finale (8/22/11:20 CT) | ||||
| TEN -- Philips Has Sprained MCL; Timetable For Burks, Philips Worth Watching (8/22/14:01 CT) | ||||
| TEN -- Spears, Chestnut Impress Vs. Vikings (8/20/00:04 CT) | ||||
| TEN -- With Levis Injured, Willis Will Play Entire Game Today (8/19/12:19 CT) | ||||
| TEN -- Vrabel Confirms Burks Won't Be Sidelined Long (8/17/15:02 CT) | ||||
| TEN -- Report: Burks Has Sprained LCL; Should Return In A Few Weeks (8/16/17:43 CT) | ||||
| TEN -- Burks Injured, Carted Off The Field (8/16/13:14 CT) | ||||
| TEN -- Spears Looking Like The Perfect Complement; QB2 Battle Worth Watching (8/15/08:28 CT) | ||||
| TEN -- Willis to Start Preseason Opener Over Levis (8/12/10:29 CT) | ||||
| TEN -- Okonkwo Has Upside... But He'll Need To Be Very Efficient (8/09/18:49 CT) | ||||
| TEN -- Tannehill Says Hopkins Can Still Make Plays (8/09/00:01 CT) | ||||
| TEN -- Phillips Set To Be The Ideal Compliment To Hopkins, Burks (8/08/15:33 CT) | ||||
| TEN -- First Unofficial Depth Chart Has Willis Ahead OF Levis (8/08/09:01 CT) | ||||
| TEN -- Improving Willis Battling Levis For QB2 Spot (8/08/00:20 CT) | ||||
| TEN -- Initial Issues And Injuries Of Note (8/08/00:00 CT) | ||||
Current News Updates
8/29 K Nick Folk is being acquired via trade from the New England Patriots for a 2025 seventh-round pick, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reports, per a source.8/28 The Titans received a scare when receiver Treylon Burks went down with an injury during a joint practice with the Vikings earlier this month. But Burks avoided anything major, as he suffered just an LCL sprain. Now Burks has already returned to practice, going through individual drills in Tennessee’s Monday session. That would appear to put him on track to play in the club’s season opener against the Saints on Sept. 10. Burks told reporters on Monday that he feels great and was relieved when he found out he hadn’t suffered a season-ending injury. “Just knowing I’d already been through an ACL injury before, so it’s scary when you hurt your knee,” Burks said, via Jim Wyatt of the team’s website. “It was kind of frustrating [at first], but I have learned not to dwell on the [negative] of it, just keep my head held high and keep improving. ...” Burks also did not put a timetable on his full return to the field. But as Profootballtalk.com suggests, the fact that he was participating in Monday’s practice is a good sign. “I don’t try and rush anything,” Burks said. “When [Tennessee’s trainers and coaches] tell me that I’m good to go, I’ll be prepared to go out there and play.” 8/28 The Titans placed RB Hassan Haskins on injured reserve. 8/27 The Titans released kicker Michael Badgley, who signed last week and kicked in the preseason finale. They now need a kicker. 8/26 Following up on the previous item. ... HC Mike Vrabel said on Friday night that he loved the way quarterback Malik Willis competed while playing almost the entire game against the Patriots, but Willis hasn’t sewn up the No. 2 job behind Ryan Tannehill. Second-round pick Will Levis has missed the last two games with a thigh injury, but Vrabel said Levis is expected back this week and that he has not seen enough to decide on who will open the season on the second rung of the depth chart. “I don’t think so,” Vrabel said, via the team’s website. “As it stands now, with Will’s availability, and we’ll get him back this week. But I thought that Malik took a big step yesterday. Unfortunately, you have the turnovers, but there was a lot of cool stuff that happened after that. . . . Malik has to make some better decisions and we’ll see where Will’s at this week. ...” Tannehill played three snaps Friday before giving way to Willis. The 2022 third-round pick was 15-of-20 for 211 yards and two touchdowns in the win, but the two interceptions he threw will obviously have some weight in Vrabel’s ultimate decision. 8/26 Starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill only took three snaps and handed all three off, while Will Levis was unavailable due to injury. That left Malik Willis once again taking on almost an entire game's worth of snaps in Friday night's win over the Patriots, and the chance to use that extended time to prove he deserves to be the backup for the start of the season. But with the preseason coming to a close, Willis' play has not shut the door in the way he probably wanted, as he continued to show inconsistency on Friday. Willis had an interception in both of his previous games this preseason and had another in the first quarter, throwing behind a receiver who tipped it into the arms of a defender. But from his next possession through halftime, Willis looked like a different man. He was 8 for 8 after the interception until halftime as he led a 90-yard touchdown drive, finding receivers in tight spots for big gains, and finishing by finding running back Julius Chestnut for a 12-yard score. But in the second half, Willis repeated the pattern, throwing an interception in the third quarter before following it up with a solid touchdown drive. Overall, Willis finished 15 for 20 for 211 yards with a 102.3 passer rating. There was more good than bad in Willis' outing, but the inconsistency is still a concern if he takes the field in a regular-season matchup. As NFL.com suggests, Willis might win the No. 2 role by default if Levis remains injured for an extended period, but the Titans will not want to see more of the turnovers that have plagued the second-year QB. ... Michael Badgley, who signed and practiced with Tennessee for the first time Tuesday, didn't help his case to make the final roster. He made a 44-yard field goal that banked in off the left upright while also making two more from 27 and 33 yards. But Badgley also hooked a 39-yard field goal wide left. ... The Titans open season Sept. 10 visiting New Orleans. ... You can access complete stats for preseason Week 3 via our exclusive Fantasy BoxScore. 8/25 QB Will Levis (thigh) is not expected to play tonight vs the Patriots, a source tells ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, strengthening Malik Willis’ chances to earn the No. 2 job to start the season if he continues to show improvement. 8/25 According to Jim Wyatt of the team's official website, it's not clear if Treylon Burks is going to be ready for the start of the regular season, or exactly what the team's receiving corps will look like for Week 1. The Titans have unfortunately suffered injuries at the position of late, losing Burks and Kyle Philips, and that's complicated things behind DeAndre Hopkins, Chris Moore and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. ... Also unclear? What's going to happen at QB behind Ryan Tannehill. At this point Wyatt feels like the Titans are going to keep three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster. Malik Willis earned the No.2 reps he got during training camp, but what will things look like moving forward? Because Wyatt reports we've also seen improvement from Will Levis as well. ... The good news here? Wyatt reports that Hopkins sure looks like he's capable of playing at a high level. The Titans signed the five-time Pro Bowler before training camp, and the talented receiver has used practices to remind everyone why he's been regarded as one of the NFL's best at his position for years. In addition, the Titans are going to be good at running back. Wyatt isn't going to doubt running back Derrick Henry until he gives us a reason to, and at 29, he's looked like the same guy to Wyatt. Also, rookie running back Tyjae Spears has a unique skill set the team can take advantage of. ... Finally, after giving Caleb Shudak and Trey Wolff a run at their place-kicking job, the Titans waived both players and signed Michael Badgley this week. Badgley had a bad day on Tuesday, then a good day on Wednesday. His signing came with no roster spot guarantees, however. He needs to make kicks. 8/22 Rookie QB Will Levis did not play in the team’s second preseason game against the Vikings due to a lower-body injury sustained in practice last week. But Levis said on Tuesday that he’s “aiming” to be back for Friday’s preseason finale versus the Patriots. “I just had something happen in a practice that just came up,” Levis said, via Nick Suss of the Nashville Tennessean. “I went to the medical staff and I’m just following their directions in the best way to attack it and get better. It’s nothing too serious but I’m just going to make sure I take the right steps to get back to the road to recovery. ..." HC Mike Vrabel said on Tuesday that he’s hopeful Levis will be able to play, but is unsure if that’ll happen at this point. Levis noted that he’s been frustrated that he can’t participate fully in the latter stages of training camp. “I think the first couple days that I had it and found out I wasn’t going to play in Minnesota, I was definitely down,” Levis said. “Coach ‘Vrabes’ was quick to know that I was upset and pick me up and say, ‘Keep your head up, you can’t do anything about it. You’ve got to be smart with it and just listen to the trainers and do whatever you can as a teammate when you’re not able to play.’ That’s just the approach I’m taking.” As Profootballtalk.com notes, Levis completed 9-of-14 passes for 85 yards in his preseason debut against the Bears. He also had a 6-yard rush in that game. 8/22 According to the Nashville Post, the injuries to WRs Treylon Burks and Kyle Philips are painful enough because of the effect on the Titans’ passing attack. But they could also impact the shaping of the team’s 53-man roster on Aug. 29 and depth at the position early in the season. Much will depend on the timetable of return for Burks and Philips. Burks suffered a reported LCL sprain during practice last week in Minnesota, with the NFL Network reporting Burks should miss “a few weeks.” HC Mike Vrabel didn’t offer a timetable for Burks’ return, but LCL injuries — depending on their severity — can take anywhere from three to 12 weeks to heal, per medical experts. If Burks’ sprain is a Grade 1, which is what the NFL Network seemed to indicate, Burks could conceivably be back in time for the season opener on Sept. 10. If it’s a Grade 2 or 3 sprain, Burks could miss several games at the start of the year. Philips suffered an MCL injury in Saturday’s preseason win over Minnesota, per paulkuharsky.com, an injury that will reportedly keep him out “in the range of six weeks.” If he wound up missing six weeks, Philips would likely miss at least the first three games of the season, probably four. If these injuries had occurred during the regular season, the Titans might well have put one or both receivers on injured reserve, meaning they’d need to miss at least the next four games. But that’s not an option right now, as placing a player on injured reserve before he makes the initial 53-man roster ends his season. It's a situation worth watching. 8/20 As ESPN.com's Turron Davenport reports, Malik Willis got the start against the Vikings Saturday night and played the whole game except for two snaps when wide receiver Mason Kinsey came in. As previously noted, rookie quarterback Will Levis suited up but was not available to play due to a lower-body injury he suffered in joint practice last Thursday. Davenport went on to advise readers the story of the day was the running backs. Rookie Tyjae Spears showed elite explosiveness after he hurdled a defender and scooted 33 yards for a touchdown. Spears hit 20.1 mph on the run and had seven carries for 57 yards before coming out. Second-year back Julius Chestnut had a stellar day as well. Chestnut averaged 7.6 yards on 13 carries for a total of 98 rushing yards including a 55-yard run. He also posted a receiving touchdown on a one-yard pass from Willis. 8/19 The Titans will be without rookie quarterback Will Levis for Saturday's preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings, a source told ESPN.com's Turron Davenport. Levis left a joint practice with the Vikings early Thursday with what a source confirmed was a lower-body injury. He participated in most of practice, including the 7-on-7 and team periods. Titans coach Mike Vrabel said Levis went in before the two-minute period the teams did over the final 15 minutes. Second-year quarterback Malik Willis will get the start Saturday and play the entire game. The Titans have three quarterbacks on the roster, but Ryan Tannehill hasn't played in the preseason since being named the starter in 2019. Willis played 42 snaps in the preseason opener against the Chicago Bears while Levis played 30. 8/17 The Titans got good news on receiver Treylon Burks after the receiver went down during Wednesday’s joint practice with the Vikings, as he reportedly has only an LCL sprain. On Thursday, HC Mike Vrabel didn’t address the specifics of the injury, but confirmed that Burks won’t be sidelined for too long. “I don’t think it’s going to be a long-term thing,” Vrabel said, via Turron Davenport of ESPN. "[There was] no structural damage and we’re anticipating him being back. I’m not putting a timeline on it, but I think it was the best-case scenario.” The 18th overall pick of the 2022 draft, Burks is poised to be a key player in Tennessee’s revamped offense under coordinator Tim Kelly along with receiver DeAndre Hopkins. “I think [he’s] relieved,” Vrabel said. “I think when you have that type of thing and you feel something, I think [you feel] relief. We’ll rehab him and I know he’ll work hard to get back. And when he’s ready to come back out, he’ll help us. ...” As a rookie, Burks caught 33 passes for 444 yards with a touchdown. He’s expected to miss a few weeks while rehabbing his knee. 8/16 Following up on a previous item. ... WR Treylon Burks suffered an LCL sprain during practice today, sources tell NFL Network's Ian Rapoport after the MRI. This is good news, as Burks should only miss a few weeks. A scare, but a solid result considering. 8/16 According to Turron Davenport, while Titans WR Treylon Burks made a deep catch from Ryan Tannehill for a TD, he tumbled go the ground and got up limping. He walked off with help from the trainers who were holding his left knee. He was later carted off. 8/15 Rookie running back Tyjae Spears looked terrific on the Titans' opening touchdown drive against the Bears. His game speed and vision make his tested times irrelevant. He's going to be a perfect complement to Derrick Henry. ... Meanwhile, NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal, the most surprising update on the Titans' backup-quarterback competition is that it is truly a competition. Malik Willis looks better this season, though honestly, it's hard to evaluate him and rookie Will Levis behind Tennessee's suspect offensive line. Willis turned the ball over, but he looked like a pro with real assets. The game has slowed down for him and he clearly outplayed Levis this week, as the rookie was hesitant. Either way, it's clear that Levis vs. Ryan Tannehill is not going to be a thing anytime soon. 8/12 According to Stacey Dales of NFL Network, the Titans are planning to start Malik Willis over Will Levis this week in the preseason opener. Ryan Tannehill will not play. 8/09 Tennessee is coming off a lost 2022 season, but one of the bright spots from the frustrating campaign was its rookie tight end. Chigoziem Okonkwo made his presence known with a stretch in which he seemed to get open for a long catch every week. He finished with four catches of 30-plus yards; the only tight ends with more were Travis Kelce, George Kittle, T.J. Hockenson and Hunter Henry. As ESPN.com's Bill Barnwell noted, Okonkwo averaged 2.9 yards per route run on 154 routes; the only player with 100 routes or more who averaged more yards per route run last year was Tyreek Hill. Of course, most players ran far more routes than him. If we look back through recent history at tight ends who were wildly efficient while running about 10 routes per game, the results are mixed. Ladarius Green and Austin Seferian-Jenkins never grew into larger roles as receivers, but Jared Cook and Jimmy Graham were similarly efficient at the beginning of their careers before emerging as standouts in larger roles. Playing on a team that runs at one of the league's highest rates and with DeAndre Hopkins and Treylon Burks at wide receiver, Okonkwo's won't attract huge target numbers. If he can run even five more routes per game, though, Barnwell believes Okonkwo could push toward being a top-10 tight end. 8/09 Tennessee landed the big-play wideout it needed in DeAndre Hopkins just ahead of training camp and Ryan Tannehill is already enjoying his new target in practice. "He's been a big addition," the Titans quarterback said of Hopkins during an appearance on NFL Network Tuesday. "We've seen some huge plays from him. Vintage Hopkins that you've seen across his career of tight, contested catches when he's able to elevate or make the extended catch. So, as a quarterback, it's been a lot of fun to find those areas where I can put the ball where only he can get it and then he's making the play. ..." Hopkins did not look like the elite wide receiver he once was over the last two seasons, which is why the Cardinals sent him packing this offseason. But with Hopkins now in Tennessee, it sounds like he’s showing signs that he may be able to get back to his prior level. As Profootballtalk.com suggests, it’s probably unrealistic to think Hopkins can be the same player he once was, but he could be a significant addition to a Titans team that needs a big-play wide receiver. 8/08 According to NashvilleAtoZ.com, if 2023 is a year of receiver Kyle Philips playing like he did to open last season, he'll be the perfect compliment to DeAndre Hopkins and Treylon Burks in Tennessee's receiving room. Indeed, after beginning his NFL career with six catches, 66 receiving yards, and a 46-yard punt return in his first regular season game, Philips is looking to do more than just pick up where he left off this fall. Philips was one of Ryan Tannehill's favorite targets before he went down. His upside this season cannot be understated. Looking to be more available and durable in 2023, Philips went into the offseason on a mission to gain weight. Philips started his rookie season weighing in the low 180s and was looking to be between 190 and 195 pounds in 2023. Currently listed between 189-191 pounds, Philips confirmed last week that he did put on all the "good weight" he was hoping to and met his objectives. "I feel a little more explosive," said Philips. "When I'm going against DBs, they get hands on, I'm able to fight back a little bit more. My play strength has gone up a lot." Titans' wide receivers coach Rob Moore would likely agree with Philips' self-assessment. Moore told me last week that he was pleased with Philips' progress this offseason. After seeing him at the start of camp, Moore did not have any concerns about Philips maintaining his quickness and agility at the new weight. "Anytime he gets in one-on-one situations he has the ability to separate with his quickness. He’s got really good route imagination to be able to create separation. He has caught the ball really well. I’m really pleased with where he is," Moore said of his 24-year-old slot receiver. "A lot of times when you're a young player, it’s really about being available so you can continue to develop. The fact that he’s out here and able to do that, you can see the progress he has made." 8/08 Following up on the previous item. ... Heading into camp, head coach Mike Vrabel said that Malik Willis was the No. 2 quarterback and that second-round pick Will Levis was No. 3 behind Ryan Tannehill. The team released its first depth chart of the year on Monday and it shows the players in the same spots as they move toward the preseason opener. Willis and Levis should both be on the field against the Bears on Saturday afternoon and their performance in game action will likely be a significant consideration as Vrabel and the rest of the staff put together their plans for the regular season. In addition to who will be the backup, the Titans will have to figure out whether they’ll keep all three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster with an eye on making one their third quarterback to use in an emergency. 8/08 As ESPN.com's Turron Davenport reports, Malik Willis and Will Levis are in a battle behind starter Ryan Tannehill. According to Davenport, Willis has shown great improvement from last season and has drawn praise from the coaching staff. It is clear Willis is more comfortable in Year 2, which he attributes to "speaking the same language" as opposed to last season, when he came in after playing mostly in an RPO-dominant offense. Meanwhile, Levis is adjusting to the new terminology and working to throw with more touch. Both Levis and Willis have started to rotate with the second and third groups and will split the preseason game snaps because Tannehill typically doesn't play in those contests. 8/08 Following his release from the Cardinals at the end of May, DeAndre Hopkins chose Tennessee as his landing spot. Although Hopkins has missed 15 contests the past two seasons due to a six-game suspension and various injuries, he remains a difference maker at 31 years of age. In the 19 games he did play over that span, he collected 106 catches for 1,289 yards and 11 touchdowns, consistently creating separation and making acrobatic contested catches when space didn't exist. Across his 10-year career, he has 853 receptions for 11,298 yards and 71 touchdowns, plus five Pro Bowls. All but one of those Pro Bowl campaigns came with the Texans, the team he will now face twice a year as a rival. As NFL.com's Bobby Kownack suggests, Hopkins immediately becomes Tennessee's most dangerous wideout upon signing. It's worth noting Hopkins had some of the best seasons of his career with current Titans offensive coordinator Tim Kelly on the offensive staff of the Texans. Hopkins' presence should also help expedite the development of Treylon Burks, who the Titans drafted to replace Brown in the first round last year. Burks struggled for parts of his rookie season, dealing with limitations from asthma throughout the offseason program and struggling to shine in an oft-stagnant Tennessee offense. He finished the year with 33 receptions for 444 yards and one touchdown in 11 games. With Hopkins in the fold, those two will form the main focal point of the club's passing offense. For fantasy managers, the expectation should be that Hopkins remains in the WR2 range while Burks slips outside the WR3 range he crept into in recent weeks. That doesn't mean the second-year man can't outperform that cost, but much will depend on the quarterback situation. Ryan Tannehill should benefit from this duo, as well as the presence of rising star Chigoziem Okonkwo and, of course, the strong rushing attack led by Derrick Henry.
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 Team Review
Fantasy Grade: D
For the past several years, the Titans were the class of the AFC South, But the wheels came off the bus in 2022, and off a 7-10 season that ended with a seven-game skid and perhaps the least impressive array of skill-position talent in the league, there's not much in Nashville that appeals to fantasy managers — well, outside Derrick Henry of course. Amidst the carnage in Tennessee last year, Henry was still a force, topping 1,500 rushing yards and finishing fourth in PPR points among running backs. However, as great as Henry was last year, his 382 touches puts him once again in the cnosshairs of "The Curse of 370," and as Andy Behrens wrote for Yahoo, at some point Henry is going to collapse under the weight of all the things working against him. in three of the past four seasons, Henry has led the NFL in carries -- and he would've done it in 2021, but he suffered a significant foot injury," Behrens said. "He has carried the ball 1,249 times over the past four years, which makes him a wild outlier in an era of committee backfields. Henry also just turned 29, an age at which we can reason-ably expect any running back to be well past his peak. Generally speaking, it's better to be a year too early than a year too late when fading players at this spot because the position isn't known for gradual declines.' There have been rumors that Henry could be traded, which could actually be a blessing — because the rest of the offense is a mess. After the Titans drafted Will Levis, the rumors that Ryan Tannehill could be traded or released continue to circulate. Tennessee's nominal No. 1 receiver is second-year pro Treyion Burks, who caught all of 33 passes last season. In fact, the only pass-catcher of note to fantasy manag-ers in Tennessee this year may well be young tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo, who told reporters he's aiming for 100 receptions in 2023. Okonkwo also said he's modeling his game after Travis Kelce of the Chiefs. 'They teach you not to run full speed and run at a con-trolled game speed so you can get out of your breaks quickly," he said. "As a young guy, I'm trying to trust it. All of my life I've been taught to run fast to get open. But learning that running fast all the time kind of hurts you sometimes with routes and getting open. I'm trying to learn that now." That a mostly unproven tight end could well be the best fantasy value with the Titans in 2023 tells you all you need to know about the team. Approach with extreme caution. | ||||
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2023 Off-Season News & Views
Click here for Complete set of News & Views
Click here for earlier off-season items |
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