There were so many little notes from this release, I wanted to put them all in one place and share some FF thoughts on it…
-- Malik Willis is the #2 QB and Will Levis is the #3 QB, but I think that listing is more ‘rookie status stunts’ that coaches pull, probably for good reason…makes Levis work harder/has to overcome adversity versus being pampered…and if they’re going to trade Willis, they need to keep his value/status propped up.
I’m being told (and seeing in some bootleg camp tape) that Levis is clearly better than Willis and is starting to make people think it won’t be long before he’s ahead of Tannehill. I suspect Vrabel won’t quit Tannehill until/if they start losing…so, if the Titans stay around .500, Tanny stays in place. If the Titans hit like a (1-4) start or something…the Levis drumbeat becomes loud.
-- Kyle Philips listed as 3rd-teamer is an insult. He should be a starter, but he’s listed behind 2nd-team duo Chris Moore and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. Vrabel is infatuated with Chris Moore. Philips has been wasted in Tennessee so far.
I have to take my projections down on Philips because I can see what’s coming. I hope Philips can find his way out of there before the 4 years of his rookie deal runs out.
But we’ll see where the depth chart is for Week 1 before I get totally hysterical.
-- Tennessee displayed their starting depth chart with a 2 WR + 2 TE set up. So, there won’t be much room for a #3 WR in the 12 personnel base they want to run…the heavy run game/controlled passing game.
-- The RB depth chart after Derrick Henry…
Hassan Haskins #2…despite the troubling legal issues, of which there will be no ramifications because…of course there won’t be…is the #2.
Tyjae Spears #3…the rookie already at #3 -- and would probably be the #2 in reality if something happened to Henry.
Jonathan Ward #4…surprise.
Julius Chestnut #5…the biggest surprise. I guess he’s effectively done in Tennessee, after being their best backup RB last preseason. Haskins was a high draft pick and Chestnut a UDFA, so there will be no piercing that glass ceiling here. Hopefully, Chestnut gets released in September and lands with a team that will give him some attention.
-- The starting linebackers are listed as: Jack Gibbens and Azeez Al-Shaair…Monty Rice is 2nd-team. The one to note here is Gibbens…he’s an extension of Mike Vrabel, a ‘Vrabel guy’…a 2022 UDFA throwback ILB type that has somewhat come out of nowhere. He’s likely to be a top 10-20 in tackles in the league kinda LB in 2023.
-- One of the fastest camp risers is 2nd-year UDFA Jayden Peevy…a 6’5”/308 mountain who is now the 2nd-team DE in their 3-4 scheme. He is ‘long’ and flashes off-and-on, a five-year player at Texas A&M. I don’t see ‘star’ but I do see ‘useful’…and Vrabel is amazing at finding useful D-Lineman out of nowhere.
-- I’m a big fan of DB Elijah Molden…as a slot/nickel CB, but he’s listed as a 2nd-team SAF behind Kevin Byard. I don’t understand this at all. To be fair, Molden has battled injury so far in his young career…but it seems like the middle round draft pick gems the Titans have taken the past few years are all NOT developing, and they are falling by the wayside in Tennessee (Willis, Philips, Molden come to mind).
I don’t know why, and Vrabel usually turns water into wine -- but I got a bad feeling about this Titans roster/direction since they gave the power to Vrabel.
