Training camp isn't the regular season, but it represented the first opportunity for the Tennessee Titans to really assess their rookie class. That is why it's concerning that so many young guys aren't trending like they were a few weeks ago.
Rookie EDGE Femi Oladejo was a no-show last week, and now things are starting to trend in the wrong direction for Elic Ayomanor and Kevin Winston Jr.
In Ayomanor's case, the word out of joint practices with the Atlanta Falcons was that he wasn't fighting for the ball in the air, which led to several drops and tips, including one that led to an interception. That comes after a preseason game where he failed to produce despite playing nearly 40% of the Titans' passing snaps.
Titans rookies need to trend back in right direction in preseason Week 2
It was too soon to anoint Ayomanor as a starting receiver, but there was a lot of optimism that his time was coming sooner rather than later. While he is still going to get every chance to earn more playing time in training camp, dropped passes and targets that turn into interceptions can be self-inflicted wounds, and that isn't going to help his case to play over veteran Van Jefferson.
Winston isn't quite in the same boat as Ayomanor because he was consistently productive when on the practice field. The obvious problem is that he hasn't been on the practice field for nearly two weeks after dealing with some lower-body soreness. It is unclear how much of this time off was scheduled to make sure that his ACL is recovering properly, and how much is due to another unforeseen setback popping up.
Either way, these are crucial reps the Titans need Winston on the field for to help evaluate what he can do against other teams. It seems like there's a good chance Winston will end up missing all three preseason games.
That is going to open the door for Quandre Diggs to be the third safety, possibly relegating Winston to special teams duty. The Titans remain high on Winston's abilities, so hopefully he's back practicing soon.
In less than a month, the Titans will face off against the Denver Broncos on the road. Until then, everyone on the roster without a starting gig needs to be competing. Mike Borgozi and Chad Brinker have said they intend to play their young players, but they've also been active in free agency and on the waiver wire.
While neither Ayomanor nor Winston is at risk of losing their roster spot, they could be healthy scratches if they can't compete on special teams and/or start separating themselves from the pack at wide receiver and safety, respectively.