Five Tennessee Titans Players to Watch During the Preseason
By Luke Worsham
The Tennessee Titans kick off the 2017 Preseason on Saturday night against the New York Jets. Here are five players to keep a close eye on over the next month.
1. WIDE RECEIVER Tre McBride
It’s very clear who the top receivers are on the Tennessee Titans’ roster. Rishard Matthews, Corey Davis, Eric Decker, and Taywan Taylor are all locks to make the roster, and each figures to have a big role in the offense. Where things become unclear is at the bottom, where a number of players are competing to make the final-53 as a #5 or #6 receiver.
Though players like Mekale McKay and Jonathan Krause have had a few nice moments throughout Training Camp, the true competitors for those final receiver spots are Tajaé Sharpe, Eric Weems, Harry Douglas, and Tre McBride. Despite the fact that he has yet to practice due to an injury and that he’s faced legal troubles during the offseason, it would still be a surprise if Sharpe was sent to the waiver wire. At the same time, it would be shocking if Weems, McBride, and Douglas all missed the cut.
Because of their impressive depth at the position, the Titans will likely keep six receivers. If Sharpe is #5, that leaves Weems, McBride, and Douglas to fight for the #6 spot. Weems has historically been a special teams ace, but has very limited ability on offense. Douglas has sure hands and knows offensive coordinator Terry Robiskie well from their time together in Atlanta, but he’s aging and showing signs of it.
As for McBride, he’s easily the most athletically talented of the three, but has never proven on a consistent enough basis that he’s technically sound enough to be an NFL receiver. For that reason, he has yet to make it past final cuts, spending most of the last two seasons on the Titans’ practice squad. Now that his practice squad eligibility is up, it’s now or never for the third-year man from William & Mary.
McBride has had a nice camp, but he’ll need to keep impressing if he wants to make the team. The preseason will provide him with plenty of playing time. He needs to make the most of it.