Tennessee Titans may see some familiar faces walk this offseason.
Transition is always tough on everyone, but while the coaching staff changes the people who have to deal with the fallout the most are the players on the current Tennessee Titans roster.
Right now we don’t know whether the Titans will run a spread offense, play in those tight packages like they did last year, shift to a ZBS, run true option plays, etc. We just don’t know who is going to be controlling the offense.
Likewise, on defense you have to wonder what the plan is. We know that the Titans want “front multiplicity and coverage consistency” which sounds great, but until we know what the base package should look like, it is tough to project.
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What we do know is that new Titans HC Mike Vrabel wants versatility and praises players for being able to do more than one thing.
Now, obviously if you have Randy Moss and the one thing he can do is be a vertical WR then yea he is safe. However, even if you are pretty good at a certain thing, if you can’t do more than one thing you are in trouble.
And this makes sense when you think about it.
Let’s say I am a 370lb NT and I am good at my job. You can’t run on me, sorry you just can’t. I do one thing really well, and that is stop the inside run.
However, if you pass the ball or run side to side, I am virtually useless because I can’t do that. If you know that, it makes your job easier because now you get to play a defense with 10 guys on the field that can make a play.
So, which players have something to prove to the new coaching staff?
Johnathan Cyprien SS
Honestly, I like what Cyp can do. I think he got the short end of the stick this year after opening the season with a hamstring injury right out of the gate. Then when he was healthy he was used in some questionable ways.
If there was a smart DC in the building, they could use him as a nickel LB, a blitzer, a spy, etc. However, if you want him to play FS and SS, you are going to be in trouble.
Is that hard-hitter role valued by the new Titans?
Avery Williamson LB
Williamson has shown in the past that he can be effective as a dam in the middle of the field that runs have to flow around because they can’t flow through him.
However, against KC he was driven 3-yards deep in the endzone by Kareem Hunt on a goal-line TD run.
During a different play it was clear that KC schemed Travis Kelce in one-on-one coverage with Williamson and that is a tough assignment for any LB, but it was no contest.
Williamson is a thumper probably fit best for a 4-3 scheme. If the Titans want a LB that they can put inside on 4-3 looks they could re-sign Williamson. If not, I just don’t know how much more he can give them.
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Eric Weems WR/ST
Weems is a special teams leader, but he isn’t someone that you want consistently on the field on offense. Next year the Titans will have (presumably) Rishard Matthews, Corey Davis, Taywan Taylor, and Tajae Sharpe.
That will be a tough position group to crack and that is if they don’t bring back Eric Decker who makes sense in a better offense.
So now you are looking at a roster that is already carrying Brynden Trawick (Pro Bowler) and Darren Bates who were very good special teams players this year. Can they keep a third guy specifically for special teams? I am not sure.
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Kevin Dodd EDGE
Can Dodd play stand up OLB in the NFL? We are about to enter his third year and I honestly don’t know because of the way LeBeau ran the defense.
However, everything i have seen would suggest that no he can’t. That is not a great look for a player who really struggled to put together anything resembling consistency in his first two seasons.
I guess his first position would be 4-3 DE, but I don’t think he is a top-5, 5 tech on this roster right now. Likewise, I don’t think he can kick inside and make an impact as a 3-tech or 1-tech.
That makes him pretty limited and I think the Titans might be willing to cut bait or to take any offer to move him this offseason. Hopefully he lands in a 4-3 defense that can feature him better.