Tennessee Titans option No. 1: Kevin Pamphile
The veteran option for the Titans is a bit more familiar one for the team. Pamphile was signed by Tennessee in 2018 and immediately saw the field in Week 1 after left tackle Taylor Lewan was forced to leave the game with an injury.
What the Titans have in Pamphile is a good athlete who was a former basketball player and spent some time as a blocking tight end while with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was a bit raw coming out of college, as he only spent one year playing football in high school before getting a scholarship with Purdue.
Perhaps the best part about the 6-foot-3, 315-pound lineman is that he has experience playing in a zone-blocking scheme, which should translate to him being an effective blocker for what the Titans will need.
Pamphile performed well in that aforementioned situation against the Miami Dolphins. He not only showed his versatility in being able to play at left tackle, but also proved he can be an asset upfront. Further adding to his value, Pamphile was moved to right tackle in Week 3 and performed admirably there as well.
Unfortunately for the Purdue product, he was forced to go on injured reserve after suffering an injury against the Jacksonville Jaguars. In his three games, Pro Football Focus gave Pamphile an overall grade of 52, which ranked him as a below average lineman. It was a small sample size for sure, but it’s still something to consider even though Pamphile’s best fit is on the inside.
This is a tweet about him from 2018 when he originally signed with the Titans.
Source tells me that guard/tackle Kevin Pamphile will sign a one-year deal with the Tennessee Titans. They really like his versatility -- he's started 33 games and can play five positions, but guard is really his carved-out position. https://t.co/K487hFLC85
— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) March 22, 2018
Earlier in the offseason, head coach Mike Vrabel was pretty clear that Pamphile has an opportunity to grab a starting spot. Despite being the veteran in the competition, nothing is guaranteed.
“It’s about opportunity,” Vrabel said to Jim Wyatt of Titans Online. “At the time (last year) when I talked to Kevin (Pamphile), I said, ‘I think we’re in that opportunity stage.’ He came in, and he helped us, and he was versatile. Unfortunately, he got hurt. He worked hard to recover, and we wanted to have him back. We were able to get him back, and I think he’s taking advantage of the opportunity to go in there and try to compete.”
Part of the reason Pamphile returned to Tennessee was because of the opportunity to compete for a starting job. After playing left guard for much of his time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he admits he’s still adjusting to playing with a different style on the right side.
Wisely, Pamphile has turned to Saffold for advice for his move to an unfamiliar side of the O-line. Doing that will no doubt help his transition to a spot he has never played before.
If we’re going to give the edge to anyone on the Titans’ roster this summer, it undoubtedly has to go to the veteran Pamphile. But, as we all know, we won’t know for sure until we get confirmation and Pamphile will have to earn his stripes to enter the starting lineup.