UDFAs that have a real shot to be Titans.
Predicting an undrafted free agent who might make a roster is always difficult to do, but the Tennessee Titans have actually done a pretty good job finding under the radar talent after the draft.
For instance, UDFA Derick Roberson had 3 sacks last year in just 24 pass rush snaps, and to put that in perspective, Cameron Wake had 2.5 sacks in 181 pass rush snaps last year.
Then outside of the incredible outliers like that, you have (or had) guys who make up key depth like Isaiah Mack, Sharif Finch, Matt Dickerson, Dayln Dawkins, Joshua Kalu, and Kareem Orr.
So, undoubtedly there will be a UDFA who makes the Titans roster in 2020, now we just have to figure out which players have the best chance.
Some of it has to deal with opportunity, but the Titans have a long-term goal in mind and at the end of the day you can either play or you can’t in their eyes. So, opportunity is important but potential and versatility are king here.
After taking their sweet time, the Titans finally announced their UDFAs and they ended up with 14 names and in the depths of despair in quarantine, I tried to watch as much of those guys as I could.
These are the 3 that stand out as the most interesting and most likely to win a position on the depth chart.
Cale Garrett LB, Missouri
Cale Garrett is such a confusing prospect for me. On one hand, had 217 tackles, 16.5 TFLs, 4 sacks, and 2 INTs from 2017-2018 and he has some tantalizing athletic qualities including a 6.91 3-cone, a 4.13 short shuttle, a broad jump of over 10 feet, and a good 10-yard split (1.65).
On the field, he looks like his feet are in molasses at times and he really can only be a two-down backer in the NFL when you look at how he defends the pass.
So why is he on this list? Well, when you watch him the first thing that instantly becomes clear is that he wins presnap. He diagnoses the formation and figures out where the ball is most likely to go, then after holding for half a second to read his keys, he shoots his shot and is full speed to the ball.
Instincts and decision making like his are hard to ignore, and while he doesn’t have that electric athleticism like David Long, he is a guy that rarely misses and sometimes even pushes his own players into the right position to make a play.
There isn’t anywhere for him to start or even rotate in, but Titans fans saw last year just how important depth can be. Just look at David Long who played 87 snaps in the postseason including 39% of the snaps vs the New England Patriots and 49% of the snaps vs the Baltimore Ravens.
Having someone like Garrett who might not make all of the plays, but who will very rarely make a big mistake and who is a solid tackler, is worth a roster spot.
Mason Kinsey WR, Berry College
Kinsey is a player that is hard to get an accurate feel for and sure, a lot of that has to do with the fact that he played at a D3 school. However, usually, the guys that thrive in smaller schools have something physically that makes them stand out, or they have one great year followed by a year of regression.
Kinsey is different though because while he ranged from dominant to very good (we will get to that) the strange thing is that he grew from 5’9 to a whopping 5’10 over the course of his college career.
On top of that, his numbers were average including running a 4.64 40-yard dash despite weighing just 198 lb.
So Kinsley isn’t a late bloomer and he isn’t a freak athlete, so how did he make an NFL training camp?
Well, a lot of that had to do with Kinsey’s ability to adapt to teams trying to take him away. After a 1,245 yard season in 2017, he saw his production drop to 775 yards in 2018. Instead of falling somewhere in the middle of those two numbers for his final season, he went out and put up 1,221 yards while posting a career-best 18.8 yards per catch.
Throughout those three seasons, he had 17, 16 and 16 TDs in order so even though his yardage dipped he was still a massive contributor.
Mike Vrabel played with Wes Welker and Jon Robinson was highly respected in the front office that traded a pick for Welker. Robinson was also involved in bringing another undersized UDFA into the fold when he was key in signing Adam Humphries to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
I’m not saying Kinsey will be that guy for the Titans, but I am saying that if anyone was going to identify the next Welker it would be the Titans. Luckily, they will have a spot to give him because they still desperately need help at WR.
Teair Tart DL, FIU
Teair Tart has some real Isaiah Mack energy. While not a one-to-one comparison, Tart averaged 10 TFLs per season just like Mack, and while Mack was a better pass rusher in college, it is important to remember that FIU consistently plays a more difficult schedule than UTC does.
Something the two don’t share is that Tart really has never gotten a chance to sit and develop into the player he could be. While we don’t have testing numbers for Tart, Dane Brugler’s draft guide talks about how Tart has had inconsistent surroundings.
He enrolled for five different colleges in his career (ASA, Valley Forge Military Academy, East Mississippi CC, Elsworth CC, and finally FIU), but at one point Alabama had offered Tart a scholarship after community college before rescinding it allowing him to go to FIU.
What that tells me is that he is good enough to earn chances from multiple coaching staffs which speaks to his raw potential as a prospect. The fact that Alabama was seriously considering him also helps to suggest this.
Knowing that, it is easy to see why the Tennessee Titans took a chance on him, and being able to do that without spending a pick is important. Tart will join a locker room where he is no longer able to get by on talent alone and maybe after a year of coaching he can make an impact on a roster that is going to potentially be very thing at DT in 2021 unless some depth players step up this season.