3 Knee-jerk reactions Tennessee Titans fans may see if tragedy strikes

What if Bud Dupree/Caleb Farley aren’t as good as Tennessee Titans fans thought?

Just in case you haven’t been paying attention, here are two of the rather familiar and unflattering opinions about Bud Dupree and Caleb Farley that have been stated with some frequency.

Bud Dupree is apparently good but not great in the eyes of some. Much of the success he had in Pittsburgh with the Steelers is believed to be more so a result of T.J. Watt taking some of the pressure off of him while playing on the other side of the defensive formation.

Caleb Farley is the wide receiver turned cornerback who has battled injury, had surgery and sat out of the most recent college football season due to COVID-19 concerns when the theory is he probably should have taken a few more snaps at the collegiate level to get a better grasp of how to play the position.

Oh, and did you see the Tennessee Titans schedule early? In their first three games, if they choose to line Farley up against the other team’s best wide receiver, he draws DeAndre Hopkins in Week 1, D.K. Metcalf in Week 2, and T.Y. Hilton. Welcome to the NFL rook! What if Farley is exposed early? What if Bud Dupree doesn’t get to the quarterback with any regularity.

Possible knee-jerk reactions: This one’s more of a question about fan reactions. Both of these young men are going to be fine, and if there are issues, the Titans will adjust. Don’t expect for there not to be an eruption in some media circles and on social media if the team’s first-round draft choice and one of their most expensive free-agent acquisitions struggle.

We’re probably talking about tweets asking for guys to be traded and begging for Tennessee to trade for any disgruntled difference-maker and/or sign whoever’s available that can step in and contribute immediately.

Healthier scenarios: Okay, Caleb Farley is going to struggle early. There’s no way around it. The level of competition he’s getting weekly now far surpasses what he’ll see in the SEC, but no one should panic when he, well, plays like a rookie.

Fans acknowledge that quarterbacks have to take some lumps. They tend to forget that every other position has a learning curve as well. Help can be schemed for both Dupree and Farley if anything should happen.

Well-timed blitzes are among a slew of possible creative approaches for the former. To help the latter, Janoris Jenkins, a more experienced corner can help out by covering some of the game’s best wideouts. If Farley draws the assignment, help can be provided by allowing a safety to assist in coverage over the top.