Tennessee Titans roster breakdown
It was touch-and-go on Tuesday for Tennessee Titans fans, but with final cuts nearly finished around the NFL, they should be ecstatic.
The big conversation on Tuesday was about Jon Robinson cutting a 4th round pick, but all of that talk was just hot air since the team re-signed Dez Fitzpatrick to the practice squad on Wednesday afternoon.
In addition to keeping Fitzpatrick, the Titans added talent at positions where there were some question marks about the depth like offensive line and tight end.
With all of the moves that the team made, it is fair to be a little bit confused by who is actually even on the Tennessee Titans roster. In fact, a player they cut yesterday (Cole Banwart) was actually put back on the roster due to being put in the COVID protocol Wednesday morning.
Speaking of COVID protocol, the Titans still have several moves to consider with 9 players still on that exempt list. As they come back, Jon Robinson is going to have to decide on whether those players should be cut, put on I.R., or if someone else is going to get cut to make room for them.
Luckily, he will be able to get input from Mike Vrabel who seems to be off of the COVID list as of Wednesday.
So, let’s look position by position and see who is on the team, who is on the practice squad, who is on the COVID list, and what decisions the Tennessee Titans will have to make.
Tennessee Titans quarterbacks
Active Roster: Logan Woodside
Practice Squad: Matt Barkley
COVID-19 List (as of September 2nd): Ryan Tannehill
Despite being on the COVID list, there shouldn’t be any concern from Titans fans that Ryan Tannehill will come out of the gate rusty.
While he didn’t see any preseason action, Tannehill was still heavily involved in practices including the joint practice against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The timing is actually pretty good because, by the time that Julio Jones and A.J. Brown start practicing consistently, Tannehill should be back.
The ‘big’ story here is that Logan Woodside again claimed the backup quarterback role as he beat out Matt Barkley. It should be noted that the Titans like what they saw from both players and Barkley liked the team enough to stick around on the practice squad.
You never want to see your backup quarterback play, but the Titans have two guys that they feel comfortable with if they have to go in that direction.
Tennessee Titans running backs and fullbacks
Active Roster: Derrick Henry, Darrynton Evans, Mekhi Sargent, Khari Blasingame
Practice Squad: Tory Carter
COVID-19 list (as of September 2nd): Jeremy McNichols
This is one of those positions where it feels like the quiet before the storm. Derrick Henry is cemented at the top but the backups still could change.
Once Jeremy McNichols is off of the COVID list, the Titans will have three options. The first and most likely option is that they will cut McNichols and attempt to bring him back as a practice squad guy.
The next option is that they could cut Mekhi Sargent and try the same thing with him because the Titans currently don’t have a practice squad running back so you would expect that to be addressed after whatever the corresponding move is.
Finally, the least likely move is that the Titans put Darrynton Evans on short-term I.R. and put him on the shelf for three weeks as he rehabs his hamstring injury. This would allow the Titans to keep both McNichols and Sargent and they would kick the decision down the line to the end of September.
Tennessee Titans wide receivers
Active Roster: Julio Jones, A.J. Brown, Josh Reynolds, Chester Rodgers, Marcus Johnson, Cam Batson, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
Practice Squad: Dez Fitzpatrick, Mason Kinsey
COVID-19 List (as of September 2nd): Racey McMath
On Monday, the Tennessee Titans had 10 wide receivers with a valid argument for making the team. The Titans decided that Dez Fitzpatrick and Mason Kinsey were the least likely to be claimed on waivers since they don’t add much (if anything) on special teams.
Social media went crazy and the fan base stood divided on whether it was the right move and what that move meant.
Well, it was all meaningless because it turns out that even after all the cuts…the Titans still have 10 wide receivers under contract who have a valid argument to make the roster.
Whenever Racey McMath comes off of I.R., fans should expect the Titans to discuss whether they like McMath or Nick Westbrook-Ikhine more because they both serve the same role.
Tennessee Titans tight end
Active Roster: Anthony Firkser, Luke Stocker, Tommy Hudson
Practice Squad: MyCole Pruitt, Miller Forristall
COVID-19 List (as of September 2nd): Geoff Swaim
After all the speculation about which tight end the Tennessee Titans might trade for in the offseason or which player they could draft, they ended up keeping the same two starters that they started the offseason with Anthony ‘slot king’ Firkser and Geoff Swaim.
However, some intriguing additions need to be discussed. Miller Forristall looked good as both a blocker and a receiver during the preseason, and while he didn’t jump off the page, he earned a Tommy Hudson-like chance to develop for a season on the practice squad.
Stocker is sort of a mix between Firkser and Swaim, though probably not as good as either, but still worth a shot.
The real surprise is that MyCole Pruitt is back with the Titans on the practice squad and there is a massive chance that Pruitt is one of the first call-ups if the team needs to make one. He can play on special teams, block, catch, and really has no weak points even though he also doesn’t have one thing that he does at a special level.
Tennessee Titans offensive line
Active Roster: Corey Levin, Taylor Lewan, Rodger Saffold, Aaron Brewer Kendall Lamm, Ty Sambrailo, Dillon Radunz, David Quessenberry, Daniel Munyer
Practice Squad: Jordan Roos, Christian DiLauro, Derwin Gray
COVID-19 List (as of September 2nd): Ben Jones, Nate Davis
Get well soon to Ben Jones and Nate Davis who are two-thirds of one of the best interior line trios in the NFL. However, that need for interior offensive line depth may have been the first domino that led to the Titans re-signing Corey Levin who is a perfect fit.
Doing the math, the odds are that the Titans will trim down this position group once the COVID issues are resolved, but Tennessee would be smart not to go crazy with the cuts. Assuming that Kendall Lamm is the starter at right tackle, then the most versatile backups that the Titans could have are:
-Corey Levin (has experience at center and guard in the NFL)
-Aaron Brewer (played center in college but exclusively played left guard for the Titans last year)
-Ty Sambrailo (has played left tackle, right tackle, left guard, and right guard in his NFL career)
-Dillon Radunz (played right tackle and right guard in the preseason and started 32 games at left tackle in college)
That would give the Titans two players who can back up every spot on the offensive line and this would allow them to cut Munyer and Quessenberry and add them to the practice squad.
Tennessee Titans defensive line
Active Roster: Jeffery Simmons, Denico Autry, Teair Tart, Larrell Murchison, Anthony Rush
Practice Squad: Naquan Jones, Woodrow Hamilton
COVID-19 List (as of September 2nd): None
This is a pretty straightforward list and it highlights how much luckier the defensive side of the ball has been in terms of COVID (knock on wood) this preseason.
Simmons is poised for a monster season and he deserves all the credit and attention in the world, but don’t sleep on Denico Autry and Teair Tart. During limited reps in the preseason Tart looked dominant and he seems to have gotten into better shape while also learning how to use his hands better.
Autry is a seasoned veteran who had 7.5+ sacks in 2018 and 2020, so a defensive line that couldn’t get much of a pass rush aside from Simmons in 2020 now looks reloaded and aggressive.
Murchison has been taking positive steps forward and his development would mean that Jon Robinson hit on a 5th round pick and a UDFA in the 2020 NFL Draft which would really help the perception of that offseason.
Tennessee Titans EDGEs
Active Roster: Bud Dupree, Rashad Weaver, Derick Roberson, Ola Adeniyi
Practice Squad: None
COVID-19 List (as of September 2nd): Harold Landry
Since the Titans didn’t rush out to add an extra EDGE to the practice squad, the implication is that they aren’t concerned about Harold Landry’s ability for the season opener. It also hints that they believe that Bud Dupree is healing very well and that he should be on the field in Week 1 as well.
John Simon’s cut was mildly surprising, but the team seems to be really impressed by their young trio of Derick Roberson (26), Ola Adeniyi (23), and Rashad Weaver (23).
Since the Tennessee Titans defense will feature a lot of different looks, keeping five EDGEs is about right. If they were committed to running defense with more 4-3 elements that used wide-9s, then one more player would make sense.
However, over the past two years, the Titans have used Jurrell Casey and Jack Crawford as the EDGE opposite Harold Landry about as frequently as they have used anyone else, so players like Rashad Weaver and Denico Autry are really positionless players who should count as both EDGEs and defensive linemen.
Tennessee Titans off-ball linebacker
Active Roster: Jayon Brown, David Long, Monty Rice, Rashaan Evans
Practice Squad: Jan Johnson
COVID-19 List (as of September 2nd): Justin March, Nick Dzubnar
This is the group that is probably the least impressive on paper when you look at the Titans roster.
That is a little harsh, but aside from Jayon Brown there really isn’t anyone who jumps off the page as a difference-maker, at least not how they are currently being used. Based on something the Titans did in the first two weeks of the preseason, it looks like the starters on base downs will be Rashaan Evans and Jayon Brown.
However, on passing downs the Titans brought in David Long and moved Evans off the field, which provided a jolt of energy and added a dynamic element that the group lacked.
Keeping this rotation would do a lot for the Titans linebackers, but this is the group where a big-name free agent makes the most sense if Tennessee sustains an injury or if they aren’t getting what they want from these four.
Tennessee Titans cornerbacks
Active Roster: Jackrabbit Jenkins, Kristian Fulton, Elijah Molden, Caleb Farley, Breon Borders, Chris Jackson, Chris Jones
Practice Squad: Jamal Carter, Brien Boddy Calhoun
COVID-19 List (as of September 2nd): None
It was a little stunning to see the Titans keep this many cornerbacks, but with so many other special teams players on the shelf due to COVID, they had to make sure they had guys who could cover kicks if it came down to it.
The biggest surprise of all of the roster cuts was when Chris Jones made the team, but if you watched the preseason games Jones consistently made plays and was in a great position in coverage. I don’t expect him to start at any point in 2021, but he would have been on someone else’s roster or practice squad if he was let go.
People still have doubts about the talent at the top of this group, but they are wrong. Jenkins has been a leader on the field and in the classroom, since the Titans signed him, Fulton has looked exactly like the player that was advertised when Tennessee drafted him in the second round, and the rookie duo of Elijah Molden and Caleb Farley will probably be two of the best rookie DBs in the NFL this season.
Tennessee Titans safeties
Active Roster: Kevin Byard, Amani Hooker, Dane Cruikshank, Matthias Farley, Brad McDougald, Brady Breeze
Practice Squad: None
COVID-19 List (as of September 2nd): None
Most people thought that the Tennessee Titans would keep four safeties and after everything is said and done, they will probably be right. However, COVID issues at other positions opened the door for the Titans to get a long look at which safeties should be the backups.
While the depth is a mystery, the starters are written in stone right now.
Kevin Byard is a team captain and someone who the coaches and fans love. While he had a down year in 2020, he should do better in 2021 now that the defense finally looks like it isn’t being led by someone calling plays out of a coloring book for toddlers.
The other starter is Amani Hooker who has developed in a very similar way to Kevin Byard. After rookie seasons on the bench, Byard exploded and led the league in interceptions and made his presence known around the NFL.
After spending 2019 on the bench, Hooker was rotated in and despite only starting three games, he finished the season tied for the Titans lead in interceptions with four.
For the first time in Titans history, the team has two true ballhawks at safety and depth behind them, and with the league’s reigning leader in interceptions thrown (Carson Wentz) in the division with a rookie and Tyrod Taylor, this group has to be licking their chops.
Tennessee Titans specialists
Active Roster: Brett Kern, Sam Ficken, Morgan Cox
Practice Squad: None
COVID-19 List (as of September 2nd): None
This is the most complete group of specialists that the Tennessee Titans have had since 2016.
Brett Kern is still one of the best punters in the NFL, but people forget that because the Titans’ offense was so good that he was asked to be on the field as much in 2020. While Tennessee Titans fans should hope that trend continues, it is reassuring to know that they have one of the best punters in the league if they need him.
Snapping to him is the all-time leader in All-Pro voting for long snappers, Mr. Morgan Cox. That’s right, he is the one and only long snapper to ever be named to the All-Pro list and he is back home in Tennessee.
The new guy on the block is Sam Ficken who wasn’t a consideration early in camp. Tucker McCann was off to a great start and he looked poised to win the kicking job over the UDFA from Ohio State, Blake Haubeil.
Tennessee cut Haubeil and signed Ficken as the new competition for McCann, and the battle was neck-and-neck until an injury shelved McCann. While he was gone, Ficken seemingly nailed every kick in practice and during the preseason games, including a 58-yarder against the Bucs.
That was enough to earn the confidence of the coaching staff and it looks like the Titans might finally have a kicker again.