5 Tennessee Titans who will be cut before Week 1 and why
By Ryan Heckman
As the NFL preseason soon comes to a close, teams will be cutting down their rosters to reach the 53-man product. For the Tennessee Titans, there have been several end-of-roster battles going on. And, some of them are still up in the air.
But, by reading the tea leaves and the team's most recent depth chart, one could go on to guess what Tennessee plans to do with some key positions. Based on training camp, preseason play and current trends, we can be pretty confident that the Titans will wind up parting with five relatively-recognizable names.
Whether veteran or undrafted free agent, five particular Titans players could be heading toward waivers in the coming days. To make it a little more interesting, we opted not to pick players currently last on the depth chart.
The Titans will likely wave goodbye to these five players, but some may return via the practice squad
Gabe Jeudy-Lally, CB
The battles for the fourth and fifth cornerback positions have produced more light at this point, and it appears as though Gabe Jeudy-Lally is going to be on the outside looking in. The undrafted free agent could have a great shot at coming back to the practice squad, though, and might eventually be elevated to the active roster depending on how things go with Caleb Farley.
Julius Chestnut, RB
While Julius Chestnut has done some positive things in the preseason and training camp, he still remains fourth on the depth chart behind Hassan Haskins. Now, Tennessee could opt to keep four running backs. But, will they?
Jaelyn Duncan, OT
It's anyone's guess as to what the Titans will do at the fourth tackle position, but if the most recent depth chart was any indication, Jaelyn Duncan looks to be the odd man out. Geron Christian is ahead of him, there, at the moment. But, this situation is fluid and if the Titans kept either one over the other, it would not be a surprise.
Kyle Philips, WR
For weeks now, Kyle Phillips has looked to be in danger. He's a good player, but the Titans simply have five or six guys they like better. One of those players is rookie Jha'Quan Jackson, who has had a strong training camp and made some plays in preseason. Phillips feels like one of those players who will be cut and immediately find a home elsewhere, which is a positive, at least.
Malik Willis, QB
If there was ever a debate over who should be the Titans' backup should be, there's no more debate. It's Mason Rudolph. He was paid to come in and be an excellent backup, and it looks like that's exactly what the Titans are getting. Should Tennessee keep three quarterbacks, then Malik Willis is safe. But, for now, I'll say he's going to end up on the practice squad. Now, remember with the rule change, the Titans can call him up on game day and Willis won't count toward an active roster spot.