The Tennessee Titans put the pads on for Monday's training camp practice, and things got physical, which is exactly what fans should be expecting.
In back-to-back practices, there has been a fight in the trenches, with things escalating to punches being thrown on Tuesday. On Monday, it was Jeffery Simmons and J.C. Latham jawing, and on Tuesday, Simmons got into it with new center Austin Schlottmann, and he eventually threw a punch that got him kicked out of practice.
If you have ever watched Simmons play football, none of this should surprise you. His gruff demeanor and his ability to play with an edge have led him to be a four-time team captain, and in a month, he will be a five-time team captain.
Tennessee Titans are spending training camp building an identity on offense, defense
Simmons has always taken this approach, and it has never hampered his play on the field. In fact, there is a strong argument to be made that his disposition makes him an even tougher defender to block because he gets under the skin of opposing offensive linemen.
The good news is that this time the Titans' offensive line is fighting back. Last year, when Azeez Al-Shaair hit Cam Ward helmet-to-helmet after the play, that was a moment when the offensive line should have defended their quarterback. Instead, they let Ward down and walked back to the sideline like a team that had already given up.
It sounds like new center Schlottman may have that edge to him, and maybe this is the year that Latham plays like the enforcer he was built to be coming out of Alabama.
Does "fast and violent" sound familiar? It should; that is the mantra Robert Saleh has been preaching since he was hired, and he has stated over and over that it isn't just for defensive players. It looks like this year, that might start going both ways instead of Simmons being the only player with an edge in training camp.
Should fans hope to see Simmons punch someone in practice? No, obviously not. However, no one should be surprised, and no one should condemn him for it because that is who he is, and Saleh handled the situation appropriately by punishing him. The important thing to pay attention to is that the offense isn't just taking the trash talk and physicality without fighting back. Instead, guys like Schlottmann and Latham are taking it personally and standing up for themselves and the offense.
That is the takeaway here, and it is a positive one.
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