The Tennessee Titans made so many moves this offseason that unfortunately some players are going to get lost in the shuffle. That is the case with second-year EDGE Femi Oladejo, who has become the forgotten man on the roster.
By all accounts, Oladejo should be someone that fans are buzzing about right now. As a linebacker turned EDGE, Oladejo hit a steep learning curve as a rookie, but Robert Saleh's defense should be perfect for him because he's going to be asked to think less and attack more.
With new, big-bodied defenders like John Franklin-Myers and Keldric Faulk, Oladejo's job should be much easier, as those guys are going to demand extra attention. Taken together, those two points mean that Oladejo can be more aggressive against easier blocking assignments.
Titans need to gain clarity on Femi Oladejo's offseason role
On top of all that, franchise legend Jevon Kearse recently said he will be around this summer during training camp to teach Oladejo some pass-rush moves to make use of his size and athleticism.
If that is true, why is Oladejo routinely forgotten about when people discuss the EDGEs on the roster?
A lot of that apathy comes from not seeing much of or from the former second-round pick. Before he was placed on season-ending I.R., he played fewer than 250 snaps last season as a rotational EDGE, and he really didn't do anything worth getting excited about. For the most part, the former UCLA standout looked like someone who was still thinking too much about his assignments, which showed up in the box score (0 sacks, two TFLs, including one that was unblocked).
Making things worse, while the team was getting some work on the field in OTAs, Turron Davenport reported that Oladejo was watching the team from the sidelines.
Oladejo will get every opportunity to earn a role in Saleh's defense. Spots on the depth chart need to be earned, so the sooner Oladejo can get back on the field, the better. If they don't believe that Oladejo can come in and be a solid starter or an impact rotational player, they need to consider alternative options.
This locker room is hungry to turn this culture around, and you don't do that by allowing questions to go unanswered. If the Titans wants to turn the ship around, then they need to take a long, hard look at Oladejo and if he isn't going to be ready to step into that role they need to use some of their league-leading cap space to bring in someone on a one-year contract.
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