The Tennessee Titans have held a pair of training camp practices. There's a competition occurring at linebacker for back-end spots on the roster. Third-year defender James Williams Sr. is one of the players on the roster bubble.
Williams arrived in Nashville as a seventh-round pick during the 2024 NFL Draft. The former Miami standout had hopes of outperforming his draft slot. But ever since losing a position battle to Cedric Gray last offseason, Williams has been a deep reserve and special teamer.
Through two practices, Williams' roster spot is clearly in jeopardy. At the Titans' first session, Williams worked behind backups like Mohamoud Diabate and Dorian Mausi, and rookie Anthony Hill Jr., according to 104-5 The Zone radio host Zach Lyons.
Titans LB James Williams is fighting for his roster spot at training camp
Thursday's practice went considerably better for Williams. The safety-turned-linebacker intercepted backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky, per various local reporters in attendance. With Trubisky being the clear No. 2 quarterback, that also indicates Williams had a chance to run with the second-string defense.
The Titans have clear veteran starters at linebacker in Gray and Cody Barton. They invested a second-round pick in Hill, the former Texas Longhorns defender who has a future in Robert Saleh's defense. With names like Mausi and Diabate also competing for 53-man roster spots, you can start to see how the room is getting extremely crowded around Williams.
Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi did not draft Williams. He inherited him from previous GM Ran Carthon. Borgonzi has made sweeping changes to the roster since gaining control. Williams is a holdover, and is challenged every day to prove he belongs on a roster with different priorities.
The Titans held a walkthrough practice on Friday. The first open session is scheduled for Saturday. Through two practices, it's crystal-clear that Williams is competing for his roster spot. Williams has occasionally worked behind reserve linebackers, but perhaps Thursday's interception has him trending back in the appropriate direction.
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