We already talked about how Titans GM Jon Robinson confirmed the team had made contact with J.J. Watt‘s reps this morning, but there were some more interesting nuggets to come out of Robinson’s press conference.
For starters, Robinson talked about perhaps the biggest mistake of the 2020 NFL Draft, Isaiah Wilson. Tennessee drafted the offensive tackle 29th overall last April, but he played only four snaps as a rookie. After getting drafted, Wilson was arrested for DUI, received a trespass warning for attending a party at Tennessee State and twice landed on the team’s reserve/COVID-19 list. He was suspended for Week 13 for a violation of team rules and then was placed on the reserve/NFI list in December shortly after finally making his NFL debut.
Robinson revealed on Tuesday that he hasn’t spoken with Wilson since placing him on the NFI list, via Jim Wyatt of the team’s official site. Robinson said others had been in some degree of contact with the first-rounder, but he didn’t sound particularly optimistic about his future with the team. “He is going to have to make a determination on if he wants to do everything necessary to play pro football,” Robinson said bluntly.
Wilson only just turned 22 last week so he’s got time to figure it out, but it sure sounds like the Titans won’t be counting on the Georgia product for 2021. Meanwhile, Robinson seemed to indicate there’s a good chance receiver Corey Davis and tight end Jonnu Smith could walk in free agency.
Robinson said he had the same conversation with those two guys that he did with tackle Jack Conklin last year, saying the team “will make competitive offer, but wishes them the best if they opt for free agency,” Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com tweets. Conklin, of course, left for the Browns in free agency. Davis, the fifth overall pick of the 2017 draft, is set to be a free agent since Robinson elected to decline his fifth-year option last May. Davis responded with a resurgent season, racking up a career-high 984 yards in only 14 games. It’ll be very interesting to see what kind of offers he gets on the open market.
Do your homework pre-draft and you don’t waste a 1st rounder on a big baby with no heart.
To be fair, Tennessee wasn’t the only team to want Wilson. Sometimes guys just don’t get it-or, rather, want to get it. I hope that he realizes how rare the opportunity he has gotten is, but we’ll see. I’ll give Robinson some credit at least for being honest about that Wilson instead of covering for him to make the pick look successful. Every selection carries risks, and even though you can’t eliminate them all, it’s rare to see a team treat a high pick like just any other player.
Biggest mistake will be Okudah or Thomas. Late 1st rounders bust every season.
Robinson is not very good. He had a tremendous opportunity after the trade down in 2017 and he busted on every pick except Derrick Henry. He also has made some very dubious free agent signings that did nothing last year. And let’s not talk about Mariotta. Without Arthur Smith’s miraculous work with Tannehill this team would be in the 6-10 zone every year. Like most ex-Patriots guys he only knows one way and that way is not flexible. His Vrabel hire looked really bad in the playoffs last year and with Vrabel’s subsequent unwillingness to hire a legitimate OC or DC this offseason things are only going to get worse. Robinson and Vrabel are the Southern equivalent of Pace and Nagy. And both franchises have clueless owners who inherited the team and have no idea how to evaluate the job performances of their GM and Head Coach. But, hey, like Pace and Nagy we can say Robinson and Vrabel collaborate very well. Did you see those amazing fist bumps after every draft pick two years ago? Awesome stuff.
Yeah passed on him for Matt Lafleur because he “wasn’t ready” and is now is 26-6 as a HC.
*Passed on making Lafleur the HC