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Isaiah Wilson

Titans Shopping T Isaiah Wilson

February 25th, 2021 at 3:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

Isaiah Wilson‘s rookie-year no-show preceded Jon Robinson issuing an ultimatum of sorts. Shortly after the GM’s comments about the 2020 first-round pick, the Titans appear prepared to cut bait.

The Titans are shopping the once-sought-after tackle prospect, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). Three years remain on Wilson’s rookie contract. However, nothing went right for Wilson last season. He may already be on thin ice with his initial NFL team.

“He is going to have to make a determination on if he wants to do everything necessary to play pro football,” Robinson said last week, admitting he has not spoken with the team’s would-be Jack Conklin right tackle heir apparent since placing him on the NFI list late last season. Wilson’s trade value certainly has plummeted, to the point the Titans may have to waive him and eat nearly $10MM in dead money. In a since-deleted tweet, the embattled blocker declared he was “done with football.”

One of two Georgia tackles to be chosen in the 2020 first round, along with the Giants’ Andrew Thomas, Wilson saw his NFL career careen off course quickly. He was issued a trespass warning for attending a party at Tennessee State University last summer. That preceded a September DUI arrest. The Titans suspended Wilson in December and ended his season by placing him on the reserve/NFI list days later. The latter move led to Wilson being docked $180K in salary, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (video link). Wilson played four snaps as a rookie, dressing for only one game.

The Titans did not pick up Conklin’s fifth-year option in 2019 and let the high-end right tackle defect to the Browns in free agency last year. They used former swingman Dennis Kelly as their starting right tackle last season. Kelly, 31, is signed through the 2022 season.

Titans’ Isaiah Wilson “Done With Football”?

February 23rd, 2021 at 11:28am CST by Zachary Links

In a since-deleted tweet, Titans tackle Isaiah Wilson declared that he is “done with football” (via CBSSports.com). Of course, after recent comments made by GM Jon Robinson, it’s quite possible that the Titans are also done with him.

Wilson, the No. 29 overall pick in the 2020 draft, saw a grand total of four snaps last year. Once considered a top 5 prospect, Wilson went on to receive a DUI charge and spend two separate stints on the COVID-19 list. There was also a strange encounter with Tennessee State campus police in which Wilson was said to be trespassing and threatening to jump off of a balcony.

“He is going to have to make a determination on if he wants to do everything necessary to play pro football,” Robinson said earlier this month, adding that he hasn’t connected with Wilson since placing him on the non-football injury list to close the year.

Wilson has three years to go on his four-year, $11.6MM rookie deal. It’s not cost-prohibitive, but keeping Wilson could be more trouble than it’s worth. Releasing him this offseason would leave a sizable dead money charge on the books, with no real savings to be had.

Wilson was nitpicked by evaluators, as all prospects are, but no one could have anticipated such a precipitous and drastic fall for him. If the situation is unsalvageable for the Titans, and Wilson is not in fact “done with football,” there will still be plenty of interested teams. It was less than a year ago that Wilson was a rumored candidate for the Dolphins at No. 5 overall. At 6’7″ and still only 22 years of age, he’d profile as an intriguing low-risk, high-reward signing, despite all of the red flags.

Titans Plan To Keep Isaiah Wilson

February 19th, 2021 at 9:47am CST by Zachary Links

Earlier this week, Titans GM Jon Robinson put Isaiah Wilson on notice. However, the team does not plan to trade or release the offensive tackle, according to Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com (on Twitter).

The Titans selected Wilson No. 29 overall in last year’s draft and they already have buyer’s remorse. After receiving a DUI and taking two turns on the COVID-19 list, he played just four snaps as a rookie. In Week 13, the Titans suspended him for violating team rules.

“He is going to have to make a determination on if he wants to do everything necessary to play pro football,” Robinson said, adding that he hasn’t spoken with Wilson since placing him on the NFI list.

Wilson, who just celebrated his 22nd birthday, has three years to go on his four-year, $11.6MM rookie deal. If he can get things in order, he could have a promising career ahead of him. Leading up to the draft, many saw Wilson as a potential Top 10 pick. At Georgia, Wilson was a standout. The 6-foot-6, 350-pound lineman earned All-SEC second team honors in 2019 after starting 10 of his 11 games. And, before that, he was named to the Football Writers Association of America Freshman All-America Team.

Titans GM On Isaiah Wilson, Offseason

February 16th, 2021 at 5:48pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

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.

 Finally, Robinson acknowledged that pass-rushing help was needed in one form or another. “It’s something that’s high on our list – to find guys, whatever position it is defensively – that can affect the quarterback,” he said. Tennessee ranked 30th this past year with only 19 sacks. That would certainly explain the interest in Watt.

Titans Place Isaiah Wilson On Reserve/NFI List

December 9th, 2020 at 5:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

Isaiah Wilson‘s turbulent rookie year may be over, and the latest news involving the Titans first-round pick points to the offensive line prospect needing to surmount hurdles to resume his career.

The Titans placed Wilson on their reserve/non-football illness list Wednesday. This came four days after they suspended him for Sunday’s game. Jack Conklin‘s would-be heir apparent at right tackle, Wilson made his NFL debut in Week 12. He played four snaps against the Colts. That might end up being his only action as a rookie.

“Currently, (Wilson) is dealing with some personal issues, which will take some time for him to work through,” Titans GM Jon Robinson said. “We will continue to help him and support him, with the hope that he can ultimately re-join the team.”

Since the Titans drafted him, Wilson has been 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. Former swing man Dennis Kelly has worked as Tennessee’s right tackle starter, and that status does not look to change in the near future. Wilson is under contract through 2023, but the Georgia product’s career can be considered on hold.

Titans Suspend T Isaiah Wilson

December 5th, 2020 at 4:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

One week after seeing his first NFL action, Isaiah Wilson ran into more trouble in a turbulent rookie season. The Titans are suspending the first-round tackle for Sunday’s game against the Browns, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.

Wilson will be moved to Tennessee’s reserve/suspended list for violating team rules, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter).

Drafted to be Jack Conklin‘s heir apparent at right tackle, the Georgia product has played just three offensive snaps this season. His 2020 off-field headlines have easily surpassed anything football-related. Wilson was arrested for DUI in September, received a trespass warning in August for attending a party at Tennessee State and twice landed on the Titans’ reserve/COVID-19 list.

Wilson signed a four-year, $11.6MM rookie deal with the Titans. All of it — for now — is fully guaranteed. But excepting a severe injury, Wilson’s rookie year has gone about as badly as possible through seven-plus months as a Titan.

Titans To Activate T Isaiah Wilson From Reserve/COVID-19 List

October 10th, 2020 at 1:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

While it is not a 100% certainty that Tuesday’s Titans-Bills game will take place, Tennessee’s 2020 first-round pick has a chance to make his season debut.

The Titans are activating Isaiah Wilson from their reserve/COVID-19 list, Mike Vrabel said Saturday. The rookie tackle has been on the COVID list for the past 34 days.

Wilson has not enjoyed a smooth ride since being selected 29th overall. The Titans placed the Georgia offensive lineman on their reserve/COVID list twice, and Wilson was arrested on a DUI charge in September. He also received a trespass citation after attending a Tennessee State party in August — something that fell under this year’s “conduct detrimental” umbrella.

Dennis Kelly has operated as the Titans’ starting right tackle in the team’s first three games, serving as a potential bridge between Jack Conklin and Wilson. A ninth-year veteran, Kelly will likely continue to work as a starter Tuesday — should the game be played. Wilson, however, could see action as he attempts to rebound from a bad offseason.

The Titans’ consecutive days of no positive coronavirus tests allowed them to return to their facility after more than a week, putting their Week 5 home game on track to commence.

Titans OL Isaiah Wilson Arrested For DUI

September 12th, 2020 at 8:43am CST by Ben Levine

Titans offensive lineman Isaiah Wilson was arrested for DUI last night, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport adds (on Twitter) that the first-round pick was “released from prison early this morning.” Buck Reising of A to Z Sports Nashville was first with the news of the arrest.

“We are aware of the situation,” the Titans in a statement. “This is not conduct that is indicative of the character of our football team and we are working through details on how to proceed.”

According to Reising’s report, Wilson was arrested in Nashville at 11:29 pm. The 21-year-old blew a “0.107 and 0.113 at the time he was pulled over,” with the legal BAC limit in Tennessee being .08.

Following a standout career at Georgia, the Titans selected Wilson with the 29th-overall selection in this past year’s draft. As ESPN’s Field Yates notes on Twitter, it hasn’t been smooth sailing for the rookie. Wilson received a trespass warning after attending a Tennessee State party last month (a decision that “falls under conduct detrimental,” per Albert Breer on Twitter). He’s also had a pair of trips to the Reserve/COVID list, including one that could keep him out for the season opener.

Considering Wilson’s shortened offseason, it seemed unlikely that he’d start right out of the gate. There’s hope that he’ll eventually replace right tackle Jack Conklin, who left for Cleveland this past offseason. For the time being, it sounds like Dennis Kelly will earn the starting nod at that spot.

Titans Place T Isaiah Wilson On Reserve/COVID-19 List, Set Practice Squad

September 6th, 2020 at 4:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Titans may begin the season without their first-round pick. They placed Isaiah Wilson on the reserve/COVID-19 list, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.

This marks the second time the first-round tackle has landed on the COVID list. Players do not have to test positive to be placed on the list; they can land there if they come in contact with an infected person.

Wilson, a Georgia alum, spent roughly a week on the COVID list earlier this summer. Given Tennessee’s investment, he projects as a player who will at some point become Jack Conklin‘s replacement at right tackle. However, the Titans may not have him to start the season.

In other Titans roster moves, running back Senorise Perry and cornerback Chris Milton will join the team’s 53-man roster. To clear the other roster spot, the Titans placed safety Dane Cruikshank on IR. Players who are carried onto the regular-season roster do not have to miss a full season if placed on IR. This season, players who land on IR can return after three weeks.

Tennessee also set its practice squad Sunday. Trevor Siemian agreed to sign on. The Titans signed the former Broncos starter-turned-journeyman backup late this offseason but did not carry him through to their 53-man roster. He will instead serve as an emergency quarterback of sorts.

Here is the full list:

Titans Sign First-Round OL Isaiah Wilson

August 3rd, 2020 at 4:47pm CST by Ben Levine

The final unsigned first-rounder has officially inked his deal. The Titans have signed Isaiah Wilson to his rookie contract, according to Jim Wyatt of the team website.

NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the rookie offensive tackle received a four-year, $11.57MM contract with a $5.974MM signing bonus. As Rapoport observes, picks No. 25-32 all ended up getting paid more guaranteed money than previous rookies drafted in that range, with each of those 2020 rooks earning at least 90% fully guaranteed deals.

Before he was selected with the 29th overall pick in this past year’s draft, Wilson was a standout at Georgia. The 6-foot-6, 350-pound lineman earned All-SEC second team honors in 2019 after starting 10 of his 11 games. He was previously named to the Football Writers Association of America freshman All-America Team.

In Tennessee, Wilson is expected to fill the hole left by Jack Conklin, who left for the Browns in free agency. The rookie will likely compete with Dennis Kelly for the starting right tackle spot, and he’s already looking forward to blocking for the likes of Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry.

“I am sure I am going to learn a lot of great things from Derrick Henry about run blocking, about where he expects his holes to be as a back who has been in the league for years,” Wilson told Wyatt. “Ryan Tannehill can definitely teach me certain things about protection and things of that nature. I definitely plan on learning from those guys and bettering my game off of those guys and polishing up what I do and try and be the best player for the team.”