Jack Conklin Addresses Rehab Timeline

Last month, Mike Vrabel said Jack Conklin could begin Titans training camp on the PUP list. The third-year tackle discussed his recovery this weekend but did not confirm he’d be ready by the first Vrabel-era camp commences.

While Conklin stopped short of proclaiming himself ready to go, which can be expected since he tore an ACL in mid-January, he said no setbacks have occurred during his recovery.

I am still rehabbing, but things are going well, no setbacks,” Conklin said, via Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com. “It is hard having a new staff, not able to be out there running around. But I have a great team and the staff has done a great job of getting me (healthy). I am excited.”

Conklin added that he’s down to 310 pounds from 320, with Wyatt pointing out that may be a better fit for the new offense the Titans will run under new OC Matt LaFleur. The Titans are exercising patience with their right-edge starter.

You don’t want to come back too early and hurt it again,” Conklin said. “You want to make sure you are full health and ready to go. If I come back too early, I am not only hurting myself, but I am hurting the team. If I can’t play at the level I need to perform at, there’s really no reason I should be out there playing. I think I need to earn my way back health-wise and practicing and that is something I am working toward and something I am excited to get back to.”

Titans Notes: Corey Davis, Derrick Henry, Dion Lewis

  • Corey Davis “was one of the stars” of the Titans’ early offseason workouts, according to Jim Wyatt of Titansonline.com. The fifth overall pick in 2017, Davis was somewhat limited by injuries last season, but still flashed a ton of potential. Wyatt notes that Davis “looked smooth during the offseason, snatching the ball out of the air with ease in traffic”, and that the team is “counting on Davis to make a big leap in Year 2.”
  • “The plan” is for Derrick Henry to be the Titans‘ lead back in 2018, according to Wyatt. The Titans signed Dion Lewis to a four-year, $20MM deal this offseason, but apparently view him as more of a complimentary piece.

Reactions To DeMarco Murray’s Retirement

Running back DeMarco Murray announced his retirement earlier today, ending a seven-year career during which he earned three Pro-Bowl nods, a First-Team All-Pro selection, and the league’s 2014 Offensive Player of the Year award. Murray was taken in the third round by the Cowboys back in 2011 out of Oklahoma, and quickly became a star in Dallas. He had a one year stop in Philadelphia before spending the last two years of his career with the Titans.

After Murray made the announcement on an ESPN broadcast of ‘NFL Live’, reactions quickly began trickling in. Many were quick to point out that this wasn’t a forced retirement from Murray, and that he had options to continue playing. Here are some of the responses from around the league:

  • Former NFL agent and current CBS analyst Joel Corry pointed out that when a player expresses a recent desire to continue playing, like Murray did, and then suddenly retires, that “it usually means he didn’t like the type of money he was being offered” (Twitter link). It looks like Murray may have thought signing a minimum salary or low-guarantee deal simply wasn’t worth it.
  • There were a “bunch of teams” interested in Murray’s services, according to Sirius XM NFL insider Adam Caplan (Twitter link). Caplan says his understanding was that Murray was “not retiring due to lack of interest” and that the veteran “would have had at least a backup role this season.” It seems like Murray would’ve only wanted to continue playing in a place where he had a clear path to playing time.
  • Jim Wyatt of Titansonline.com took a look back at Murray’s career from a Titans perspective and examined his contributions to the team over the past two seasons. Wyatt notes that Murray “helped change the culture in the locker room” in Tennessee and that he “held teammates accountable” as part of his leadership role.

DeMarco Murray To Retire From NFL

DeMarco Murray has played his last down in the NFL. Today, Murray will announce his retirement from football, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). 

Murray, 30, was looking for work this offseason and met with several teams to try and find the right opportunity. Earlier this week, Murray reaffirmed his desire to continue playing. But, for one reason or another, the veteran has decided to call it quits.

I’ve had a lot of discussions with four or five teams that I feel will be a great fit for me,” Murray said in an ESPN podcast released on Monday. “It’s all about being transparent and, for me, I’m not looking to lead the league in rushing yards. Obviously I would work and do everything to give me the opportunity to do that, but it’s all about having an opportunity to get to the playoffs and have an opportunity to win a championship.”

Perhaps realizing the limitations of what he can do at this stage of his career, Murray will move on from football in order to pursue other interested. Although he led the league with 1,845 rushing yards in 2014 with the Cowboys and nearly cracked 1,300 in 2016 with the Titans, he was largely overshadowed in Tennessee by Derrick Henry last year.

The Titans released Murray in March and subsequent meetings with the LionsSeahawks, and Dolphins did not yield a contract. In June, the 30-year-old declined an opportunity to work out for the Saints. The timing of Murray’s decision is a curious one. Training camp often leads to injuries, which would have meant more opportunities for Murray. There’s also the ongoing situation in Buffalo that could leave the Bills without star LeSean McCoy to star the season.

Murray will be best remembered for his brilliant performances with the Cowboys, which included his first 1,000-yard season in 2013 and his unbelievably productive campaign in 2014 in which he totaled 2,261 all-purpose yards. Murray’s free agent deal with the Eagles was a dud, but he did enjoy a bounce-back season with the Titans in ’16.

When he was at his best, Murray was one of the league’s most electrifying rushers and he leaves the game with an impressive body of work. We here at PFR wish Murray the best in retirement.

Titans Notes: Wadley, Fluellen, Campanaro

  • The training camp battle between Titans running backs David Fluellen and Akrum Wadley is one to keep an eye on, Jim Wyatt of Titans Online writes. Wadley, a UDFA out of Iowa, has flashed during practices and is making a strong case to make the cut. However, Wyatt would be surprised if anyone beats Fluellen out for a spot on the roster given his special teams ability. Ultimately, however, Wadley can make the cut if the Titans opt to carry four running backs on their Week 1 roster.
  • Meanwhile, the Titans have a dozen receivers in camp and no more than half of those players will make the final cut. Wyatt writes that the Titans will be keeping Corey Davis, Rishard Matthews, Tajae Sharpe, and Taywan Taylor, but the rest of the WR depth chart is in flux. Former Ravens receiver Michael Campanaro looked good in the preseason before suffering an injury, so he has a chance to be a contributor for the team this fall if he can stay healthy. After that, it sounds like Darius Jennings, Jordan Veasy, Deontay Burnett, and Devin Ross have the upper hand over Cameron Batson and Brandon Shippen. Teams will sometimes carry six wide receivers on the Week 1 roster, but it’s certainly possible that the Titans will only carry five into September.

Titans' Butler Is AFC South's Best New Player

  • In the same piece, ESPN.com’s Cameron Wolfe makes a case for Titans cornerback Malcolm Butler being the AFC South’s best new player. Although Butler’s curious benching in the Super Bowl has some concerned, he boasts 44 total pass breakups in the last three seasons, which is good for second most among all cornerbacks in the league since 2015. If things pan out, Butler could give the Titans the high-end defender they need to bottle up opposing receivers in the division like DeAndre Hopkins and T.Y. Hilton.

Undrafted Receivers Could Make Titans

This Date In Transactions History: Kerry Collins

Seven years ago today, many of us assumed that veteran NFL quarterback Kerry Collins was officially walking away from the game. That didn’t end up being the case.

The long-time quarterback really doesn’t need an introduction. After being selected with the fifth-overall pick by Carolina in the 1995 draft, the Penn State product’s professional career would end up stretching more than 15 seasons. Come 2011, the signal-caller was wrapping up a relatively successful tenure with the Titans.

Following stints with the Panthers, Saints, Giants, and Raiders, Collins had joined Tennessee on a one-year contract in 2006. With the Titans having recently used their third-overall pick on quarterback Vince Young, Collins ended up being shuffled in and out of the team’s starting lineup during his time with the team. This included a 2008 campaign that saw him make the Pro Bowl and lead the Titans to an AFC South title.

The Titans got off to an 0-6 start during the 2009 season, prompting Titans owner Bud Adams to request that Collins be replaced by Young. The 2006 first-rounder led his team to five straight wins, although the veteran regained his role the following season. Collins ended up appearing in 10 games (seven starts) in 2010, completing 57.6-percent of his passes for 1,823 yards, 14 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. On July 7th, 2011, Collins ended up announcing his retirement from the NFL, and the Titans reset their quarterback depth chart with Matt Hasselbeck and Jake Locker.

Collins’ retirement was short-lived, as the veteran inked a one-year, $4MM contract with the Colts in late August. Peyton Manning was recovering from offseason neck surgery (a procedure that would force him to miss the entire campaign), so Collins slid into the starting role for the start of the regular season. He ended up showing his age during his Indy stint, leading his team to an 0-3 record in his three starts. Collins completed only 49-percent of his passes for 481 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.

Collins landed on the Colts’ injured reserve after suffering a concussion in October, and he was released by the team the following March. Collins subsequently announced his second retirement, and this time he didn’t back out of the decision. The now-45-year-old ranks in the top-15 all-time in completions and passing yards.

Projecting The Titans' Backfield

  • Derrick Henry is the favorite to lead the Titans in both carries and rushing yards, but free agent addition Dion Lewis is likely to put up more total yards from scrimmage, guesses Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com. Lewis, who inked a four-year, $19.8MM deal with Tennessee in March, actually out-carried Henry (180 vs. 176) in 2017, so it might be a mistake to cast Lewis as solely a third-down back (especially given that he garnered only 36 targets in New England’s offense last year). While Henry may the bell-cow, both he and Lewis will likely be part of a revamped running game under new offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur. Further down the depth chart, undrafted rookie Akrum Wadley appears to be making a run at a roster spot.

Poll: Which Team Will Sign Dez Bryant?

Dez Bryant, to our knowledge, has not drawn a significant offer since turning down a three-year, $21MM offer from the Ravens. As his market stagnated, Bryant’s camp leaked word that he would not be signing until July. Well, here we are.

We’ve heard very little about Bryant over the last four weeks, so it’s anyone’s guess as to where he’ll land. And, if it’s anyone’s guess, it might as well be our guess. Before we ask you predict where Bryant will land, let’s run down some of the possible contenders: 

49ers Bryant has openly lobbied for an opportunity with the Niners and there’s reason to believe that could become a reality. The 49ers stayed away from the wide receivers at the top of this year’s free agent market, but Bryant’s price tag figures to be a lot lower than that of Sammy Watkins or Allen Robinson. With more than $45MM in cap room – good for third-highest in the NFL – the Niners certainly have the space to take on a player of Bryant’s caliber. And, because they have an eye on the future, they could be willing to give Bryant the one-year platform deal he is seeking. The 49ers have some talent at wide receiver including Pierre Garcon and Marquise Goodwin, but none of the receivers expected to make the roster are above 6’0″. Bryant – billed at 6’2″ – would give provide them with a tall red zone target.

Bills – Outside of No. 1 WR Kelvin Benjamin, the Bills have tons of question marks at the position. Bryant is the best wide receiver still available (or, at least, the biggest name left), so he could make some sense as the player to supplant the unreliable Zay Jones as the team’s No. 2 WR. Bills GM Brandon Beane didn’t sound enthusiastic when talking about Bryant back in April, but he didn’t explicitly rule him out either.

Cardinals – After losing both John Brown and Jaron Brown, the Cardinals could be interested in adding some talent to their wide receiver group. Then again, they may already feel comfortable with J.J. Nelson, rookie Christian Kirk, and free agent addition Brice Butler behind Larry Fitzgerald. The Cardinals have upwards of $13MM in cap space, according to the NFLPA, so they have the cash necessary to sign Bryant if they want him.

Cowboys – When the Cowboys released Bryant earlier this year, they were not aware of Jason Witten‘s impending retirement. Months later, could they circle back to Bryant in order to fortify their lackluster WR group? Probably not, but we’ll put them on the board anyway and let you decide.

Eagles – After Bryant was released, he indicated that he wanted to play in the NFC East in order to face the Cowboys pay twice in 2018. The Eagles, in theory, could make some sense now that Torrey Smith is out of the picture and Alshon Jeffery is out for the offseason with a shoulder injury. However, the Eagles already have a new veteran in Mike Wallace and their $6MM in cap space might not be enough to land Bryant, even if they wanted him.

Packers – The Packers have been speculatively linked to Bryant over the last few months. Some see a potential fit, but others, such as Aaron Rodgers, do not. The Packers are now without Jordy Nelson, but they drafted three wide receivers while retaining Davante Adams, Randall Cobb, and Geronimo Allison, so there might not be any room in the inn.

Patriots – The Patriots will be without Julian Edelman for the first four games of the year, which could lead them to consider Bryant. They also have a history of signing older big-name wide receivers with reputation problems, including Randy Moss and Chad Johnson (some worked out better than others), so the possibility of adding the mercurial Bryant cannot be discounted. On the other hand, they have plenty of weapons to get them through the opening month of the season in Chris Hogan, Kenny Britt, Jordan Matthews, Phillip Dorsett, and Cordarrelle Patterson, not to mention Malcolm Mitchell and speedy rookie Braxton Berrios, who may or may not make the final cut. There’s also a tight end by the name of Rob Gronkowski who should be able to catch an extra pass or two while Edelman is out.

Saints – With a wide receiver group of Michael Thomas, Ted Ginn Jr., free agent addition Cameron Meredith, third round pick Tre’Quan Smith, and Brandon Coleman, is there room for Bryant? Not necessarily, but there also wasn’t a clear spot for Adrian Peterson in New Orleans before the Saints signed him last year. The Saints have a little more than $7MM in cap space, which could be enough to sign Bryant depending on his market at this stage of the offseason and his desire to play for a contender.

Redskins – Former teammate Orlando Scandrick has advocated for Washington to sign Bryant and the Redskins would give him the opportunity to face the Cowboys twice per year. The problem, however, is that the Redskins seem pretty set at the top of the order with Josh Doctson, Jamison Crowder, and Paul Richardson.

Titans – The Titans have talent at wide receiver, but Rishard Matthews‘ support staff is decidedly inexperienced. With Corey Davis, Taywan Taylor, and Tajae Sharpe all yet to celebrate their 24th birthday, could the Titans consider Bryant? In theory, he would add some experience to the group, but he might not be a great influence on the younger guys.

Click below to make your choice and defend your decision in the comment section:

Which Team Will Sign Dez Bryant?

  • 49ers 23% (626)
  • Patriots 16% (419)
  • Packers 12% (311)
  • Other (specify in comments) 9% (246)
  • Redskins 8% (219)
  • Bills 8% (209)
  • Saints 5% (139)
  • Cowboys 5% (137)
  • Titans 5% (134)
  • Eagles 5% (127)
  • Cardinals 4% (109)

Total votes: 2,676

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