HEADLINES

Tennessee Titans News & Rumors

OL Notes: Raiders, Giants, Brewer, Nijman

August 14th, 2024 at 10:36am CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders had been planning to have Thayer Munford replace Jermaine Eluemunor at right tackle, but a hand injury early in camp created a competition. Third-round rookie DJ Glaze has earned more first-team reps upon Munford returning. While The Athletic’s Tashan Reed notes Munford — a 2022 seventh-rounder who competed with Eluemunor for the RT job last summer and saw action at both tackle spots during the season — still has the edge, Glaze has created a position battle (subscription required). Glaze’s chances at earning this job may also have increased Tuesday, with Reed adding Munford sustained an injury to his other hand.

Elsewhere on the Raiders’ front, second-round rookie Jackson Powers-Johnson remains on the active/PUP list. The Oregon product has been out of Raiders practice since early in OTAs, with a concussion sidelining him. Considering the timeline here, it is concerning how long the rookie has been out. Antonio Pierce did say (via Reed) he expects Powers-Johnson and LT Kolton Miller to begin practicing next week, but the former’s chances of winning the LG job — which the Raiders appeared to have earmarked for the Day 2 draftee — have taken a hit. The team does have veteran options in Cody Whitehair and Andrus Peat; the latter has been working at tackle while Miller has rehabbed.

Here is the latest from the O-line ranks around the league.

AFC Injury Updates: Ojabo, Fautanu, Wallow, Smith

August 10th, 2024 at 2:31pm CST by Ely Allen

The Ravens saw their leading edge rusher depart in free agency this offseason when Jadeveon Clowney signed with the Panthers. While the team did work to retain other top sack-getters in Justin Madubuike and Kyle Van Noy, it decided to depend on recent draft picks to replace the production lost in Clowney’s departure. Unfortunately, one of those recent draft picks is still working to get healthy as head coach John Harbaugh announced that outside linebacker David Ojabo was not cleared to play in last night’s preseason game, per Jamison Hensley of EPSN.

A second-round pick in 2022, Ojabo was a draft selection that Baltimore knew would take some time to see the field after suffering a torn Achilles at his Michigan pro day. Starting his rookie season on injured reserve, Ojabo didn’t make his NFL debut until Week 15. He only played five snaps and didn’t appear again until the season finale, which saw him collect his first NFL sack.

In 2023, Ojabo got a sack in the season opener and earned his first start in Week 3. Unfortunately, Ojabo would suffer a season ending knee/ankle injury in that first start, ending his sophomore campaign after only three games. It’s hard to say whether or not Baltimore has a grasp on Ojabo’s status. They expressed hope he would come back last season and, after he failed to do so, they expressed hope that he would be cleared in time for training camp. Neither happened, and now the Ravens find themselves continuing to wait for a healthy Ojabo.

In the meantime, the Ravens will look to a pair of Penn State-products to make up for Ojabo’s lost snaps. Former first-round pick Odafe Oweh has yet to see his season-sack total eclipse five in a season, but his ability to consistently create pressure has hopes high for a breakout season. Rookie third-rounder Adisa Isaac will try to follow his fellow Nittany Lion’s example. After spending a good amount of training camp on the non-football injury list dealing with a hamstring injury, Isaac was activated in time for the team’s first preseason game.

Here are a few other injury updates from around the AFC:

  • The Steelers preseason plans hit a slight setback when first-round rookie tackle Troy Fautanu suffered an MCL sprain in last night’s preseason opener, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. The injury is a minor one, and Pittsburgh does not consider it serious, but with Fautanu competing with Dan Moore for the team’s starting right tackle job, any missed time is going to be crucial in the rookie’s preseason. Moore has plenty of experience, starting at left tackle for the past three years, but if Fautanu wanted to start in his rookie year, any missed time in the preseason is detrimental to that goal.
  • The Titans received some unfortunate news this week when it was announced that linebacker Garret Wallow will miss the 2024 NFL season with a torn pectoral muscle, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. A former fifth-round pick for the Texans, Wallow made five starts during his first two seasons in Houston before getting signed off the team’s practice squad to play in Tennessee.
  • Another season-ending injury unfortunately occurred in last night’s preseason contests when Dolphins backup offensive lineman Kion Smith suffered a torn ACL, per Wilson. An undrafted free agent out of Fayetteville State in 2021, Smith appeared in nine games for Miami last year. He will now be forced to sit out the 2024 campaign.

Titans CB Caleb Farley Facing Multi-Week Absence

August 8th, 2024 at 5:09pm CST by Adam La Rose

Injuries have plagued Caleb Farley‘s career to date, and his availability for the start of the 2024 season is now in question. The former first-round Titans corner is dealing with a hamstring injury, head coach Brian Callahan said on Thursday.

Farley was limited to only three games in his rookie campaign and another nine in 2022. The 25-year-old missed last season altogether while recovering from back surgery, adding further to his time spent on the sidelines. Callahan said this latest setback will keep Farley on the mend for “a few weeks,” and questions will be raised as a result regarding his readiness for Week 1.

The Virginia Tech alum had an intriguing college career, but the risk incurred by the Titans in selecting him has not paid off so far. Farley started only one game in each of his healthy seasons, recording an interception both years. He was competing for a starting gig during training camp, but today’s news means he will likely not be able to participate in the remainder of the offseason.

Tennessee returns Roger McCreary at the cornerback spot, and the team made a pair of notable additions at that position this offseason. L’Jarius Sneed was acquired via trade with the Chiefs and subsequently extended on a four-year, $76.4MM pact. The team also signed Chidobe Awuzie, a familiar face for Callahan given his previous time with the Bengals. Awuzie is a veteran of 74 starts across his time in Cincinnati and Dallas.

To little surprise, the Titans declined Farley’s 2025 fifth-year option this spring. As a result, he enters this campaign as a pending free agent with plenty riding on his performance in 2024. Farley should be expected to suit up at some point in the fall barring a setback, but this update marks another unwanted development from a health perspective.

OL Notes: Bears, Commanders, Coleman, Fashanu, Jets, Lamm, Dolphins, Paul, Titans

August 8th, 2024 at 11:58am CST by Sam Robinson

In Ryan Bates and Coleman Shelton, the Bears added two starter-caliber veterans along their interior O-line this offseason. They still may not be satisfied up front. Nate Davis did not live up to his three-year, $30MM contract last season, and the ex-Titans starter has missed time due to a groin injury in practice. Bates has guard experience, starting for most of the 2022 season in Buffalo (on a Bears-constructed contract to which he remains attached), and could be an option at RG as well. But the Bears should be expected to look into the trade market and closely monitor the waiver wire — as cuts come in later this month — for interior help, per ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano. Chicago is set at left guard (Teven Jenkins) and seemingly would be prepared to make the loser of the Shelton-Bates center battle an interior swingman, but Davis’ health and shaky 2023 showing looks to have generated a bit of concern — for depth purposes at the very least.

Here is the latest from O-line situations around the league:

  • Brandon Coleman is moving closer to becoming a rookie tackle starter in Washington. The Commanders are giving the third-rounder first-team left tackle reps, per NBC Sports Washington’s JP Finlay, and The Athletic’s Ben Standig adds Coleman may be the safest bet to start at tackle to open Dan Quinn‘s tenure. Quinn said both Washington tackle jobs are open, and Standig adds 2023 free agency pickup Andrew Wylie and veteran Cornelius Lucas may be vying for the RT job (subscription required). Some evaluators viewed Coleman as a better guard in the pros, but the Commanders do not share that assessment. More of a spot starter than a full-timer, Lucas has still made 31 starts during his four-year Washington run. Wylie is attached to a three-year, $24MM deal.
  • The Jets devoted their top offseason resource to insurance on their O-line, but the Olu Fashanu pick will obviously matter more in the long term. Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses are in place at tackle in New York, but Fashanu looms as a post-2024 starter at one of the positions. The Penn State product has repped exclusively at left tackle during training camp, but the New York Post’s Brian Costello notes team will give him RT reps as well. Smith’s extensive injury history points to Fashanu needing to make LT starts as a rookie; both Smith and Morgan are on expiring contracts.
  • Although the Dolphins used a second-round pick on Patrick Paul, the former Houston tackle may be more of a project than a player the team would count on to fill in for Terron Armstead if/when the talented veteran misses time. Veteran swingman Kendall Lamm remains on track to hold that role this season, per the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson. Armstead has missed 11 games since joining the Dolphins in 2022 and has missed more than two games in seven of the past nine seasons. Miami having chosen Paul 55th overall points to the prospect being given a chance early, and a June report suggested the rookie had a good chance to unseat Lamm. Though, Lamm — re-signed before the draft at one year and $2.5MM ($1.6MM guaranteed — represents quality insurance that would have the Dolphins carrying four tackles.
  • Elsewhere on Miami’s O-line, the team still has Isaiah Wynn on its active/PUP list. While Wynn is expected to eventually regain his starting LG job, Jackson notes Liam Eichenberg, Robert Jones and Jack Driscoll are vying for the two starting guard positions. The Dolphins lost Robert Hunt in free agency but re-signed Jones and added Driscoll. A former second-round pick who has played across Miami’s O-line, Eichenberg is in a contract year.
  • Prior to Saahdiq Charles‘ surprising retirement, Brian Callahan said (via ESPN.com’s Turron Davenport) the Titans free agency pickup and Dillon Radunz had been given near-equal time at right guard. No starter had been named, but Charles’ mid-camp exit certainly gives Radunz — a converted tackle in a contract year — a good chance to be the team’s guard opposite Peter Skoronski.

Titans OL Saahdiq Charles Retires

August 6th, 2024 at 4:18pm CST by Adam La Rose

Instead of competing for a starting spot on the Titans’ offensive line in 2024, Saahdiq Charles will hang up his cleats. The veteran lineman was placed on the reserve/retired list Tuesday.

Charles, 25, had missed the past several training camp practices for what head coach Brian Callahan termed personal reasons. He has since informed the team of his decision to step away from the game. That move will leave the Titans in need of a depth addition up front or the remaining in-house options stepping up in Charles’ absence.

The former fourth-rounder began his career with the Commanders. Charles logged 35 games and 18 starts during that span, including 10 contests as a first-teamer at left guard in 2023. A calf injury landed him on injured reserve, but in the offseason he did not need to wait long to land a deal. Charles inked a one-year, $1.5MM pact with Tennessee in mid-March; that contract included $250K in guarantees and $75K in per-game roster bonuses.

Charles had impressed during his time with the Titans this offseason, and the team’s first depth chart listed him as the starting right guard. That position belonged to Daniel Brunskill last season, one in which Tennessee’s O-line struggled. Brunskill was listed as the backup center behind big-ticket free agent addition Lloyd Cushenberry, but today’s news could put him back in contention at the RG spot.

Tennessee listed Dillon Radunz and LaChavious Simmons second and third, respectively, on the right guard depth chart behind Charles. Both of them will no doubt get an expanded look with the first-team offense through the rest of training camp and the preseason now that Charles is no longer in the fold. The latter collected roughly $4.3MM in earnings over the course of his brief NFL career.

Titans Sign Veteran S Quandre Diggs

August 4th, 2024 at 6:27pm CST by Ely Allen

It’s a Seattle reunion in Nashville. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, veteran safety Quandre Diggs has signed a one-year contract that will reunite him with his backfield mate of the past four years, Jamal Adams, in Tennessee. Diggs’ deal with the Titans will be worth up to $5MM, a bit more than Adams is expected to make in 2024. Diggs broke the news first on his personal X account.

The 31-year-old was released alongside Adams around the start of free agency after just over four years with the team. The former Longhorn was drafted in the sixth round by the Lions back in 2015 and took a couple years before he earned a consistent starting role in Detroit. Finally a starter in his third season, Diggs recorded three picks, a minimum he would match every year after, up until that streak ended in 2023.

Prior to the final year of his rookie deal, Diggs signed a three-year, $20.4MM extension with the Lions. After only six games under his new contract, though, Detroit traded Diggs and a seventh-round pick to the Seahawks for a fifth-round pick. When Seattle traded for Adams the following summer, they formed their defensive backfield for the next four years, though Adams would struggle to stay on the field during that time.

In their first year on the field together, both players were selected to the Pro Bowl, and Adams earned second-team All-Pro honors. While Adams’ injury troubles would keep him from any other accolades during his time in Seattle, Diggs would find his way to two more Pro Bowls. After only amassing six interceptions in four-and-a-half years in Detroit, Diggs tripled that output with 18 picks in the same amount of time with the Seahawks. With the emergence of Julian Love last year and the signings of Rayshawn Jenkins and K’Von Wallace, the Seahawks were clearly looking to move on from their veteran defensive backs.

Signing with the Titans, Diggs now joins a new-look defense in Tennessee that has added Adams, cornerbacks L’Jarius Sneed and Chidobe Awuzie, linebacker Kenneth Murray, and defensive tackles Sebastian Joseph-Day and rookie T’Vondre Sweat, all playing under new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson and head coach Brian Callahan. The Titans moved on from their own veteran All-Pro this past season, trading away Kevin Byard. As a result, they saw former cornerback Elijah Molden step up and take a starting role across from Amani Hooker.

It’s difficult to predict how this lineup plays out. A new-look secondary now sees Sneed and Awuzie starting at cornerback, while Roger McCreary returns to his primary nickelback role. At safety, Hooker and Molden may get the first crack at first-team snaps, due to their experience in the unit, though the scheme is set to change a bit with new coaching.

However Diggs and Adams fit into the new secondary, one can’t deny that the team has employed outstanding depth at the position. Having so many starting-caliber safeties on the roster should allow the Titans to roam their best players around the field in unique packages.

DeAndre Hopkins To Miss Up To Six Weeks

August 3rd, 2024 at 4:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

AUGUST 3: Callahan provided some updates on Hopkins’ situation today. According to Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com, Hopkins knee injury will not require surgery. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network adds that Callahan confirmed that Hopkins is out for “several weeks,” but with the absence of surgery, a return in only four weeks could be likely, though it’s not guaranteed. This encourages the optimism that Hopkins’ malady won’t keep him from any regular season appearances.

AUGUST 1: After a productive debut in Tennessee, DeAndre Hopkins looks set to see his preparation for his second season end early. The former All-Pro wide receiver is expected to miss several weeks with a knee injury.

Hopkins sustained a strained knee during practice this week, according to veteran Titans reporter Paul Kuharsky, who indicates a four- to six-week absence is on tap. Week 1 will occur during this timeline, making Hopkins’ recovery one to monitor. ESPN.com’s Turron Davenport confirms the Titans are optimistic about Hopkins avoiding any missed games.

Although the Titans added Calvin Ridley on a big-ticket deal and signed former Brian Callahan Bengals charge Tyler Boyd, they are still counting on Hopkins to play a key role. The late-2010s first-team All-Pro staple produced his seventh 1,000-yard season with the Titans in 2023, continuing to make a solid Hall of Fame case. If this injury timetable is accurate, the accomplished wideout has a change to re-emerge just before Week 1.

This is not the first time Hopkins has run into knee trouble. An MCL tear knocked him out for an extended stretch during the Cardinals’ 2021 playoff season; Hopkins missed seven games that year and was unavailable for Arizona’s wild-card contest. He then missed the final two Cardinals games in 2022 due to a knee flareup.

Arizona, which hired a new regime headed by ex-Tennessee exec Monti Ossenfort soon after, released Hopkins months later. The former Texans star did rebound in his Titans debut, but his recent history of knee issues is suddenly relevant again. That said, Davenport adds this is a left knee injury; Hopkins sustained the MCL tear to his right knee. Hopkins continued to practice with a wrap on his left knee Wednesday, per Davenport, but it appears the Titans did not like what they saw and are shutting him down.

As the Titans’ top wideout last season, Hopkins bounced back by playing in all 17 games and totaling 1,057 yards — his first 1,000-yard year since 2020. Operating as a key part of Will Levis‘ development, Hopkins caught seven touchdown passes. The Titans paid up to add help via Ridley, and Boyd played under Callahan for five of his eight Bengals seasons. The Titans also have 2022 first-rounder Treylon Burks, who appears poised to see some run with the first unit while Hopkins recovers. This could represent a key opportunity for Burks, who has underwhelmed since Jon Robinson chose him minutes after the A.J. Brown trade.

The Titans have Hopkins on a two-year, $26MM deal; they outbid the Patriots and Chiefs for the veteran — after a much-discussed free agency derby — last summer. He earned a $4.1MM roster bonus by remaining a Titan on Day 5 of the 2024 league year.

Tennessee’s new coaching staff is heavily invested in Ridley, but Hopkins remains a key part of the franchise’s Levis development. Hopkins spoke earlier this month on an interest in signing a second Titans contract, expressing his satisfaction since joining the organization. His next step will be to return by the time the Titans are preparing to face the Bears in September.

NFL Staff Updates: Titans, Patriots, Hightower

August 2nd, 2024 at 10:02pm CST by Ely Allen

The Titans announced a number of new hires and promotions within their front office staff recently. While we had already reported on a number of these, there were a few updates that we were not yet aware of.

Dale Thompson has been promoted to assistant director, college scouting. He’s in his 14th year with the team after breaking into the league doing pro scouting for the Seahawks. Mical Johnson earns a promotion to become the pro scouting coordinator. She served most recently as a scouting assistant in Tennessee. Mike Boni will move up to senior national scout in his eighth year with the Titans. He brings 19 years of NFL experience to the position.

Two more scouts earned promotions as former pro scout Brandon Taylor becomes a college scout for the southeast region and Kalan Reed becomes a personnel scout. Once made Mr. Irrelevant by the Titans in 2016, Reed is now making his name in the scouting world.

Here are a few other teams with recent staff updates:

  • The Patriots also made some recent additions and promotions, per their team website. A.J. Richardson and Landon Simpson join the team as new scouting assistants. Both come from the collegiate ranks with Richardson joining from Mizzou and Simpson coming from Miami (FL). Richardson was a personnel scouting assistant for the Tigers after spending a couple years as a receiver trying to make rosters in the NFL. Simpson was the coordinator of player personnel/head coach recruiting analyst for the Hurricanes. They can thank Marquis Dickerson for the open positions after he vacated one of them due to a promotion to pro scout. Dickerson takes the job of Sam Fioroni, who was promoted to assistant director of pro personnel. Pat Stewart earned a bigger promotion, still. He’ll now serve as director of pro personnel after returning to the team two years ago as a senior personnel advisor. The veteran Patriots scout spent part of the interim time with the Panthers, where he worked his way as high as vice president of player personnel.
  • We had announced that former wide receivers coach Troy Brown was sticking around, as is pass rushing consultant Joe Kim. While neither were included as part of the new staff announcement, they have reportedly been confirmed to be working with the team in skill-development roles, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss. Lastly, we had previously noted that former linebacker Dont’a Hightower would be working with outside linebackers, but the most recent information indicates that he’ll work with inside ‘backers, instead.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/2/24

August 2nd, 2024 at 6:50pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor transactions as we head into the weekend:

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Kansas City Chiefs

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Petit-Frere has been rehabbing back from a medical procedure he underwent on his knee. The third-year lineman will now get an opportunity to enter the team’s position battle at right tackle.

Titans’ Arden Key Facing Six-Game Ban

July 30th, 2024 at 1:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

A day after the news of Denico Autry‘s suspension emerged, another AFC South pass rusher is set to begin the season late. Titans outside linebacker Arden Key is facing a six-game suspension, ESPN.com’s Turron Davenport reports.

Going into his second season with the Titans, Key violated the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. Key started nine games for the Titans last season; he is tied to a three-year, $21MM deal authorized during the 2023 free agency period.

“I don’t have much to comment on it until that comes out from the league,” Titans HC Brian Callahan said, via Davenport. “It’s not something that you want to hear, but we don’t have a choice. We have to go play football with what we have.”

The loss of Autry was set to make Key a more important presence in Tennessee, which was planning to use the well-traveled rusher as a starter opposite Harold Landry. Suddenly, a Titans pass rush that housed Landry, Key, Autry and Jeffery Simmons will enter the season depleted.

Autry led the Titans with 11.5 sacks last season; Landry contributed 10.5 upon returning from an ACL tear. Key added six, finishing third on the team in this department. This suspension would also void Key’s remaining guarantees, though considering no guarantees remain on his deal beyond 2024, this suspension probably does not stand to affect him on this front.

This could lead to the Titans looking into an outside addition, as they are thin on the edge after Autry’s Texans defection. Rashad Weaver, a three-year Titan who started four games in 2022, could step in opposite Landry in a pinch. Seventh-rounder Jaylen Harrell and 2023 UDFA Caleb Murphy represent the other Landry sidekick options outside of Key.

Load More Posts