Tre McBride was the seventh round selection of the Tennessee Titans in 2015. Back then, Ruston Webster served as general manager. Ken Whisenhunt was the head coach, and times were tough for Titans fans. But, then, the team drafted Marcus Mariota. General manager Jon Robinson came in like a knight in shining armor. And, lo and behold, Mike Mularkey whipped a three-win football team into a contender.
But, somewhere lost in that shuffle was the former William & Mary wide receiver. Indeed, he’s the final pick of the previous regime, and the clock is ticking on his time in Tennessee.
See, after last season, Robinson and company realized that the Titans needed multiple upgrades to the receiving corps. So, they drafted Corey Davis out of Western Michigan and Taywan Taylor out of Western Kentucky. They brought in Eric Decker, and voila! Suddenly, this was a veritable unit. But, all of this talent may make McBride the odd man out.
McBride has developed well over the course of his stay with the Titans, but two career receptions for eight yards and one touchdown isn’t going to cut it. Then again, that’s a 50% score rate, right? Like, half the time McBride catches the ball, he scores touchdowns, y’know? I know. That was a poor attempt at humor.
Anyway, the point is that I’m not sure McBride is afforded the luxury of time anymore.
Entering his third season with the Titans, his practice squad eligibility is up. He didn’t start at all in 2016. Hell, actually, he didn’t even play at all on offense, and only a small handful of snaps on special teams. Factor in that Mularkey hasn’t exactly given McBride a ringing endorsement, and the writing may be on the wall for the third year receiver.
On Saturday, he showed flashes of his alluring potential. He had a nice game, recording 73 yards on four receptions, and displayed some solid downfield blocking in the process. But, he also dropped a sure touchdown catch with several feet separating him and his defender. That game is sort of indicative of McBride’s tenure in Tennessee as a whole. Just when you think he’s ready, he regresses a bit.
Now, I understand the appeal of having a guy with McBride’s skill set on special teams, but the fact is he just isn’t getting reps. Eric Weems is a serviceable veteran, and first round pick Adoree Jackson’s potential as a return man is certainly exciting. At this point, you’re looking around the Titans roster and wondering where there’s room for a project like McBride.
He’s a good player. If given more time, he could eventually become a serviceable player. But, it may not be as a Titan. This field is too crowded for a player like him to stand out in.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. A strong advocate of GSD (get shit done) and #BeBetter, he’s down to talk Tennessee Titans and Alabama Crimson Tide football over a beer any day. Check him out covering the WWE for WrestlingNews.co. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley, @WrestlingNewsCo
Shop our store on Redbubble. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @SoBrosNetwork. Listen on SoundCloud. Watch on YouTube.
