The Tennessee Titans have a pair of stud pass rushers in Derrick Morgan and Brian Orakpo. But, both guys have missed significant playing time due to injury over the past couple of years. Then, there’s Kevin Dodd, a second round pick in 2016, who has yet to pan out. So, Jon Robinson and company decided to beef up the Titans pass rush and maybe buy a little insurance by trading up to select Harold Landry in this year’s NFL Draft.
But, Will Lomas pointed out an interesting little tidbit about this Titans pass rushing group:
With Kevin Dodd being moved to DL, the Tennessee #Titans only have 3 EDGEs on the roster who weren’t 7th round picks or UDFAs: Derrick Morgan, Brian Orakpo and Harold Landry.
— Jon Robinson’s burner account (@jlomas72) June 13, 2018
That’s all well and good if everyone can stay healthy. But, it definitely exposes a lack of depth. Keep in mind, Landry, as physically gifted as he is, is still an unproven player himself. Maybe Dodd works out along the defensive line. Maybe he doesn’t. That remains to be seen. But, if something happens to Orakpo or Morgan, and/or Landry isn’t what we anticipate him to be, that’s going to leave a vacancy for someone like Josh Carraway or Aaron Wallace to fill. Carraway played well during training camp last year, and earned a spot on the practice squad for it. Wallace has shown flashes in the opportunities he’s earned, and certainly has potential. But, let’s not kid ourselves – the drop-off would be huge.
So, how do you solve for depth in this situation?
There’s always the option to create a pass rush that doesn’t depend on a specific position. Dick LeBeau was great at that, scheming open shots at the quarterback frequently last year. So, just because a player isn’t an outside linebacker or defensive end, doesn’t mean they can’t rush the passer.
Rashaan Evans is a guy I like in this role. The Titans could also use Johnathan Cyprien at safety or the occasional blitzing cornerback. Lest we forget, there’s a guy named Jurrell Casey on this team who’s pretty good at creating pressure from the interior defensive line.
I’m still not ready to indict the pass rush completely for 2018, but it’s an area I think could require more serious reinforcements next offseason. Morgan and Orakpo could both be gone, and then what? Let’s hope they make it count this year.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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