The Tennessee Titans spent Wednesday and Thursday practicing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, leading up to tomorrow evening’s game at Nissan Stadium. Things got a little feisty, as you might imagine when you get two competitive football teams together in Tennessee during the August heat. But, for the most part, it sure seems like the practices were civil and useful.
It’s the second preseason game for both teams. The Titans fell 31-17 to the Green Bay Packers last week, while the Bucs beat the Miami Dolphins 26-24. We’re still in the thick of the preseason, and while I don’t anticipate a lot of playing time for the starters, we should get a larger sample size than we did last week. There’s still plenty to look out for, as the Titans have several position battles ongoing.
Offense
Cameron Batson – He’s in the thick of this clusterfuck at wide receiver. I don’t see a lot of Titans reporters writing about him, but when I was out at practice over the weekend, Batson was a standout. I couldn’t help but wonder why he wasn’t getting more serious looks. This is the type of game that should yield a lot of playing time for a guy like Batson, so we’ll see how he steps up.
Derrick Henry – I don’t expect him to play too much, but I’ll be interested to see how he performs in pass protection after seeing the GIFs trickle out of practice. He was running well, but it was his physical stature that had folks tweeting, too. Henry is an imposing guy who was shown towering over Bucs linebackers in those pass protection drills. He whiffed on a few assignments, though, so let’s see how he does in a game setting.
Corey Levin – Dude was a 6th round pick in 2017 for his athletic ability at UT-Chattanooga. A year later, and he’s pushing for a major depth role along the offensive line. According to Pro Football Focus, he was the highest graded offensive player in the Titans loss to the Packers. I’m ready to see more of the guy. Also, I highly recommend taking the time to read Mike Herndon’s write-up on Levin’s week over on Music City Miracles. He hashes it out better than I could imagine trying to in a single paragraph.
Defense
Daren Bates – With Rashaan Evans missing significant practice time, Bates has gotten a look at ILB alongside Jayon Brown. This is a loaded roster, so getting it down to 53 guys is going to be a challenge. A guy like Bates will have to prove he’s much more than just a special teams guy if he wants to hang around.
Adoree Jackson – #25 has been the talk of the joint practices so far. I consider him one of the biggest potential breakout candidates heading into 2018. And, he’s out there making plays every day. Like Henry, I don’t expect him to play too much, but longer than last week. He has Jameis Winston and DeSean Jackson singing his praises, so I want to see what it’s all about.
.@AdoreeKnows with a pick vs Jackson. #Titans pic.twitter.com/XHEKDHUlTH
— Mickey Ryan (@MickeyRyan1045) August 16, 2018
Aaron Wallace – Harold Landry and Sharif Finch showed up big time against the Packers. Wallace has been getting reps opposite Derrick Morgan in practice, but make no mistake – this is a battle for playing time. With Finch and Landry’s stock soaring, Wallace has to prove he can keep up. Brian Orakpo is still out, so there’s a real opportunity at stake.
The game kicks off at 7PM CST tomorrow in Nashville.
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
Check out the SoBros Shop. Subscribe to our Patreon. Give us money for no reason. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @SoBrosNetwork. Listen on SoundCloud. Watch on YouTube.
