All of y’all were so fired up to see Marcus Johnson on Friday night, and what happened? Dude hardly played. He was a ghost – not a single target! Sure, that probably speaks more to what Mike Vrabel and company think of Johnson than anything else. But, the rug was pulled out from under Titans Twitter nonetheless. Instead, it was Mason Kinsey out there making grabs, turning heads, and stealing the headlines (at least on offense) at receiver. Kinsey had four targets, and hauled all four of them in, leading the team with four receptions and 51 yards. His yardage was more than twice as much as the team’s second leading receiver (Miller Forristall). But, it was also the way he attacked the position that stood out – making tough, hard-nosed contested catches and showing a knack for finding the open spot on the field. *chef’s kiss*
Just a few months ago, we were talking about how wide receiver looked like a downright emergency concern – as if it was going to be the glaring weakness on this team. It was AJ Brown and no one else. Signing Josh Reynolds and trading for Julio Jones helped, sure, but it didn’t really change the depth behind them all. One injury and the Titans would be screwed. Now, it looks like receiver is one of the biggest strengths of the team. So, what happened? I’ll tell ya – all of us….fans, media, armchair pundits like myself….we all underestimated the depth of this current Tennessee Titans receiver room, including Kinsey.
Kinsey was an undrafted guy out of Berry College (where he was the fuckin’ man) in 2020. He was just feisty enough to hang around the team, and entered 2021 with a chance at a full, normal training camp and preseason. So far, he’s adding a dynamic to the receiving corps that they don’t have in spades right now – the shifty, tough, chain-mover. I saw so many takes on Twitter Friday night about how Kinsey looks like a cheaper Adam Humphries, or at least that he is excelling at the things they signed Humphries to do. I couldn’t agree more. We saw how effective Humphries could be when available and healthy. Why wouldn’t you want to add that ‘something different’ to the offense? A little more razzle, and a little more dazzle, if you will. That could be the vision for Kinsey – get out there, run smart routes, make tough catches, and move the damn chains.
Great story, by the way, about the Titans leaving a bunch of tickets for his friends, family, and hometown crowd at Berry College, which is just a way’s northwest of Atlanta.
Special night for Mason Kinsey who got to play in front of family and friends in Atlanta. pic.twitter.com/Z5W2EjRGYJ
— Cory Curtis (@CoryCurtis2) August 14, 2021
So, what do we make of him? I got nothin’ for you – that’s right, I just spent 600 fucking words singing the kid’s praises and still have no idea what to do with him. I mean, what do you even take away from a 51-yard game in the preseason? Is it that the Titans wanted to get an extended look at him and he absolutely delivered? Is it that he’s earned an opportunity to see how he’ll fare higher up in the pecking order? Or, is it just that Brown, Jones, and Reynolds weren’t playing? I don’t know – to me, the preseason does matter, or at least it should. I’m encouraged by the fact that Kinsey showed out when called upon, and when the lights were on (kinda) bright (it is still the preseason, after all). Since he brings something different to the table, my assessment is that he’ll get ample opportunities throughout the preseason, and if he continues to outperform others, he’ll find a way onto this roster because of his skillset. How is that for a scalding hot take, huh? Play well, and you earn a roster spot – smdh – like I said, what do we make of this guy?
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Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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