Today’s the day! The Tennessee Titans, in full, are set to report to training camp. Folks, it is on. Football season is just around the corner. We’ve officially made it through the hardest part of the offseason, and it’s time to talk some real fuckin’ football. Apologies – I am rather excited about this momentous occasion. So, like I do every year, it’s time for the ‘what I’m looking forward to this camp’ piece. There’s a lot for the Titans to sort out coming off of a season when they earned the AFC’s #1 seed through a firestorm of adversity, yet totally shit the bed in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Six months later, and it still doesn’t feel good.
Now, we won’t see a lot of those questions answered until the season actually starts. We have to keep that in mind. It’s not exactly like we’re going to see Tim Kelly‘s impact on the passing game or any real schematic insight until the season starts. What we can note is who is performing well on the practice field, and who is getting the most reps with the first team. That sort of thing. It’s important to look at it through that lens – nonetheless, let’s get after it.
2022 Tennessee Titans Training Camp Storylines
*The right tackle race – I don’t know that I necessarily buy that this is a race…more of a ‘reveal,’ if you will. From what we’ve learned this offseason, it sounds like all signs point to Dillon Radunz taking on the starting role at right tackle. He’s gotten rave reviews so far as a guy who is starting to see his potential, but Titans fans may still be a little shell-shocked because of his lack of meaningful play time in 2021 compared to where he was drafted. To me, this summer will be more about holding on to that spot and really earning it for Radunz. But, it’s the biggest hole on the offensive side of the ball right now.
*Secondary Tetris – There’s a lot of talent and a wealth of potential with these defensive backs. No one outside of Nashville seems to be talking about the ceiling that this unit has between Kevin Byard, Amani Hooker, Kristian Fulton, Caleb Farley, Elijah Molden, Theo Jackson, Chris Jackson, and Roger McCreary. That’s not even mentioning the quality depth that guys like Buster Skrine and Greg Mabin provide. If the bulk of these guys can hit, this is going to be one of the best secondaries in the league. They have so many pieces to play with, so I can’t wait to see who ends up playing where and who ends up hitting on their potential.
*Left guard – I mean…it has to be Aaron Brewer, right? The line’s going to be Lewan-Brewer-Jones-Davis-Radunz to start the season, right? RIGHT!?! I’m still listing ‘left guard’ here because it does look like it’ll be one of the true camp battles this summer.
*The Boar Hunter – People are acting like the Titans drafted a Jabba the Hut that can’t breathe, but I’m not worried about that. Just watch the fucking tape. Treylon Burks is a weapon in the open field. I’m not listing him here because I want to see if he’ll show up in shape or not. I’m listing here because I can’t wait to see how he holds up in 1:1 reps against these talented Titans defensive backs.
*Bobby Trees – Like Burks, I’m curious to see how Robert Woods fits into the offense, but more importantly, all eyes are going to be on how this man returns from injury. If Burks can make an impact right away, and Woods can prove to be the receiver he was before the injury, the Titans will actually be better off at wide receiver than they were in 2021. Yes, I said it.
*Front seven depth – It’s arguably the strength of the team, but I think there’s a fair question about how this team creates depth. While some may consider the losses of Jayon Brown and Rashaan Evans addition by subtraction, they still rounded out a pretty solid linebacking corps and created some holes when they left. It’s the Zach Cunningham and David Long Jr. show now, but who steps in behind them to make this group complete? Monty Rice starts camp on the PUP list – he was a guy that showed a lot of promise in flashes last season. They drafted Chance Campbell and signed Dylan Cole. Where is the depth in this group going to come from? In the pass rush, how is Rashad Weaver going to come back from injury and contribute? It’s going to take a rotation to repeat 2021’s success up front – how will the Titans fill those roles?
*Will the Titans add a WR? I’m in the minority here on this one, but I think the Titans would be fine going into the season with what they have in the wide receiving room, but I still think adding a veteran is absolutely an option for them as the summer goes on.
*How do the tight ends look different? For me, the expectation is that Austin Hooper and/or Chig Okonkwo should develop into a security blanket for Ryan Tannehill. He didn’t have that from the tight ends a year ago. It’s a dynamic that the passing game lacks, and it’s a dynamic that would greatly improve the passing game. They look a lot better on paper at tight end heading into 2022, but it’s about seeing that come to fruition on the field.
*Malik Willis – I’ve maintained all offseason that the drafting of Willis wasn’t about 2022 at all. But, he’s still expected to at least make a push as the face of the franchise in the future. So, this season, starting this summer, will be about monitoring his growth. Can he push Logan Woodside as the backup? Can he find a role on this offense right away? That sort of thing.
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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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