Let’s face it – every day we are routinely bombarded with questions. When you’re an emerging media company in Nashville, people just want to know what your opinions are on everything. It’s only natural. And, since our duty is to serve the people, well, we have no choice but to be present. That’s the SoBro Way. Also, aren’t mailbags just a barrel of laughs anyway? Welcome to the newest weekly recurring feature up in this bitch: The SoBros Mailbag. As always, hit us with those mailbag questions @SoBrosNetwork on Twitter, email ’em to me anonymously at thesobrosnetwork@gmail.com. And, holy shit, I need to update this terrible intro paragraph that I’ve been using literally ever since I started writing this column…
Question:
Need a ranking of Easter candies and a dissertation on why Peeps belong in the trash.
— brett (@thebrettclark) March 14, 2024
Answer:
You won’t get that from me, buddy! I love Peeps. In fact, I think they’re one of the few Easter candies that are actually worth a damn. I go:
- Cadbury creme eggs
- Peeps
- Those marshmallow eggs with the hard shells
And, everything else is trash.
Question:
What do we do with #22, and if we don't retire it, how long before fans won't riot when we see it on someone else
— billy jeans stan (@Doogie1138) March 14, 2024
Answer:
They have to retire it, right? Can you imagine Julius Chestnut coming out there and donning the 22? People would lose their minds. I don’t know that it’ll happen right away, but I would imagine Henry’s number will definitely be one of the ones that’s tucked away for history.
Question:
Do you think Burks will go slot with Ridley and Hopkins or will the titans trade dhop with a 4th to KC for sneed and pick
— Dan Scraggins (@danscrog) March 14, 2024
Answer:
Dan, in reading the tea leaves, this regime wants D-Hop here in 2024. I would be surprised if they traded him away. I would love to see Burks slide back inside to the slot. They’re playing with house money with Burks right now…might as well try to put him in the best possible position to succeed since he’s already here.
Question:
In your opinion, what letter grade did the Titans earn for their NFL free agency efforts so far?
— Ed Helinski 🇺🇸🇵🇱 (@MrEd315) March 14, 2024
Answer:
Ed, I’m not usually into the idea of giving out letter grades for draft/free agent classes until we can properly evaluate them a few years later, but since you asked, and since you always ask good mailbag questions, I’m going to give it a shot. At the time of this writing, I’d give them an A-. They’ve crossed a couple of massive needs off the list with top-of-the-market caliber players like Lloyd Cushenberry, Calvin Ridley, and Chidobe Awuzie. I know it wasn’t the most popular signing, but I’d put Tony Pollard in that conversation as well. I get why people have their reservations about Ridley, but he’s an outside weapon that can win with multiple release points – you have to overpay for a receiver of his ilk in free agency, so I have no problem with it. Cushenberry’s signing reminds me of the signing of Ben Jones – a center in his prime joining the Titans to lock the spot down for years to come. I’ve been a fan of Awuzie since his draft class (I actually wanted the Titans to draft him over Adoree Jackson in 2017). He’s a great man corner that should be a culture-changer and team leader on defense. The Pollard signing? Hey, this offense needs playmakers. After years of fledgling at the kicker position, they did the right thing in bringing Nick Folk back. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine has been reliable. Saahdiq Charles looks like added depth in the offensive line room. The only one I’m kind of iffy on is Kenneth Murray – the dude is an incredible athlete that plays his best ball when he doesn’t have to think and can just crash the play as a downhill thumper. But, his career has not gotten off to the start you’d expect from a first round pick. The A- comes from how dried-up the linebacker pool has gotten. It was a major need and the Titans missed out on the top-of-market guys at the position. If they had managed to land a good linebacker, it’d probably be an A+ from me. Also, they HAVE to get some defensive line depth from somewhere now. All in all though, I like the vision behind getting athletic players with plenty to prove.
Question, from Zach on Instagram:
“Are we a Joe Alt and Christian Jones family now? RIP Odunze”
Answer:
I think we are an Alt-Jones family now. It’s not like I’d be disappointed if they ended up with Odunze, but that just feels like a luxury at this point. This team still needs to find its cornerstone left tackle. Now, I’ve been on the Christian Jones train for quite some time now. You shot me a text yesterday saying “Jones in the 4th” and if that’s the case, I’d be doing cartwheels. But, from the buzz he began generating at the Senior Bowl, I also wouldn’t be surprised to see Jones sneak into the Day 2 conversation. He might not even be there for the Titans to pick in the 4th round. In theory though – yes, let’s make it Alt-Jones bookends if at all possible.
Question:
Would you prefer the titans drafting Alt or would you prefer Becton as the LT, a Trade down and drafting Fuaga
— Goody (@real_goody) March 15, 2024
Answer:
I’m pro-Alt unless the Titans can pick up another Day 2 pick. I’m high on Mekhi Becton as a buy-low tackle and think he would be a valid and fun reclamation project that has athleticism and experience playing both tackle positions. If the Titans could get a 3rd round pick, I’m 100% in the ‘trade down’ camp, but I’ll spice this up even further….in this scenario, how about Becton at right tackle and Fuaga at left tackle? There’s a contingent of draft analysts that seem to think he’s a candidate to switch sides too. I love how violently he plays the game and I’d love to see him in the two-tone blue.
Question:
Is honeysuckle the best natural outdoor smell?
— Eldon English (@shrike113) March 15, 2024
Cut grass doesn’t count because it’s man made
Answer:
I’m glad you made the distinction on cut grass because that is 100% accurate, and because of that, I wouldn’t have even said it. Or, I might’ve made note of it like you did. Honeysuckle is the best natural outdoor smell and it’s not even close. The only other natural smell that came to mind was a rose because our rose bush does smell pretty good when it’s in bloom. Still, it doesn’t come close to honeysuckle for me.
Question:
Where are you from?
— Coach Lowry (@ImMikeLowry) March 15, 2024
Answer:
Coach, I was born at Baptist Hospital back when it was still called Baptist Hospital on June 29th, 1986. My parents lived in West Nashville for the first few months of life before moving out to Mount Juliet, where I currently live with my wife and cat. Outside of stints in Murfreesboro, Nipper’s Corner, and Hermitage, I’ve always lived here.
Keep the questions coming – catch y’all next week!
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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