Prior to the start of 2019 training camp, you probably could’ve written out about a hundred different iterations of the Tennessee Titans offensive line. I don’t know that Jamil Douglas would have popped up on any of them. Okay, that’s a bit dramatic to say, but you get my point – no one saw Douglas coming.
But, so far, he’s gotten a huge work load at left guard on an offensive line that needs some serious tinkering. That’s before you factor in that Taylor Lewan will (likely) be serving a four-game suspension to start the season, no less! Now, I will say that barring an injury, the starting left guard come Week 1 is unequivocally going to be Rodger Saffold. But, it’s been noted that he and coach Mike Vrabel “have a plan” for his camp and preseason involvement. In other words, they’re going to be keeping a close eye on Saffold’s mileage in an effort to save some wear and tear on the nine-year NFL veteran. But, the idea of someone just emerging out of the blue suggests that maybe there’s a bit more depth along the offensive line than we’ve been giving the Titans credit for.
Douglas is a prime example of that. Signed to the practice squad in October of 2018, and to a futures/reserve contract in December of 2018, Douglas’ addition to the team went largely unnoticed. Initially drafted out of Arizona State by the Miami Dolphins in 2015, he’s bounced around from Miami to New England to Atlanta to Indianapolis before ultimately landing in Nashville. He played in all 16 games as a rookie for the Dolphins, but has only played in one since. Now, due to a little bit of a shakeup, Douglas finds himself running with the first unit.
He stands at 6’4 and weighs in at 309 according to the Titans roster I got at practice on Saturday. Watching him that day, and seeing what all the fuss was about, I can see why the Titans see enough potential in this guy to give him this opportunity. His name popped up a lot in my notes from Saturday – watching him during the positional drills, you notice his stance and technique, and though it was inconsistent, he did exhibit a nice push against some of his fellow offensive linemen.
Practicing against the defensive line, the results were a little more concerning. He was blown up by Isaiah Mack on a play, and allowed guys to get around him more than once. If he can figure out how to translate his potential against defensive linemen (and keep in mind, this was only the second practice of the year), he’s going to end up with a roster spot. He showed enough flashes of talent to warrant me saying that.
Regardless, this is a good thing for the Titans – he’ll have that experience with the first team should a situation ever arise in which they need him. Plus, we’ve been concerned about offensive line depth all offseason. We keep talking about Douglas. Austin Pastzor was the starting right tackle on Saturday. We haven’t even mentioned third round draft pick Nate Davis, who figures to be apart of the organization’s offensive line plan in the future. In Douglas, and Pastzor for that matter, the Titans have quality depth guys.
Maybe it is a significant dip in talent from Saffold to Douglas, but the work he’s putting in now is invaluable.
Does this sound like a budding man crush? Maybe. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk about Jamil Douglas regardless.
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, Nashville, 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.
