NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Titans finished the preseason 3-0 and look forward to the regular season opener on Sept. 8th against the Bears in Chicago. But first, the team must trim its roster from 90 down to 53 by the NFL’s deadline of Tuesday at 3 p.m.
It’s a process head coach Brian Callahan is not looking forward to because of the hard work and dedication that each guy in camp showed, but it’s a job he and general manager Ran Carthon will have to do.
After observing most of training camp and the Titans' preseason games, we’ll give our best stab at predicting what the 53-man roster will look like with one caveat. The other 31 NFL teams are simultaneously doing their cutdowns as well, and some of those players cut elsewhere could be candidates for the Titans to pick up and replace someone on their initial roster. With no way of knowing who might come available, I am sticking my 53-man projection to strictly the players that have been in training camp with the Titans.
QUARTERBACKS (2):
Will Levis, Mason Rudolph
There is no question that both Rudolph and Malik Willis made great strides during training camp in the competition to be Levis's backup. Willis was particularly good Sunday in New Orleans, throwing two fourth-quarter touchdowns to Bryce Oliver to rally the Titans to a 30-27 win. But Rudolph was brought to Tennessee to be the backup after leading the Steelers on a late-season run to the playoffs when he was inserted into the lineup last year, and he has done nothing to dissuade the Titans from sticking with him. Willis’s improvement may mean the Titans risk losing him on the waiver wire and won’t be able to keep him on their practice squad, but I think that’s a risk they have to be willing to take with a third-string quarterback who has been underwhelming in his reps over his first two seasons.
RUNNING BACKS (3):
Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears, Julius Chestnut
Pollard and Spears are going to split the vast majority of running back reps this season for the Titans. Chestnut had another great preseason and provides a bit more of a bruising back for potential short-yardage situations. Hassan Haskins didn’t get a single first-half carry in the last two preseason games and, despite his ability on special teams, will be on the outside looking in. Former Tennessee standout Jabari Small is a good candidate for the practice squad.
WIDE RECEIVERS (6):
DeAndre Hopkins, Calvin Ridley, Tyler Boyd, Treylon Burks, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Jha’Quan Jackson
There have been some years where you struggled to come up with four or five receivers good enough for the Titans to keep when trying to build a 53-man roster. Now the question is do they keep six or even seven wide receivers? I have them keeping six. The top five slots are locked and rookie Jha’Quan Jackson has shown his ability to be productive as a receiver and as a return man, which gives him the edge over Kearis Jackson, Mason Kinsey, and Bryce Oliver. The Titans would be thrilled to keep any of those guys on the practice squad if they sneak through waivers.
TIGHT ENDS (4):
Chig Okonkwo, Josh Whyle, Nick Vannett, David Martin-Robinson
Callahan admitted that tight end was a big question mark for the staff entering training camp but says the play of the entire group is going to make the cut-down process extremely difficult. Vannett’s known for his blocking ability, but showed an ability to catch the football and David Martin-Robinson showed speed and athleticism that has made him one of the coaches’ favorites. Thomas Odukoya won a lot of people over with his 100-yard spring to stop Samson Nacua from returning a missed field goal for a touchdown Sunday in New Orleans, but I don’t think he showed enough as a tight end compared to the others. As an international pathway player, he would be a prime target for the practice squad should he clear waivers.
OFFENSIVE LINE (9):
J.C. Latham, Peter Skoronski, Lloyd Cushenberry, Dillon Radunz, Nicholas Petit-Frere, Daniel Brunskill, Andrew Rupcich, Jaelen Duncan, Geron Christian
Callahan says the starters from Sunday’s game in New Orleans will be the starters for the regular season opener in Chicago. After that, it’s anybody’s guess – and likely the backups will include a player or two not currently in camp with the Titans. Brunskill started last season and appears to be the backup at center. Rupcich is coachable. Duncan is a second-year player who was drafted last year and they don’t want to give up on him. I chose Christian over John Ojukwu for the last spot because of his familiarity with offensive line coach Bill Callahan.
DEFENSIVE LINE (5):
Jeffery Simmons, T’Vondre Sweat, Sebastian Joseph-Day, Keondre Coburn, Abudallah Anderson
Injuries to Marlon Davidson and T.K. McClendon have made this an exceedingly light group. The Titans feel great about Simmons, Sweat, and Joseph-Day, but can’t afford an injury to any of them. Coburn should be safe. Anderson makes my cut despite being in camp with the Titans for less than two weeks.
OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS (5):
Harold Landry III, Arden Key, Jaylen Harrell, Caleb Murphy, Shane Ray
The Titans caught a break with the news that Key’s suspension had been dropped. Seventh-round draft pick Jaylen Harrell looked like a player with a lot of twitch off the edge in the preseason and Caleb Murphy led the FCS in sacks two years ago. I think the Titans believe they can work with both of those guys and develop them into quality players. That leaves one spot for Rashad Weaver or Shane Ray. I’m going to give it to Ray, a former first-round pick who is trying to get back into the league, who had a sack, strip, and tackle all-on-one play against the Saints over Weaver who never lived up to the hype as a 2021 draft pick.
INSIDE LINEBACKERS (5)
Kenneth Murray Jr., Jack Gibbens, Cedric Gray, James Williams, Otis Reese
Murray and Gibbens are the clear-cut starters. Gray’s shoulder injury is concerning and potentially could land him on the Injured Reserve list to start the season, but for now, he’s on the active list along with fellow rookie James Williams who has the size, strength, and speed to successfully transition from the safety position in college. Chance Campbell’s unfortunate ACL tear against the Saints ends a fantastic training camp and his season, opening the door for Reese to make the initial roster.
CORNERBACKS (6):
L’Jarius Sneed, Chidobe Awuzie, Roger McCreary, Jarvis Brownlee Jr., Gabe Jeudy-Lally, Eric Garror
We didn’t see Sneed or Awuzie in the preseason, but they’ll be ready to go in Chicago along with McCreary and the rookie Brownlee who showed a competitive, ball-tracking knack in training camp. I’m giving the final two corner spots to undrafted free agent Gabe Jeudy-Lally, who Callahan described as “sticky” multiple times during camp, and Garror because of his special teams ability. Tre Avery would be a notable cut if the team sees it the same way I do.
SAFETY (5):
Quandre Diggs, Amani Hooker, Jamal Adams, Elijah Molden, Matt Jackson
The additions of Diggs and Adams certainly bolster this position group. It’ll be interesting to see the role that Molden now plays. His versatility and questions about Adams’ health should make him a lock to make the roster, but how many defensive reps he gets will remain to be seen. Matt Jackson showed a ton of improvement in training camp and turned heads with a number of interceptions.
SPECIALISTS (3):
Nick Folk, Ryan Stonehouse, Morgan Cox
Folk edges out the big-legged Brayden Navorsen due to his terrific performance last year and long-term consistency. Stonehouse is back healthy and ready to punt in week one. Cox is one of the league’s top long snappers.
