The Tennessee Titans had a slightly different flavor when their veterans reported for training camp this week.
Looking to save money, the Titans retooled significantly at wide receiver and along the offensive line. Those specific changes may dictate more than anything else how the Titans perform this season.
Titans Training Camp
- Location: Nashville, Tenn.Saint Thomas Sports ParkRookie report date: July 23Veteran report date: July 26
Key acquisitions: WR Robert Woods, TE Austin Hooper, T Jamarco Jones, S A.J. Moore, DE DeMarcus Walker Key losses: WR A.J. Brown, WR Julio Jones, G Rodger Saffold, G David Quessenberry, LB Rashaan Evans, LB Jayon Brown
A.J. Brown is not irreplaceable, and the team tried to draft his clone when they took Treylon Burks in the first round of the draft, but those are still some mighty big shoes to fill. The good news here is that the Titans might have upgraded with other receiving targets Robert Woods and Austin Hooper, though that depends on Woods’ health.
Still, once the front office decided not to pay Brown, this situation might represent a best possible outcome. The offensive line might be a different story. That unit struggled to keep quarterback Ryan Tannehill clean, lost two regular contributors who were know commodities and brought aboard Jamarco Jones, who was long on potential in Seattle but not long on production.
Can Derrick Henry, who got dinged up last year, get enough help on offense to stay fresh for the postseason? And can a defense short on star power continue to rank among the league’s best? The Titans are hoping for affirmative answers to those questions and a return to the playoffs.
WEEK 1 IN FOCUS
- Giants at Titans, 4:25 p.m. ETLine: Titans -6.5 (FanDuel)Total: 43.5 points
The all-time series is tied 6-6, but the Titans have won six of the last seven, including the most recent meeting, 17-0 in Dec. of 2018. Tannehill is 0-1 vs. the Giants in his career.
NINE IS FINE
While many sportsbooks have the over/under for Titans wins set at 9.5, a few books are at 8.5 or 9. Do you want to know the last time the Titans finished with fewer than 9 wins in a regular season? 2015.
It’ll happen again eventually, but a lot would have to go wrong for it to happen in 2022.
–Field Level Media ()