Who to watch: Five Titans pushing for starting roles
The Titans’ front office and coaching staff keep stressing the importance of competition.
But while the depth chart remains fluid, most starting jobs have already been claimed. Marcus Mariota will take the snap from Ben Jones and hand off to DeMarco Murray, perhaps on the very first play of the season.
But several players behind the established starters will receive playing time, and could challenge for more depending on how the season unfolds.
Here are five players who could force their way into starting roles:
kevin Byard, safety: The Titans have been enamored by Byard’s abilities in the classroom. MTSU’s career record holder for interceptions will almost certainly start at free safety entering the 2017 season, and could replace Rashad Johnson at some point this year. Johnson, 30, signed a one-year deal with the Titans in March. Derrick henry, running
back: Murray is billed as the team’s bell-cow running back entering the season, but if he’s unable to revert to his 2014 form, when he won the NFL rushing title with the Cowboys, the Titans will go with the hot hand. Henry, the bruising Heisman Trophy winner, has received praise from coach Mike Mularkey for his route-running and pass-catching abilities. Austin Johnson, nose
tackle: Al Woods tested free agency before signing a three-year, $10.5 million deal to return to the Titans. He’s a solid player, but only the 29-year-old’s signing bonus and 2016 salary are guaranteed. Johnson, a second-round pick out of Penn State, will rotate into games and is the team’s starting nose
tackle of the future. Tajae Sharpe, wide receiver: Ineffectiveness by Dorial Green-Beckham or Rishard Matthews could force the Titans to find a way to get the reliable rookie on the field. Kendall Wright is expected to contribute largely from the slot but could be moved to the outside, allowing Sharpe to emerge as the top slot receiver. The fifthround pick led the nation with 111 catches at UMass last season. Sebastian Tretola,
guard: Don’t count out the rookie sixth-round pick if either Jeremiah Poutasi or Quinton Spain, both second-year pros, open the season as the starting left guard. Tretola is a mauler in the run game and has a nasty on-field demeanor the Titans love. He started at left guard at Arkansas for the final 24 games of his college career.
DEVELOPMENTS
Eagles, Cox agree to
deal: Standout defensive tackle Fletcher Cox agreed Monday to a six-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles that could earn
him nine figures. One of the NFL’s most versatile defensive linemen, he has 308 tackles and 22 sacks in his four pro seasons. Seahawks work out NBA
vet: The Seattle Seahawks gave former NBA standout Nate Robinson a tryout Monday. Robinson was a standout defensive back during his freshman year at Washington, but gave up football to focus on basketball. A first-round NBA pick in 2005, he played for eight teams and was a three-time winner of the slam dunk competition.
Briefly: Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski and running back Dion Lewis, who is recovering from November surgery to repair a torn left ACL, made their first on-field appearances of New England’s offseason program Monday . ... New Orleans Saints outside linebacker Hau’oli Kikaha has an anterior cruciate ligament injury in his left knee and will not play in the 2016 season, said a person familiar with the situation. Kikaha had ACL repairs twice in his left knee during his college career at Washington.