Lewan will show up for Titans either way
Taylor Lewan held out, which reads as the right move on his part, won’t have any effect on this season but casts some doubt on whether a long-term deal to satisfy both sides will happen.
Kevin Dodd showed up to Tennessee Titans mandatory minicamp, wouldn’t talk to reporters, doesn’t look likely to make this team and has done long-term harm to his prospects with his bizarre offseason choices.
I don’t really care that the 2016 second-round pick didn’t talk — I want to know how Dodd’s agent would allow him to miss the previous, voluntary phase when there’s a new coaching staff/fresh start at hand, and when other teams that might consider employing him are paying attention.
Titans position coaches did talk this week — the final gathering of this team until training camp starts in late July — and we’ll get to that. Titans starting receivers Rishard Matthews and Corey Davis are nicked up, which, in the case of Davis, is troubling even though it appears minor. His determination is undeniable, I think his potential is considerable, but durability is an NFL necessity. It’s fair to wonder if Davis has any until he can find a month straight with no missed reps.
There was good news to be found on that practice field this week, on the side of the ball that looks like it could be special in the fall.
Third-year outside linebacker Aaron Wallace was running around and looking like a guy. This may not move the needle for you. But it actually could make Dodd’s apparent destiny as the first bona fide bust of the Jon Robinson era much easier to absorb.
Need more help off the edge
Second-round pick Harold Landry is the Dodd do-over, brought in as necessary support for veteran pass rushers Derrick Morgan and Brian Orakpo as they enter the final year of their contracts. Those guys will need bullpen help this season. As the rookie figures things out, Wallace can provide effective depth.
His play in 2016 as a rookie seventh-round pick out of UCLA hinted at it, and his obvious improvement in the 2017 preseason – coming off shoulder surgery – reinforced it. But then Wallace suffered a back injury and had to have surgery early in his second season, ending it. He says the back feels all the way back now, though the hitting won’t start for six weeks.
“I think I’m a guy who probably can move around and do a lot of different things, including play special teams,” Wallace said. “I think there’s a lot of value in that, especially here with what coach (Mike) Vrabel is preaching about guys being team first. … Sitting on the sidelines was tough. But it teaches you a lot about your connection to the game. And it teaches you that you have to be ready even when you’re not playing. I’m fortunate enough to have the opportunity to come back from the surgery, still be here and make my case for why I need to be on this team.”
Shoot your shot, Taylor Lewan
When training camp arrives, Lewan will either be locked up longterm or will be the headline of the day until things are resolved. Missing minicamp means next to nothing. Case in point: Vrabel on Thursday called off the third of three days of practice. But training camp is a different story.
Maybe the Titans will end up deciding Lewan’s demands are too high, and he’ll have to play out the last year of his deal for the $9.341 million he’s due. Maybe the franchise tag will come into play here.
Right now Lewan is taking his shot, as he should. This is the one big deal he’ll sign as a pro. And if it doesn’t happen, he’ll eventually show up and be a pro, and one of the best left tackles in the game this fall. As unpredictable as his behavior can be, his commitment to his teammates has been quite consistent.