The Tennessee Titans may have their Week 1 depth chart mapped out, but the job security underneath the starters doesn’t look especially sturdy. A few backups are sitting one strong stretch away from forcing their way into bigger roles, and Tyjae Spears is the name at the top of that list.
Tony Pollard is still the starter for now, but Spears has been waiting his turn for three seasons and has built a case that’s hard to ignore. He has shown steady production despite injuries, and his value goes well beyond what he does between the tackles. Spears brings a receiving-game versatility that Pollard can’t match, which gives him a different path to playing time even before any full handoff at running back comes into focus.
That kind of climb could become even more realistic as the season unfolds. With Brian Daboll taking over the offense and younger pieces like Cam Ward, Wan'Dale Robinson and Carnell Tate taking on important roles, Spears looks like a player who could eventually move from backup to centerpiece if the opportunity opens.
The same kind of pressure is building on defense with rookie linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. Hill has already made noise in the preseason, piling up 10 tackles and an interception through three games. He’s been impossible to ignore, and some observers are already pushing for him to take the job outright.
Hill also picked off Caleb Williams during Tennessee’s joint practice with the Chicago Bears, which only added to the momentum around him. That matters because Cody Barton’s hold on the role has never looked completely secure; even last season, his starting spot was being questioned.
Interim HC Mike McCoy had to address that possibility in a media appearance, but the new staff now has a young defender underneath Barton who is making a very real push. If Hill keeps stacking interceptions, the conversation could flip quickly.
Elic Ayomanor is another backup who could end up climbing the ladder. The sophomore wideout is expected to begin behind Calvin Ridley and serve as Tennessee’s sixth-man among the offense’s top pass-catchers, but his case is stronger than that placement suggests.
Ayomanor already outperformed Ridley in the offense as a rookie, with Ridley injured, and now he enters the year with a full season of experience working with Ward. He should be heavily involved right away, but the presence of Robinson and Tate in front of him makes Ridley look like the most vulnerable piece in the group. If the Titans need a replacement, Ayomanor would be the obvious one.
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Titans Roster Cuts Left One Big Mike Borgonzi Win Behind
The Titans spent the cutdown deadline churning through the back end of the roster, trimming to 53 and then immediately reshaping the group with three waiver claims and two veteran additions. To make the math work, Tennessee moved on from five players, but four of them circled right back to the practice squad, keeping some continuity in place while the front office kept taking swings to improve depth.
In the end, only one piece from that last round of roster juggling did not find a landing spot with the team. Austin Deculus was the lone player who did not return on the practice squad, leaving the Titans with one notable departure even as the rest of the maneuvering largely preserved the depth they wanted to keep around. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Fans Wont Love How This L'Jarius Sneed Story Is Trending
L'Jarius Sneed's brief run in Tennessee ended with the Titans moving on after a two-year stint that never really took off because of injuries and limited production. The decision cleared cap space for the team, which then turned to new cornerbacks to help fill the vacancy and reset the position group.
Now Sneed is back with the Kansas City Chiefs, and the early signs there are the kind Titans fans probably do not love seeing. Andy Reid said Sneed is playing well and looks like he is getting back to his previous form, a reminder of the level Tennessee hoped to get when it brought him in. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Get Hit With A Label Fans Will Want To Fight Back On
A recent Yahoo Sports ranking put the Titans in a bucket no fan base likes to see, labeling them among the NFLs tankers because of the uncertainty at quarterback. The classification is jarring enough on its own, especially after rookie Cam Ward showed promise while working through a difficult season and the roster around him began to take shape in a more encouraging way.
Robert Salehs new coaching staff, along with upgrades on the offensive line and additions at receiver, give Tennessee a much different look than a true tear-down team. Even if the quarterback question remains the biggest factor in how far this group can go, the setup is at least pointing toward progress, which is why this kind of label is one the Titans have every reason to push back on. [Read more 🡒]