The Titans brought in Robert Saleh to steady the defense, and through a rough 0-4 start, that side of the ball has indeed looked better than the offense or special teams. But one personnel choice keeps sticking out, and it’s only getting harder to justify.
Cody Barton is still getting the heavier workload over Cedric Gray, even though the on-field results don’t point to Barton being the better option. Saleh has continued to lean toward the veteran linebacker, while Gray has been left with a smaller role.
In Sunday’s Week 4 loss to the Ravens, Barton was on the field for 53 snaps. Gray played 30. That split has become a season-long trend, and it’s one Tennessee should be ready to change.
Through four games, rookie Anthony Hill leads Titans linebackers with 271 snaps. Barton is next at 221.
Gray is far behind both at 90, though he missed Week 1 because of a non-football related injury. Even with that missed game, Barton has been the clear favorite in the rotation, averaging 55.25 snaps per game compared to Gray’s 30.
That’s especially notable because Gray entered the year with real momentum. He set a Titans single-season record for tackles as a sophomore last year with 164, and the expectation was that Saleh - with his background developing elite linebackers - would help push Gray further. So far, that hasn’t happened.
Instead, Barton has been the one holding the bigger role, and the production has not backed it up. He ranks eighth on the Titans in tackles and has been a recurring problem on defense. On Sunday, Ravens offensive coordinator Declan Doyle found the matchup he wanted by isolating Zay Flowers against Barton, leading to a 55-yard completion from Lamar Jackson.
The numbers have only sharpened the case against Barton. Pro Football Focus has him allowing 11 catches on 13 targets this season. Quarterbacks are completing 84.6 percent of the passes thrown his way, and the combined passer rating against him is 88.8.
Coaching changes often bring surprise lineup shifts, but this one has been especially puzzling. Gray came into the season as one of Tennessee’s most promising young defenders, yet Barton has kept him stuck on the sideline more than expected.
If the Titans want this defense to keep moving in the right direction, Gray needs to be part of it in a much bigger way. Barton has been a net-negative, and Saleh should move Gray back into the starting lineup soon.
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