The Titans are building their pass rush the way Robert Saleh likes it: fast, relentless and deep enough that the pressure never really lets up.
That approach starts with Jeffery Simmons, the All-Pro defensive tackle who posted a career-high 11.0 sacks last season. But Tennessee’s plan isn’t to lean on one star and hope for the best. The roster has been stocked with bodies meant to keep the rush rolling in waves, from veteran addition John Franklin-Myers to Solomon Thomas, Jermaine Johnson and Jacob Martin, plus young draft picks Femi Oladejo and Keldric Faulk.
The goal is simple enough. Keep fresh legs on the field, keep attacking and make life miserable for opposing offensive lines late in games.
“The slide’s going to Jeff and then after John’s done taking care of his one-on-ones, the O-Line’s going to ask for help,” Johnson said after practice Thursday. “And then Jeff’s going to be free.
And then the edge is going to be free. It’s just a tough tandem for me to see any team (be able to ) handle.”
Several of those defenders already know Saleh’s expectations well. Franklin-Myers, Thomas and Johnson all played for him during his first head coaching run with the Jets, so the language and the demands of the system aren’t new to them.
Johnson is entering his fifth NFL season fully healthy after an achilles injury two years ago with the Jets, and he sounds like a player ready to cash in on that opportunity. He has 13.0 career sacks, but he’s not interested in talking about upside anymore.
“Just give me my helmet,” Johnson said. “I just want to go play football and be myself and be the player I know I am.
I don’t care about potential talk anymore. I’ve got to go do something this year.
I believe I’m top five, top 10 at my position in the NFL, but I know that’s not the case statistically and I’ve got to go change that this year.”
The Titans are also counting on Faulk, the 31st overall pick, to make the jump from Auburn to the NFL, while Oladejo is trying to turn a second season into a real step forward. Oladejo’s rookie year didn’t include a sack, but Saleh has been tracking him since the college scouting process and clearly sees a fit.
“He looks good coming off the bus, right? I mean, he looks awesome,” Saleh said.
“He’s raw in the sense that he has not had a lot of opportunity to rush the passer and do the things that we’re going to ask. But I’ve got a lot of confidence in the fact that he’s going to, at minimum, produce just based off of his effort, his length, his athleticism, his tenacity, his strain, and we’ll continue to develop the skillset he needs to win those one-on-ones on a consistent basis.”
Oladejo said his rookie season taught him plenty about the pro game, especially when it comes to practice, preparation and taking care of his body. He also thinks the new defensive setup can help him play faster.
“I think when I moved to edge in college at UCLA, that’s what it was, just going straight,” Oladejo said. “So to be in a system that’s similar where I can just go straight and not think, that’s where the money’s made.”
That’s the whole pitch with this defense: line up enough athletes, let them attack and keep the pressure coming until somebody breaks. It’s a straightforward formula, and Johnson believes Tennessee has enough pieces to make it work.
“I believe we have the guys to do it,” Johnson said. “And I can’t wait to test it out.”
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The Titans spent the offseason trying to reshape a defense that needed more speed, more flexibility and more bite, and the early national reaction has been encouraging. ESPN analyst Matt Bowen pointed to cornerback Alontae Taylor and defensive lineman John Franklin-Meyers as two additions that could matter right away, a notable nod for a unit that is counting on new pieces to settle in quickly under coach Robert Saleh and coordinator Gus Bradley.
Taylor brings the kind of inside-outside versatility Tennessee wanted in the back end, with the expectation that he can help on the perimeter. Franklin-Meyers, meanwhile, steps into a defensive line that already has Jeffery Simmons anchoring it, which is exactly the sort of pairing that can change how opponents game-plan. The bigger question now is how quickly all of these offseason moves translate once the Titans start leaning on the system in real games. [Read more 🡒]
Titans New CB Duo Just Made A Massive Claim
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Now the challenge shifts from paper to Sundays, and the schedule is hardly going to ease them in. Tennessee will see several of the league's toughest receiver groups, with matchups that should tell a lot about how quickly Taylor and Flott can turn talent into trust. For a secondary that has already drawn attention for its makeover, the next step is proving the new duo can hold up when the ball starts finding them. [Read more 🡒]