The Tennessee Titans’ roster churn has settled into a more familiar shape, and the practice squad is where a lot of the good news landed. After a wave of 53-man moves on Monday and Tuesday, general manager Mike Borgonzi confirmed more practice squad adjustments on Wednesday, leaving the 16-man group looking close to finalized for the Week 1 matchup with the New York Jets.
The Titans had to navigate waiver claims and the usual procedural shuffle to get some of these players back in the building. In the end, several of the most interesting names from camp and the preseason found their way onto the reserve squad, giving Tennessee a deeper group than it had a couple of days earlier.
Xavier Restrepo is the headliner. The fan favorite initially survived the cut to 53, then was waived about 24 hours later when Tennessee added five new players.
He was quickly brought back to the practice squad, and sources confirmed that move to Titan Sized. Restrepo put together an excellent camp and preseason, and the expectation is that he will almost certainly see the field on offense in 2026.
Michael Carter is right there behind him in terms of value. The veteran back posted 166 all-purpose yards in the preseason as a runner, receiver, and kickoff specialist.
He never had a real path past Julius Chestnut and rookie Nicholas Singleton, but Carter’s versatility still gives the Titans a useful emergency option. He also worked with Saleh in New York, and his game draws a line to Tyjae Spears.
The Titans also managed to keep Erick Hallett II, who might have been the biggest surprise waiver on Monday after making the initial 53. He was one of the steadier corners in camp and the preseason, but Tennessee chose to add waiver claim Melvin Smith at his spot. Even with that twist, Hallett stayed in the organization and officially joined the practice squad Wednesday morning.
Jalen McMurray is another defensive back worth watching. The undrafted rookie corner spent time as the third-team nickel and earned praise from special teams coordinator John "Bones" Fassel for what he brought in that phase. If the Titans need a special teams replacement at any point, McMurray figures to be one of the first names in the conversation.
On the offensive side, K.J. Osborn gives Tennessee its most experienced receiver on the practice squad.
He owns three 500-plus-yard seasons and looked like a real roster candidate after a strong camp. If one of the Titans’ bigger wideouts, Elic Ayomanor or Carnell Tate, gets hurt, Osborn looks like the cleanest call-up.
Kalel Mullings also stayed in the mix after injury slowed him late in camp and through the preseason. That setback hurt his chances of winning a roster spot, especially with Julius Chestnut essentially locking up the job. Still, Mullings has enough short-yardage and special teams value to make him a smart keep.
Mo Diabate’s path has already been a little bumpy. He opened on the 53-man roster, then got bumped by Owen Pappoe.
Now he takes the practice squad spot that had belonged to undrafted rookie Mani Powell. Diabate looks like a player who belongs on an NFL roster, and the Titans may end up calling him up at some point this season.
Jerrick Reed II found his way back as well after a brief detour. He was a surprise addition to the first 53, but when Tennessee signed veteran safety Terrell Burgess on Monday, Reed was the one who had to give way. His return to the practice squad makes sense, especially with his real value on special teams.
Jalyn Holmes brings the kind of experience teams like to stash on the reserve squad. He has been in the league since 2018, played more than 250 regular-season snaps for the Washington Commanders last season, and recorded 21 tackles and seven pressures. He also had one sack in the preseason for Tennessee.
Tyren Montgomery rounds out the list. The Division III receiver was one of the more interesting pre-draft stories after earning a Senior Bowl invite and holding his own in Mobile.
He signed with the Titans after going undrafted, though camp showed plenty of rawness. Even so, he remains a developmental player worth keeping around for the extra reps.
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