The Tennessee Titans’ secondary has become one of the early talking points of camp, and not for the right reasons. San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback Kurtis Rourke went 12-of-14 against the Titans’ starting defensive backs in the first preseason game, and starting quarterback Cam Ward has been picking apart the starters for much of training camp.
Head coach Robert Saleh isn’t sounding the alarm, but he has said the group needs to feel some urgency. That makes sense considering Tennessee poured more than $100 million into free agency to bring in new starting cornerbacks Cor’Dale Flott and Alontae Taylor, only to watch that unit struggle at the front of the conversation.
That’s where Joshua Williams enters the picture. He was the third cornerback the Titans added in free agency this offseason, and his connection to Mike Borgonzi and the Kansas City Chiefs helped put him on Tennessee’s radar. Right now, Williams is working through a pectoral muscle injury and has been limited to a yellow non-contact jersey at camp.
Saleh recently said Williams is close to dropping that jersey and becoming a full participant in practice. He also highlighted Williams’ length and work ethic, and Jim Wyatt reported that Williams had a pass breakup during individual drills earlier this week.
Williams brings the kind of size and competitiveness Saleh likes in his corners. If Taylor and Flott continue to have issues as the season approaches, Williams could start pushing for more work in the rotation. For the moment, though, his focus is simpler: get healthy, be ready, and wait for the call.
The Titans signed Williams to fill the Darrell Baker Jr. role from last season, giving them a reserve corner who can step into starting snaps if Taylor or Flott gets hurt. With the secondary still searching for stability, Williams may wind up being more important than some fans expected.
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Titans Running Backs Just Got The Disrespect Fans Will Remember
The Titans backfield looks set up for another season built around Tony Pollard, with Tyjae Spears positioned as the primary insurance policy and rookie Nicholas Singleton giving Tennessee a third option in the room. It is a group that still carries some intrigue because of how the offense could lean on the ground game if the passing attack has a hard time finding consistency.
Still, Pro Football Focus preseason ranking landed the Titans running back room at 22nd, a label that will not sit well with a fan base that expects more from one of the leagues most important position groups. The number itself is only part of the story, because Tennessees backs are going to matter plenty if the offense needs them to shoulder a bigger load than the outside perception suggests. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Roster Shakeup Puts Unexpected Focus On Their Defensive Depth
The Titans kept their roster moving this week, adding veteran defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon and linebacker Milo Eifler after recent workouts while also making a change at tight end by releasing Matt Lauter. The pair of defensive signings fits the kind of late-summer roster churn that often reveals where a team thinks it needs more insulation, especially when injuries and availability start to reshape the back end of the roster.
Nazeeh Johnsons move to injured reserve adds another wrinkle for Tennessee, coming shortly after he was suspended for six games for violating the NFLs Performance Enhancing Substances policy. With Johnson unavailable and the Titans bringing in players who have already bounced around the league, the emphasis now shifts to how much reliable depth they can build on defense before the season settles in. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Add Two Defenders As One New Arrival Suddenly Stands Out
With a joint practice against the Seahawks on deck and another game looming, the Titans are continuing to churn the bottom of the roster while trying to keep the defensive depth chart stable. Tennessee placed safety Nazeeh Johnson on Reserve/Injured after his six-game suspension for violating the NFLs Performance-Enhancing Substances Policy, then opened the spot by releasing tight end Matt Lauter and bringing in defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon and linebacker Milo Eifler.
The two additions give the Titans some extra bodies on defense at a time when preseason reps matter, and Kpassagnon in particular is a name that immediately jumps off the page among the newcomers. With the roster still in flux this close to the Seattle week, the more interesting question is how quickly Tennessee can sort out which of these fresh faces is simply filling space and which one might force his way into a larger role. [Read more 🡒]