The Titans Have an Interesting Decision to Make at Wide Receiver

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The Tennessee Titans have a little over two weeks (until September 1st, to be exact) before they have to cut the roster down to the final 53-man version that will see them into the 2018 season. Some of the camp battles we thought we’d see never really materialized. The offensive line, for instance, is as set as it was a season ago. Sure, they’ve added some depth, but no one has really challenged Quinton Spain for that starting job the way we thought they would. Likewise, the battle at inside linebacker seems to be settled. But, that wasn’t due to a lack of competition. That was Rashaan Evans being hurt, and Will Compton stepping up by default.

We knew all along that the battle at wide receiver would be a competitive one. But, even after several weeks of camp and one preseason game, I’m still holding my hands up and saying, “who the hell knows?” Your guess is as good as mine, guys. This is a crowded unit. Sitting here in mid-August, seemingly talking about a different wide receiver every day is not something I envisioned when camp started. I firmly expected one of the undrafted free agent rookies to sneak up and secure one of the roles. And, we all thought Michael Campanaro was destined for a roster spot. But, it simply hasn’t happened that way.

I do anticipate that the Titans will keep at least six wide receivers, so let’s dive in and take a look at this position as a whole, and where each guy stands.

The Locks

Corey Davis, Rishard Matthews, and Taywan Taylor are all 1,000,000% solid locks to make this roster. There’s simply no question about it. Davis is going to be “the guy” in this offense, and he’s having a pretty good camp so far. Matthews is as reliable as they come, a dude I consider to be one of the more underrated receivers in the NFL. And, it sure seems like Matt LaFleur and company have figured out how to use Taylor in a much more effective way than sending him in on a jet sweep five times each game. That’s your top three, unequivocally.

Also, I’m going to include Tajae Sharpe among the locks now. I might not have done that at the start of camp, but he’s showing out and earning it. He had a nice day of practice on Sunday when I was actually there to see it, and Jim Wyatt reported that he had a nice day at Monday’s practice, too, which was closed to the public. The Matthews injury complicates the decision the Titans have to make as a whole, but the immediate beneficiary is Sharpe, who has done more with quality reps.

On the Bubble

If we’re giving six slots to receivers, I’d say Darius Jennings and Nick Williams are the two guys that fill out the group. Jennings has had a strong camp so far, and scored a touchdown in the preseason game against Green Bay on a beautifully executed play. I noticed him a few times over the weekend, and it appears he is getting at least some work with the first team. Williams has impressed because of his versatility and ability to contribute on special teams. The dude was all over the field in Green Bay last week. The Titans want a guy who’s strictly a slot specialist, and Williams can be that guy. That said, neither man has solidified his spot yet given the nature of competition for these two spots.

The Longshots

We have essentially eight dudes competing for two spots. I mentioned earlier that the Matthews injury complicates things, and if he isn’t ready for the start of the season, the Titans could elect to keep another receiver just in case. Or, maybe one of these guys unseats Jennings or Williams. Highly unlikely, but I’m looking at this group and wondering how you justify keeping some and cutting the others. It’s a large group of guys with different skill sets that could potentially be valuable. It’s like they’re all different, but they’re all the same.

At the top of the group, I’d slot Deontay Burnett – the kid’s fast, and has been turning heads at camp. Devin Ross is behind him, a speedster who has shown a knack for making plays. Then, there’s Jordan Veasy, who just looks like a bona fide NFL receiver. He’s been sort of quiet as of late, but looked good early on in OTAs and minicamp.

There hasn’t been a lot of buzz about Cameron Batson, but I noticed him several times over the weekend. Brandon Shippen had prime real estate on the initial Titans depth chart, And, Campanaro just hasn’t seen the field that much because he hasn’t been healthy.

It’s as crowded a room as I’ve ever seen with the Titans.

Will any of these guys outside of the locks make a real difference in 2018? Probably not – but you’d hate to see another LeGarrette Blount situation, where you lose out on a guy only for him to go on and become a key contributor, hell even a top 10 player at his position at some point in time, for someone else. And, that’s ultimately how this situation could play out. Would anyone be surprised to see a Ross or Burnett pop up in a couple year’s time? I wouldn’t.

So, the Titans have some definite thinking to do. I’m eager to see how it pans out.

Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley

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