The 2024 Tennessee Titans will be in a great place if they get contributions from these players
The last week of Tennessee Titans training camp has been electric.
It is crucial that the Titans spend this time creating their identity, building chemistry, and finding solutions for problems at right guard, right tackle, linebacker, and other positions of need.
Those are the biggest storylines of camp, but they aren’t the only topics garnering discussion right now. Even though this roster isn’t as deep as Ran Carthon and Brian Callahan would like yet, there are a small handful of players that could end up developing into contributors.
I look at those players as “pure upside” guys. These are the players that you tune into preseason games to watch because they have the chance to earn a spot on the roster as more than just a special teams player.
Through camp practices so far, three players stand out as early “pure upside” guys.
Shane Ray, EDGE
Even with Arden Key getting suspended for six games, Shane Ray isn’t a lock to make the team.
Harold Landry has always been the most important EDGE on the roster, but it is true that Key was growing and appeared poised for a big season on the other side of the line. Behind Landry and Key, guys like Rashad Weaver, Caleb Murphy, and rookie Jaylen Harrell looked like guys who were going to battle it out for snaps throughout the season.
That was until the Titans signed Ra in late July. While Ray had a tryout with the team during mini-camp, nothing immediately materialized.
It is hard to say whether the Titans knew about Key’s impending suspension when they signed Ray, but for now, he is just a veteran camp body that has strung together some nice reps.
Admittedly, Ray is on a bit of a hot streak and he has shown up as a pass rusher during team drills.
Will Levis 2nd set of #Titans live situations:
– Dumps it off to Tyler Boyd. Might have been sacked by Murray
– Gain of 15+ to Boyd
– SACK by Shane Ray
– SACK by T’Vondre Sweat
— AtoZ Sports Nashville (@AtoZSports) July 27, 2024
If Ray continues gaining momentum, and if he carries it over to preseason games, then that is great news for the shorthanded Titans.
With Key out of the lineup for nearly two months, Ray could offer Dennard Wilson another solution to throw at the problem. When Key gets back, the Titans might have stumbled into a solid depth piece at a position where there wasn’t a lot of depth to begin with.
Kyle Philips, WR/KR
Kyle Philips hasn’t met his pre-draft expectations.
Between nagging injuries, a fumbling issue as a returner, and not being a consistent fit in Mike Vrabel’s heavy personnel offense, Philips has never been able to live up to the flashes that he has shown in practice.
While most have given up on Philips ever sustaining those flashes, times have changed in Tennessee. The new offense fits Philips much better than the old one and a new coaching staff that doesn’t view him as a fumble waiting to happen might help him get over whatever psychological issue he was having as a returner.
If Philips doesn’t improve, the Titans have Tyler Boyd to take all of the snaps as the slot receiver and Jha’Quan Jackson as a young option to return kicks and punts.
On the other hand, if Philips can become more consistent, especially as a dynamic return man, imagine the possibilities. Add another shot of adrenaline to an offense that has DeAndre Hopkins, Calvin Ridley, Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears, Boyd, Chig Okonkwo, Treylon Burks, Jackson, and Josh Whyle.
Caleb Farley, CB
Caleb Farley is going to go down as a bust when you consider where he was drafted, but that doesn’t have to be the end of his career. Despite nearly everyone writing him off, it seems like Farley isn’t ready to call it quits just yet.
He has stacked more solid performances in a row in the first week of training camp than he has at any other point in his career.
Between his knee issues and the concerns about his back, it is going to be hard to ever assume that he is going to be trusted to be a starter in the NFL. Luckily, the Titans don’t need him to be that on a roster with L’Jarius Sneed, Chidobe Awuzie, Roger McCreary, Jarvis Brownlee, and surprise UDFA standout Gabe Jeudy-Lally. at cornerback.
What they need is quality depth, and cornerback is a position where you can never be too deep. Farley has a chance to prove that he can do that if he can hold up well in the preseason, and if he can make the roster and stay healthy for a full season, maybe there is a future for him in the NFL (and perhaps even in Nashville).
