NASHVILLE — Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs, two former Seattle Seahawks defensive backs, did a lot of talking Thursday.
Devon Witherspoon, a currrent Seahawks defensive back, had the last word with an interception of Will Levis as the Tennessee Titans started a two-minute drill during the second day of joint practices between the teams. Witherspoon, a cornerback, punctuated his second pick of the session by running to give the ball to Adams, a safety who signed with the Titans in July.
Witherspoon then kept running toward the end zone without the ball while waving at the Titans. Diggs could only compliment his former teammate after practice, saying Witherspoon could be one of the NFL’s best with his energy and intelligence.
“I mean, he’s competitive as heck,” Diggs said. “He makes a play over there. He’s yelling across to the other side of the field to us, you know, just the back and forth.”
Diggs might have enjoyed the competitiveness. Titans coach Brian Callahan made clear he was disappointed with his offense’s execution in the final drill, though the unit was missing two of its top receivers due to injury, with DeAndre Hopkins (knee) and Tyler Boyd (bruised foot) both sidelined.
“That wasn’t what I was hoping to get out of that period,” Callahan said. “I thought it just wasn’t good execution all the way around, and we throw an interception that would end the game. And so that’s good coaching to teach off of, but very disappointed in that.”
As often seems to be the case on the second day of joint practices for NFL teams, more emotions came out for both the Seahawks and the Titans on Thursday.
Titans general manager Ran Carthon helped keep the Tennessee offensive line back after Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams stopped himself after pulling back his right arm, apparently ready to punch rookie left tackle JC Latham while already on top of the No. 7 pick of April’s NFL draft.
Witherspoon had been beaten a couple of times Wednesday. As someone who learned from Adams, a safety, as a rookie a year ago in Seattle, the trash talk went back and forth. The Seahawks cornerback was much happier having a chance to help wrap up Thursday’s session with an interception.
He said Adams was hiding from him as Witherspoon went looking for him after the pick.
“Yeah, I was looking for him, so I could get him the ball and show him that’s how you do it, for real. That’s how you really run this defense,” Witherspoon said.
Two-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons of the Titans had his own moment, picking up left guard Laken Tomlinson and tossing him to the ground.
Callahan said Thursday’s practice was shorter than Wednesday, which went nearly 2 1/2 hours in the heat of the day.
And after two hard days of controlled joint practices, Callahan said there will be no need for the starters to play in the preseason game Saturday night at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium. Malik Willis will start at quarterback after working with the second team some against Seattle.
“He’s earned the right to have an opportunity to play with that group,” Callahan said, “and I’m looking forward to seeing what he does.”