Front from left, Tennessee Titans quarterbacks Ryan Tannehill, Logan Woodside and Marcus Mariota leave the field after the team’s final practice of minicamp Wednesday in Nashville.NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Titans wrapped up their three-day mandatory minicamp on Thursday – not on a football field, but with a field trip to hit golf balls.
Their last football play? That came a day before when Dean Pees caught a punt – a Jugs throwing machine put the ball in the air – before being swarmed by players celebrating with the 69-year-old defensive coordinator.
Titans coach Mike Vrabel said the trip to Topgolf was the result of evaluating where the team was at the end of its offseason program and a last attempt to keep everyone healthy for training camp, which starts late next month. He said with players competing for jobs, there’s a fine line of coaches preaching effort and finishing without pushing too hard.
“I don’t think we’re going to beat anybody on this last day, but I think that we could certainly lose to some teams by losing guys,” Vrabel said. “I think that’s the biggest thing that you want as you come out of spring. You’re just trying to improve but stay as healthy as you possibly can.”
Rookies and quarterbacks will report for training camp July 22, with the rest of the players arriving three days later. Vrabel expects to be close to full strength then.
Rookie defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons, the team’s top draft pick this spring, likely will be among a few Titans starting the preseason on the physically unable to perform list. Simmons is recovering after tearing his left ACL in February while preparing for the draft.
Right tackle Jack Conklin and tight end Jonnu Smith are recovering from knee injuries that ended the 2018 season early for each player. Rookie wide receiver A.J. Brown, who appeared to pull a muscle last week, was limited during minicamp but now has five weeks to heal before the team reunites.
Vrabel was wrapping up his second offseason in Nashville. His mantra to the Titans for this season has been finding ways to go from good to great after three consecutive 9-7 records and only one playoff berth. How successful their offseason work was will begin to be known on ly once the Titans’ regular season kicks off Sept. 8 against the host Cleveland Browns.
“That’s something that has to be evaluated ultimately by wins and losses,” Vrabel said. “That’s really what this comes down to.”
In his debut season as a head coach, Vrabel endured an opener that wound up being the NFL’s longest game, injuries to a handful of key starters including quarterback Marcus Mariota, a veteran receiver asking to be released midseason and Pees missing most of a key AFC South road game for medical reasons.
Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Dean Pees instructs players during a minicamp session Wednesday in Nashville.Vrabel knows to also expect challenges in his second season leading the Titans.
“I think I maybe know where some of the pitfalls are, where some of the speedbumps are,” Vrabel said, “and navigate your way around them.”
The Titans swapped tight ends on the roster Thursday, agreeing to terms with veteran Ryan Hewitt and waiving Keith Towbridge. Hewitt has played 72 games in five NFL seasons with 23 catches for 221 yards. Undrafted out of Stanford, he played four seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals and was with the Indianapolis Colts for 12 games last year.
Among the personnel questions to be answered in training camp are who will start at right guard after the Titans released Josh Kline in March. Vrabel joked one position already is settled with Pees beating out offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, a former offensive lineman, while catching punts Wednesday to wrap up minicamp.
“Dean is our new punt returner,” Vrabel said. “Everybody wants to know – we’ve got one position filled for 2019, and that’s Dean Pees at punt returner. Obviously, Dean has caught a few punts in his day. He tried to keep his shoulders square, get his fingertips together. It was impressive.
“Arthur, not so much. That’s what it looks like when offensive linemen try to catch punts.”