The Tennessee Titans will play their latest exhibition contest on Saturday night when they host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Nissan Stadium in Nashville for preseason Week 2.
After Tennessee’s preseason contest on Saturday night, the team will make its next round of cuts on Tuesday, trimming their roster from 85 to 80 players. The final cut will take place on the Tuesday after preseason Week 3.
There are several notable players on the bubble who need to stand out in order to make the cut. Also, there are some roster locks who need to shine if they want to cement a role from themselves at the outset of the season.
Here’s a look at players who need a strong showing in preseason Week 2.
QB Logan Woodside
Woodside had a lackluster preseason Week 1 and was outperformed by Malik Willis. Woodside failed to score any points and tossed a pair of picks in his half of play.
It remains to be seen if the Titans would even consider carrying just Willis behind Ryan Tannehill and not have a buffer between him and the field in his first season, but Woodside is doing everything he can to force the Titans to do so, or at the very least explore outside options for the No. 2 role.
We’ve written Woodside off before, only to have him prove us wrong. He’ll need a strong showing in preseason Week 2 if he wants to avoid getting cut down the road.
DL Larrell Murchison
Murchison is barely keeping his head above water thanks to a quiet offseason and if the Titans only keep five defensive linemen, he’ll be on the outside looking in thanks to the emergence of DeMarcus Walker.
Murchison’s fate may already be sealed, but a strong showing on Saturday night would go a long way towards forcing Tennessee to keep a sixth.
CB Caleb Farley
Farley is the projected starter at cornerback opposite Kristian Fulton, but he has struggled this offseason and rookie Roger McCreary is doing everything he can to give the second-year pro a run for his money.
In practice on Thursday, McCreary received first-team reps at outside corner. On the same day, Farley, who was OK in preseason Week 1, had a bounce-back performance following a rough first practice with Tampa Bay.
If Fulton plays, it’ll be interesting to see who starts opposite him. If Fulton doesn’t play, look for McCreary, who didn’t play in preseason Week 1, to get the nod opposite Farley.
RB Trenton Cannon
The Titans trimmed their running backs room by one after waiving Jordan Wilkins in the first round of cuts. Cannon, who was once thought to have a great shot to make the roster, might be on the chopping block.
Cannon has been quiet this offseason, and while he did have a few effective kick returns in preseason Week 1, he was outshined by Julius Chestnut as a rusher, and by Racey McMath as a returner.
Cannon’s special teams prowess might not be enough to make the cut. He’s got to do more as a running back and returner in preseason Week 2 if he wants to make it through to the 53-man roster.
Secondary depth options
Tennessee’s secondary depth options were lackluster to say the least in preseason Week 1, as the Baltimore Ravens’ backup quarterbacks shredded the group to the tune of 28-of-35 passing for 259 yards and one touchdown.
The Titans added two new faces to the group this week in Lonnie Johnson Jr. and Tyree Gillespie, both of whom have more of an urgency to show out because of their late arrivals.
However, both have a better shot than most in their positions thanks to the aforementioned showing by Tennessee’s secondary depth options.
We want to see improvements from guys like Greg Mabin, Theo Jackson, Chris Jackson and A.J. Moore. Granted, we believe Moore is a lock to make the roster, but he’s also battling for the top backup role at safety.
Shakur Brown is another player to watch. Like Gillespie and Johnson, Brown was a late addition in training camp but has been playing great football since arriving in Nashville and could earn a spot if he continues to make noise.
WR depth options
If Tennessee carries six wide receivers, five spots are already taken with Robert Woods, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Kyle Philips, Treylon Burks and Racey McMath.
Mason Kinsey and Dez Fitzpatrick are the favorites for what figures to be one spot up for grabs at wide receiver. Kinsey has been better, but we’d expect both to make the cut should the Titans carry seven.
Other names to watch at the position include Reggie Roberson Jr., who didn’t suit up in preseason Week 1, and Terry Godwin.
Both are longshots to beat out Fitzpatrick and Kinsey, but we love Roberson’s potential as a receiver and return man, and Godwin was the team’s second-leading receiver in preseason Week 1 and is vying for a return job.
WR Treylon Burks
If the season started today, we’d probably see Burks starting out as a backup behind Robert Woods and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, and he’d likely split snaps out of the slot with Kyle Philips.
Now, that’s not to say Burks hasn’t been good in practice, but the Titans love and trust NWI, and Philips has simply been better. Adding to that, Burks was quiet in preseason Week 1.
If Burks wants more than a rotational role to start the season, he’s got to make some noise in the next two preseason contests. That process begins Saturday night.
P Ryan Stonehouse
All offseason long we’ve heard about Stonehouse’s monster leg, and we saw that first hand in preseason Week 1 when the rookie punter booted a 60-yarder, outshining Brett Kern, whose longest punt was 58 yards.
We simply cannot fathom the Titans moving on from Kern this year, but Stonehouse is definitely making things interesting.
OL Jamarco Jones
It has been a rough go of it for Jones since arriving in Nashville. Not only did he get into a fight with the guy he could be starting next to, Taylor Lewan, but he’s also seen Aaron Brewer get all the first-team reps in practice.
Jones started at left guard in the preseason opener, but that was likely because the Titans needed Brewer at center. This one may already be decided, but Jones must greatly help his cause on Saturday night.
OT Nicholas Petit-Frere
The Titans started Dillon Radunz at right tackle in preseason Week 1, but NPF was eventually moved over there later in the game and was able to hold his own despite some hiccups.
While NPF has been better than expected in practice and the preseason thus far, he still needs to do more if he’s going to beat out Radunz, who has been better but certainly not great this offseason.
The Titans have been rotating the pair in practice, so it’ll be interesting to see who gets the start in preseason Week 2. If it’s Radunz, that might be an indication he’s got the starting job wrapped up.
