Tennessee Titans' revamped offensive line is a work in progress in training camp
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans thought they had at least one starter on the offensive line ready to go in the same spot for the 2023 season.
Then the NFL suspended right tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere for the first six games of the season.
That leaves Aaron Brewer sliding from left guard to center as the last man remaining on a completely revamped line.
“Oh, it’s a different feeling," Brewer said. "I’m feeling good, man. I like the new group of guys.”
The faces definitely are new, and the Titans can only hope this year's starting offensive line is better than a year ago when it could hardly be much worse.
Only four teams gave up more sacks than the 49 allowed by the patchwork Tennessee line last season. Ryan Tannehill was pressured so much he sprained his right ankle not once, but twice. The second essentially ended his season and Tennessee's playoff hopes in a seven-game skid.
General manager Ran Carthon, hired in January, put remaking the offensive line at the top of his to-do list. He released three-time Pro Bowl left tackle Taylor Lewan and center Ben Jones to clear salary cap space. Right guard Nate Davis was allowed to leave for Chicago in free agency.
Carthon signed left tackle Andre Dillard, the 22nd pick overall in 2019 by Philadelphia. He brought Daniel Brunskill as another free agent with him from San Francisco to play right guard. Carthon drafted Peter Skoronski of Northwestern with the 11th selection overall in April with left guard his slot for now.
A big benefit as the coaches try to select the new starting line is these offensive linemen are going against a stout defensive front led by two-time Pro Bowl tackle Jeffery Simmons. Outside linebacker Harold Landry III, who had a career-high 12 sacks in earning his first Pro Bowl nod in 2021, also is there.
Free agent signee Arden Key has been testing Dillard, someone who started only nine of 43 games played in Philadelphia, on every snap with a variety of speed and other pass rush moves. Teair Tart is inside next to Simmons.
“Without the trenches in this league, you don’t have nothing," Simmons said. “And we saw and we talked about it together, we saw last year, we don’t have a good pocket things are going to happen.”
The biggest challenge is finding a new right tackle for at least the first six games with the season starting Sept. 10 in New Orleans. Petit-Frere won the job in training camp a year ago as a rookie only to be suspended June 29 by the NFL for betting on another sport while at the team facility.
The Titans worked out veterans George Fant and Chris Hubbard before signing Hubbard on July 28. A nine-year veteran who has played with Pittsburgh and Cleveland, Hubbard has started 41 games at right tackle, four at right guard and three as an extra tight end despite going undrafted out of UAB.
Rookie Jaelyn Duncan, a sixth-round pick out of Maryland, has worked at the spot. So has Jamarco Jones, a free agent signee a year ago who missed 2022 because of a preseason injury.
“Just want to see somebody,” coach Mike Vrabel said. “Just give everybody an opportunity and see if somebody takes advantage of it. We’ll keep moving guys around to see where we end up.”
NOTES: Simmons and Jamarco Jones tangled briefly early in practice, earning both trips to the sand pit just outside the indoor practice field. Vrabel said Monday that's the punishment for fighting in practice to remind players of the penalties such behavior can draw during games that count.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
