From John Franklin-Myers’ versatile role to a surprising rookie running back hierarchy, discover the key takeaways and position battle leaders shaping Tennessee’s new-look roster this preseason.
The Tennessee Titans gave everyone an idea of how the team will operate in the preseason under head coach Robert Saleh on Sunday.
The Titans will kick off the preseason against the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday at 8 p.m. CT on NFL Network. It'll be a homecoming of sorts for Saleh, who was the 49ers' defensive coordinator last season.
The team will be on the road for its first two preseason games against the 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks.
Tennessee is about to fly out there to have a joint practice with the 49ers before the game.
For the most part, the starters on offense, defense and special teams made sense. However, there were a few things we learned about the Titans based on that first depth chart.
At the end of the day, this is the preseason, and the Titans haven't even had 10 training camp practices yet, so take this depth chart with a grain of salt. The Titans are going to work everyone in as much as they can in these games to get an idea of who the starters should be.
These were my initial thoughts after seeing the depth chart for the first time:
How Titans Plan to Use John Franklin-Myers
With John Franklin-Myers, it's been a guessing game on where he would play on the defensive line.
He even said himself in a recent interview that he's happy to do whatever it takes to help the team win, which didn't really give us an idea of what position he'd play.
Defensive tackle makes sense so that he could benefit from all the extra attention Jeffery Simmons is going to get. He did play edge rusher at his last two stops with the Denver Broncos and New York Jets, however.
After looking at the depth chart, it appears that Franklin-Myers is going to be moved around. He was listed as the starting defensive lineman, which goes back to an interview from earlier in the offseason where he said Saleh likes to take advantage of mismatches.
Sounds like Franklin-Myers told us indirectly where he'd play. We didn't know it at that point.
Nick Singleton's Place in RB Room
The RB1 and RB2 spots belonged to Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears and Michael Carter.
Then, my attention shifted to where Nicholas Singleton was. Singleton was listed as an RB3 but was below Julius Chestnut and Kalel Mullings. I know that Saleh said earlier this offseason that Singleton needed to earn his keep in the backfield, but I was surprised at how low he was.
Still, it is the preseason, and we'll get to see Singleton play either way, especially since he's a rookie. I was still a little shocked at how low on the running back depth chart Singleton was.
It looks like Singleton has a lot of work to do.
Austin Schlottmann, Cordell Volson Leading Their Position Battles
The offseason position battles for center and right guard have found their frontrunners.
Austin Schlottmann is starting at center, with Cordell Volson at right guard. This is still subject to change, with the Titans set to play just their first preseason game on Thursday, but it is still important to note.
Another thing I noticed was that Jackson Slater was listed as the backup left guard. Does this mean that he's losing his place in the battle for right guard? Fernando Carmona was the backup right guard.
What we do know is that Schlottmann and Volson are winning the battles so far.
Where Keldric Faulk Stands
Keldric Faulk is another player who can be moved around the defensive line.
He was listed behind Jacob Martin on the right side as an edge rusher. It looks like just on the cusp of becoming a starter for this team.
Makes me wonder if the Titans will let Martin start the season, then work Faulk in until they feel he's ready to start. Martin definitely has what it takes to be a bridge player until Faulk is ready to go.
The Linebacker Situation
I looked further down the depth chart on the defensive side and noticed something interesting.
Cedric Gray and Cody Barton are the starting linebackers, but then I saw that it also looked like Mohamoud Diabate was starting as well. Anthony Hill Jr. was listed behind Diabate, so it looks like he'll be one of the first names off the bench.
Dorian Mausi and James Williams Sr. are the other backups at linebacker.
I initially thought that Diabate was brought in to be a depth piece at linebacker. Hill still has to do more to earn a starting role at linebacker it seems.
