Why Bleacher Report is wrong about the Tennessee Titans' offseason
The Tennessee Titans will need a disruptive pass rush if they're going to win the AFC South in 2019. That's the only way to beat Andrew Luck and Deshaun Watson. But according to Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox, the Titans didn't do enough this past offseason to address their pass rush. Here's what Knox had to […]
The Tennessee Titans will need a disruptive pass rush if they're going to win the AFC South in 2019.
That's the only way to beat Andrew Luck and Deshaun Watson.
But according to Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox, the Titans didn't do enough this past offseason to address their pass rush.
Here's what Knox had to say about Tennessee's offseason decisions regarding their pass rush.
Instead of taking a chance on a pass-rusher like Montez Sweat or L.J. Collier in the first round of the draft, Tennessee instead took a flier on injured defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. This could prove to be a fine move, of course, if Simmons can return to pre-injury form. He suffered a torn ACL while preparing for the combine, though, and there's no guarantee he'll ever be the same dominant defender again.
Whether or not Simmons returns to form, he isn't likely to see the field in 2019. This means Tennessee's pass rush will be no better than it was a year ago, and without Orakpo, it could be even worse.
I couldn't disagree more. I think the Titans' pass rush will be better in 2019 than it was in 2018.
Knox seems to forget that Tennessee added veteran Cameron Wake to the roster.
Wake might be 37, but he's still very capable of getting after the quarterback.
More importantly, the Titans have Harold Landry on the roster. The second year pass rusher out of Boston College will see more playing time in 2019 with no Brian Orakpo and Derrick Morgan.
Landry had 4.5 sacks as a rookie, which is comparable to the numbers that JJ Watt and Khalil Mack put up as rookies. I don't think we can call Landry the next Watt or Mack, but it's not unreasonable to believe he could reach double digit sacks in 2019.
And let's not forget about Jurrell Casey, one of the most underrated players in the NFL. Casey had seven sacks in 15 games last season. He also had 11 tackles for loss.
The Titans' pass rush doesn't feature any "big names", but they have plenty of talent. Mike Vrabel knows as well as anyone that getting to the quarterback is key to winning football games. He's going to make sure an effective pass rush is a priority.
Despite what Kristopher Knox says, the Titans' pass rush will be just fine in 2019.
Featured image via Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
