COLUMN: The Titans Have Tough Decisions to Make at Wide Receiver
NASHVILLE, Tenn. ⏤ Tennessee Titans general manager Job Robinson will have to trim his team's cavalry from 80 to 53 men on Tuesday, and no position is going to be more difficult to sort out than receiver. That's because the receivers fighting for a spot on the backend of Tennessee's roster have all excelled during […]
NASHVILLE, Tenn. ⏤ Tennessee Titans general manager Job Robinson will have to trim his team's cavalry from 80 to 53 men on Tuesday, and no position is going to be more difficult to sort out than receiver.
That's because the receivers fighting for a spot on the backend of Tennessee's roster have all excelled during Training Camp, and most of them will be playing somewhere else in 2021 if they fail to make the cut with the Titans.
The battle has been so tight that it's hard to predict which direction the team will go.
"We have a talented receiver group, there’s some depth there," offensive coordinator Todd Downing said. "Obviously, powers above me have some tough decisions to make."
The Titans have 10 receivers on their active roster, plus rookie sixth-round pick Racey McMath, who's on the COVID-19/Reserve list.
Of those 11 players, four⏤Julio Jones, A.J. Brown, Chester Rogers and Josh Reynolds⏤are locks. One, Fred Brown, is very clearly in last place and on the outside looking in.
That leaves McMath, Cameron Batson, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Marcus Johnson, Mason Kinsey and fourth-round rookie Dez Fitzpatrick in the battle for what will either be just a pair or trio of spots.
Each player has made a strong case.
"The receivers have done a good job all camp. A lot of guys have shown up and shined," QB Logan Woodside said.
Kinsey shined in preseason game No. 2, leading the Titans with 56 receiving yards and scoring an impressive TD.
Johnson was, arguably, the most consistent receiver during Training Camp practices, showing up every day with big plays.
McMath was an early Training Camp star, showing that he can put his impressive speed and size to good use.
Westbrook-Ikhine had a strong camp and barely played in the preseason, a sign that the Titans, perhaps, didn't feel the need to see anything more from him.
Even Fitzpatrick, who had a rough go during Training Camp, has shined, at times. He caught a TD in Tennessee's second preseason game and looks far more comfortable than he did even just a couple of weeks ago.
That leaves Batson, who seemed to have little-to-no shot at making the cut heading into the Titans' third preseason game on Saturday.
But after his impressive performance in that game⏤four catches, 45 receiving yards and a nifty back-shoulder TD on the goal-line⏤counting Batson completely out would be a mistake.
"I certainly have never written Cam off," Downing said. "I think he’s made of the right stuff. He’s got that competitive spirit, that grit, that toughness."
Batson's effort on Thursday was emblematic of how the entire month of August has gone for the receivers fighting for roster spots with the Titans.
Each time someone seemed to have fallen behind the pack, they came roaring back. Every time it looks like the order was completely set, it was revealed to not be.
That's why Robinson's job will be so difficult on Tuesday.
There were no clear winners in the Titans' wideout battle, but it's not because nobody shined. Rather, it's because pretty much everyone shined. Some shined a lot.
Each player consistently proved that they can provide the Titans with some kind of unique trait.
For Johnson, it was speed. For Kinsey, it was slot prowess. Batson, explosiveness. Fitzpatrick, size. Westbrook-Ikhine, route-running. McMath, physicality.
As a result, Robinson's decision on who to keep and who to send to the waiver wire at wide receiver could come down to stylistic preference.
Whatever he chooses, he's going to end up waiving or releasing multiple talented pass catchers who won't be watching the 2021 NFL season from a sofa in a living room.
Deciding who those players will and won't be isn't going to be easy.
Cover images: George Walker IV & Andrew Nelles/The Tennessean
