Titans offensive line receives challenge from Mike Vrabel
NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Titans offensive line has earned no benefit of the doubt heading into the regular season. A group that features a new starter at every position will be Tennessee's biggest roster question mark of 2023. And Week 1 is right around the corner. The projected starting line played in each of the […]
NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Titans offensive line has earned no benefit of the doubt heading into the regular season. A group that features a new starter at every position will be Tennessee's biggest roster question mark of 2023.
And Week 1 is right around the corner.
The projected starting line played in each of the Titans three preseason games. Results were mixed in how the group fared. Players critical to this year's success, like left tackle Andre Dillard and veteran guard Daniel Brunskill, are tops among general manager Ran Carton's roster gambles in his first offseason.
It is a tenuous place to exist in with a 35-year old quarterback, backed up by two young players that would be hard to trust at this stage.
"That entire group there's just too much inconsistency," said coach Mike Vrabel on Saturday. "As we work through some different runs and being able to—some of the stuff that I think we should be able to nail, no matter what it is, we've been running it since May, we've got to be able to get and get going, block it better. Some of the new ones, I get, okay maybe see a different look and this happened. I would just say that group in general, like we have to have a great week."
Not exactly a glowing endorsement.
Anyone sensible understands that Carthon and Vrabel had their work cut out for them with this group heading into the offseason. Former Tennessee GM Jon Robinson had been chasing an offensive line rebuild for three consecutive years with little success prior to his firing last December. The roster and its associated financial state did not make this most-important task any easier to maneuver.
Carthon took fliers on potential patches in Dillard and Brunskill without being contractually hamstrung by them in the long-term.
The Titans also used the 11th overall pick on now-guard Peter Skoronski, who has more than held up for a rookie being asked to learn a new position. Skoronski and center Aaron Brewer together appear to be the line's most competent parts thus far. How much more the group can realistically improve together remains to be seen.
It simply needs to be better.
Featured Image: USA TODAY Sports.
