What Robert Saleh looks for from players at Titans OTAs before the pads come on and competition truly starts
NASHVILLE — Robert Saleh has made a few subtle adjustments to the way that the Tennessee Titans do business. While seed oils gathered most of the headlines this week, Saleh’s evaluation process also stood out. Of all the new coaches on Tennessee’s practice fields, Saleh was the most inconspicuous for a reason. Robert Saleh’s quiet […]
NASHVILLE — Robert Saleh has made a few subtle adjustments to the way that the Tennessee Titans do business. While seed oils gathered most of the headlines this week, Saleh’s evaluation process also stood out.
Of all the new coaches on Tennessee’s practice fields, Saleh was the most inconspicuous for a reason.
Robert Saleh’s quiet approach
One day of watching Saleh observe his team’s practices at OTAs should not be read too much into.
I have covered four Titans head coaches and one interim in last 10 seasons. Every one of them has operated their practices in a different way. Mike Mularkey and Brian Callahan spent most of their time working with the offensive side of the ball. Mike Vrabel would routinely work into drills with players at every position.
Through rookie minicamp and a week of OTAs, Saleh has been the most nondescript of the bunch. He mostly just stands back, watches, and compares notes with assistants and staff.
“Just how natural football is for a lot of these kids,” Saleh said of what he’s looking for. “Like I said, there’s a difference between the classroom and then the post-snap cognitive aspect with regards to being able to play football and you can see it in the way guys move and the way they respond to different post-snap activity. Like when the picture changes, how does a player respond? So, you can get a lot information with regards to OTAs.”
Saleh admits that “no one’s ever made a team in OTAs” just based on mental cognition.
Training camp, and even mandatory minicamp, bring a heightened level of intensity. The NFL’s collective bargaining agreement states that “no Club may hold more than a total of sixteen padded practices” between the start and end of training camp. It makes the evaluation process by coaches all the more difficult.
“You’ll find a lot of players who shine in OTAs — not usually, but a lot players will disappear once pads come on versus guys who didn’t show well in OTAs kind of appear once the pads came on. So it gives you kind of an idea, but you never want to pass a stamped judgment until pads come on.”
For now, Saleh is content to watch and gather information.
Featured Image: USA TODAY Sports.