Former Titans first round pick sounds off on Mike Vrabel
Former Tennessee Titans first round pick and current New York Giants cornerback Adoree' Jackson is speaking out about his former coach, Mike Vrabel. Jackson was drafted with the 18th pick of the first round in the 2017 NFL Draft by Tennessee. In four seasons with Tennessee, Jackson started 41 games in the secondary and handled […]
Former Tennessee Titans first round pick and current New York Giants cornerback Adoree' Jackson is speaking out about his former coach, Mike Vrabel.
Jackson was drafted with the 18th pick of the first round in the 2017 NFL Draft by Tennessee. In four seasons with Tennessee, Jackson started 41 games in the secondary and handled a majority of Titans punt returns.
After recording just two interceptions in four seasons and suffering a knee injury that held him to three games in 2020, the Titans shockingly cut their former first rounder.
The defense had been a major disappointment in 2020, and the responding message was loud and clear. The Titans chose coaches over personnel, and gave Mike Vrabel and Shane Bowen an opportunity to reset and retool their defense.
After signing a three-year, $39 million with the New York Giants before 2021, Jackson now finds himself reflecting on his NFL journey thus far. Jackson appeared on the "Cut To It Podcast", a show hosted by former NFL wide receiver Steve Smith, and shared his true feelings about his time in Tennessee.
Different Styles
When Smith asked Jackson about the highs and lows of his NFL career, Jackson made a point to reference the adversity he faced because of his NFL coaching, specifically referencing Vrabel and the Titans.
“Vrabel got there and I had to get used to him and what he wanted," Jackson said. "The type of player he wanted and the style he wanted.We didn’t gel. It didn’t mesh right. My play didn’t work and the way he was coaching didn’t work for me."
According to Jackson, Vrabel and the Titans coaching staff were stubborn with the scheme they wanted to run, and the mental challenges that came from “not playing his game” kept him from being comfortable.
“It matters because the game is 90% mental and 10% physical. Being coached a certain way can effect mentality and keep you from playing your own game," said Jackson.
"Good coach. Smart as hell. He knows what he's doing but he don’t know how to coach everybody."
– Former Titans CB Adoree' Jackson on Mike Vrabel
Jackson did say he respected Vrabel as a human, claimingto “resonate” with a lot of the life advice he received from Vrabel. That included appreciating the importance of second chances, something Vrabel often preaches to his players.
Burning Bridges
While Jackson did refrain from being too critical of his former coach at times, host Steve Smith wasted no time in stirring the pot.
Smith insinuated that Vrabel has been rubbing many of his players the wrong way, saying that from what he’s heard, everyone from the Bill Belichick coaching tree “tries to be Bill”, leading to their failure as a coach.
"Bill Belichick folk, those dudes come off on their first job and they try to be bill to a tee, and it never works out," Smith said. "Long term it never works out because they burn too many bridges with players. That's what I hear. They rub payers the wrong way. They do."
Jackson did not comment on that claim, and Smith confirmed that Jackson may not be in agreement with his assessment.
"This is not Adoree' saying it. I'm just saying what I know over my 22 years of experience and hearing," Smith concluded.
Smith and Jackson can insinuate all they want. Maybe Jackson was never put in the best position possible to excel in Tennessee, but whatever processes Mike Vrabel believes in for player development, it's been a fruitful one.
Jackson’s play is yet to take a big leap in New York, and until it does, there's no reason to believe the Titans system was a reason for his performance.
Playing in different schemes and being versatile is part of sticking in the NFL. If you can’t handle the mental challenges that come with adaptation, your chances to succeed were rather small to begin with.
As for Smith's comments, the results speak for themselves. He can talk "long term" all he wants, but as things sit currently, Mike Vrabel holds the 6th highest winning percentage of any active coach with only Matt LaFleur (GB), Bill Belichick (NE), Mike Tomlin (PIT), Sean McVay (LAR), and Andy Reid (KC) better.
He is the reigning AP NFL Coach of the Year, and one of the most successful young coaches in the game, who’s next step is making it out of the tough AFC to his first Super Bowl.
In 2022, Vrabel will have another huge opportunity to prove himself as a head coach, specifically on the defensive side of the ball. After a personnel reset in 2021, the Titans defense was greatly improved, carrying them to the best record in the AFC despite an injury to Derrick Henry.
The secondary in 2022 is finally fully healthy, and seems younger and more talented than ever.With talents like Byard, Hooker, Fulton, Farley in the secondary, Vrabel's coaching philosophy and scheme are going to be on full display, and the results will do the talking.
If the Titans still struggle to defend the pass in 2022, maybe we’ll know Jackson was onto something.Until then, Vrabel's resume speaks for itself, and wins are a whole lot louder than rumors spread by an ex player.
Image via Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
