Mike Vrabel just got proven right in his criticism of former Titans player
Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel did not mince words when asked about the Titans injury issues in his season ending press conference back in January. 86 different players took the field in a regular season game for the Titans in 2022. That was just five less than the record-breaking 91 players that played for […]
Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel did not mince words when asked about the Titans injury issues in his season ending press conference back in January.
86 different players took the field in a regular season game for the Titans in 2022. That was just five less than the record-breaking 91 players that played for Tennessee in 2021. With two consecutive seasons derailed by injuries, a frustrated Vrabel spoke to the media after the season and called out two "repeat offenders" of soft tissue injuries.
Vrabel mentioned defensive back Kristian Fulton and linebacker David Long Jr. by name, saying that each of them needed to "find a way to train" heading into the offseason. The Titans later opted to not re-sign Long, who instead agreed to a contract with the Miami Dolphins as a free agent.
Long had his best professional season in 2022, recording 86 tackles, two interceptions, and seven tackles for loss in 12 starts for the Titans. The former West Virginia Mountaineer and sixth-round pick was a key contributor to Tennessee's stout run defense.
But as free agency played out, it became clear that Long's injury history was getting in the way of negotiating his return to Tennessee. "You would’ve thought I tore my ACL the way they treating me," Long said in a Tweet just after his agreement with the Dolphins was announced.
The Titans brought in former San Francisco 49ers linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair to be Long's replacement, and early reports from Dolphins minicamp suggest that Mike Vrabel was dead on with his concerns about Long. Tennessee may have caught a break in moving on.
According to a report from Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network, "Dolphins LB David Long suffered a minor injury tweak that has cost him some on-field time during minicamp." Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel told the media that Andrew Van Ginkel, Duke Riley, and UDFA rookies will receiver extra reps as a result and that inside linebacker remains a question.
Long missed 12 games over his last two seasons with the Titans, mostly due to soft tissue injuries. The best ability is availability, and that's especially true for a Titans team that lacks experienced depth at a number of critical positions.
While Long said he was "surprised" by Vrabel's comments about him and claims it "created a narrative" regarding his game, Vrabel has already been proven right. While Al-Shaair is doing a marvelous job at leading the Titans' defense, Long is unavailable.
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