Tennessee Titans WR has the perfect preseason mentality
When it comes to cut day and 53-man roster decisions, it's no secret that the Tennessee Titans and head coach Mike Vrabel place a premium on special teams contributions. Every player, no matter the position, that is hoping to earn a spot on the Titans' roster does so first and foremost by being valuable on […]
When it comes to cut day and 53-man roster decisions, it's no secret that the Tennessee Titans and head coach Mike Vrabel place a premium on special teams contributions.
Every player, no matter the position, that is hoping to earn a spot on the Titans' roster does so first and foremost by being valuable on special teams. Most wannabe NFL players get to the preseason hoping to prove themselves by intercepting passes or scoring touchdowns. But in Tennessee, you win a roster spot in August by covering a kickoff, making a tackle, or laying a block.
That's a philosophy that rookie wide receiver Colton Dowell is fully embracing.
An alumni of Wilson Central High School, Dowell is getting ready to suit up for his NFL debut with his hometown team. That dream being realized comes with a fair amount of nerves, but the 2023 seventh round draft pick has the perfect mentality for Tennessee's preseason opener.
"We've put in so much work since May, so I'm really excited to go out there and showcase what I've learned and more or less just prove to myself that I belong here," Dowell said to Chris Harris of WSMV. "My goal for this game is to have more tackles than I do catches, that's going to prove that I want to be out there on special teams and I'll do anything to get on this team."
"For 90 percent of those guys, that's where it starts," said Titans wide receivers coach Rob Moore about the importance of special teams for players on the roster bubble. "Their chances increase of making this team if they can have contributions on special teams."
A perfect example of that is Titans wide receiver Chris Moore, who is a 30-year-old veteran going into his eighth season that has made his living doing the dirty work better than anyone else. Moore has played 1,111 special teams snaps over 89 career NFL games. Over time, Moore has been able to carve out a larger role for himself as an offensive threat.
It's a good way to make a roster, but as Rob Moore said on Thursday, "it's not something that everybody's willing to do."
With five wide receivers (Hopkins, Burks, Philips, Westbrook-Ikhine, and Moore) likely to get roster spots and no guarantee the Titans even keep six receivers, Dowell is going to need to be at his best if he wants to crack the 53. The rookie has the right mentality, though, and that's a giant leap in the right direction.
Whether it's on offense, a kickoff, or a punt – keep your eyes on number 14 in Chicago on Saturday.
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