The Tennessee Titans officially trimmed their roster down to 53 players on Tuesday afternoon. Needless to say, this is a ridiculously hard day for everybody involved.
More specifically, when it comes to those who are let go, since many of them now face the reality that their NFL dream could possibly be over.
Some of the released players will undoubtedly land on practice squads and/or other rosters across the league, but that unfortunately won’t be the case for several others.
Nevertheless, this article is going to discuss the biggest surprises when it comes to the Titans’ initial 53-man roster, which includes the six biggest surprises for those who did make the roster, as well as the five biggest surprises for those who didn’t.
Some of these decisions are surprises because they seemingly came out of nowhere. Meanwhile, others are more of a shock due to how many players remain at one particular position.
Let’s not wait any longer and dive right into it.
DB Anthony Kendall making the cut
Kendall was the first real surprise of the day in terms of which players made the team. Kendall was solid in special teams, while also steadily earning himself more playing time on defense with each passing week.
LB/S Matthew Jackson making the cut
Jackson joined the Titans earlier this offseason on a tryout basis and has now made the most of that opportunity by becoming one of the best gunners on the team.
He should have himself a role immediately on special teams while also providing depth at both linebacker and safety.
LB Otis Reese making the cut
It was rather clear that head coach Mike Vrabel was a fan of “O-T-I-S” when he specifically named him as one of the players who he was most excited to watch this preseason.
Reese clearly did enough since then to keep Vrabel and Co. as a believer in his skill set due to his intensity and competitiveness on both defense and special teams.
DL Naquan Jones making the cut
This one is a real surprise to me, simply because I thought there were a few players who were let go that deserved it more based on what they’ve shown the last few weeks, like veteran Michael Dwumfour. Not to mention, Jones missed significant time due to injury.
Nevertheless, Tennessee obviously still believes in Jones and he’s now set to add some valuable depth to Tennessee’s extremely talented defensive line.
WR Colton Dowell making the cut
Dowell was the lone wide receiver drafted in the spring, and despite his occasional inconsistencies, he ended the preseason on a high note, catching two passes for 49 yards in the finale.
Dowell undoubtedly has the physical tools you’re looking for in a wide receiver, but Tennessee keeping seven wide receivers is where the real surprise comes from.
OL Xavier Newman making the cut
Similarly to Dowell, this one comes as a surprise, mainly because Tennessee chose to keep a total of 10 offensive linemen on its roster. Also, the Titans ultimately chose Xavier Newman-Johnson over the likes of Jordan Roos, who had looked solid in his limited role in the past.
Newman is a young player who now provides some depth to an offensive line that surely could use it.
TE Thomas Odukoya cut
After a strong offseason that led to a ton of praise from his head coach, Tennessee ultimately chose to part ways with the tight end they acquired via the International Player Pathway Program.
In all likelihood, the Titans now hope to get Odukoya back on the practice squad so they can continue to develop his overall game.
If they do bring Odukoya back, he won’t count toward the team’s practice squad numbers and will instead give them 17 players instead of the default 16.
Odukoya showed tremendous promise with his blocking abilities, but that just wasn’t enough. This leaves the Titans with just three tight ends on their roster as they head into the season.
LB Chance Campbell cut
Despite having a strong last few weeks, Tennessee chose to part ways with its sixth-round pick from a season ago. Campbell had an uphill battle to beat out Luke Gifford for a special teams role, and that’s what likely led to him being cut.
With that said, you’d have to imagine Campbell will be destined for a practice squad role as long as he clears waivers.
CB Eric Garror cut
This transaction surprised many fans, as Garror had a fantastic last few weeks, routinely making plays both on the backend and in the run game.
In the end, Tennessee chose to move on from the smaller cornerback (5-foot-9, 178 pounds), who most likely didn’t fit the mold physically of what the team was looking for at the position.
Nonetheless, I would be stunned if Garror isn’t at least brought back on the practice squad as long as he doesn’t get claimed elsewhere.
DL Kyle Peko cut
After an impressive last few weeks, I thought for sure that Peko did enough to earn himself a spot on the football team. Instead, Tennessee chose to go with Jones.
Peko was a disruptive force in the limited time he was in Tennessee, often making his presence felt in both the run and pass games. I personally wouldn’t be shocked to see him land elsewhere over the coming days.
OL Jordan Roos cut
This is a surprise to me considering how well Roos played whenever he was thrown into action. He wasn’t an elite player or anything of that nature, but he always felt like someone you could depend on if you needed him in an emergency situation.
The Titans ultimately gave his spot to Newman and Roos will now try to catch on somewhere else, or possibly back on the team’s practice squad.
Surprising cuts honorable mentions
- CB Steven Jones Jr.
- DB Shyheim Carter
- WR Racey McMath
- DB Armani Marsh
- WR Reggie Roberson
- OT John Ojukwu
- DL Sam Okuayinonu
