Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Shane Bowen spoke to the media for the first time in training camp on Tuesday and touched on a number of topics, including cornerbacks Elijah Molden and Krisitan Fulton, and the need for the defense to force more turnovers.
On Fulton, Bowen praised the fourth-year corner much like head coach Mike Vrabel did recently, but also like Vrabel, Bowen noted that consistency is key for the LSU product.
“I think he came back ready to go,” Bowen said of Fulton, per AtoZ Sports. “I think this is probably the best shape he’s been in since he’s been here. He looks stronger, looks more physical, looks in condition.
“I think the addition of [DeAndre] Hopkins is huge for him, just from the competition aspect of it,” he added. “Again, it’s always been for Kristian — and we tell him this — is the consistency, right? Play in and play out. And to have that competition play in and play out out here in practice, it requires a high level of focus to be able to go out and execute and do what we’re asking him to do and ultimately end up winning the one-on-one versus a guy like that. Hopefully, that continues with him; he’s off to a great start right now. It’s a big year for him, he knows that, we know that.”
The expectation for the entire offseason has been that Roger McCreary would take over the slot role, where many believe he’s better suited thanks to his lack of length.
But the problem with automatically assuming that is the presence of Elijah Molden, who was plagued by injury last year but was no doubt an impact player out of the slot in his first season.
Bowen noted that while McCreary is getting a look on the inside in 2023, who will ultimately play there will be determined over the next month.
“[Molden is] a nickel only for us at the corner position, so I think that’s something as we kind of go through this fall and we kind of see where [Roger McCreary] is at, how Rog is handling things as we go,” he said, according to Paul Kuharsky.
“Ultimately, our job is to get the best 11 on the field. We’ve got to kind of evaluate that throughout these next few weeks, see where we’re at. They’re going to get reps — Roger is going to get reps outside, Elijah’s been getting reps inside at nickel some, he’s getting plenty of reps at safety because that’s kind of the new thing for him. So, in terms of his development, I think that’s important. So, we’ll kind of see where it plays out.”
After a season in which the Titans finished tied for 20th in takeaways, Bowen mentioned how turnovers are a point of emphasis for the defense this offseason, especially when it comes to the pass-rush getting strip sacks.
“A strip sack is better than a sack always,” Bowen said, according to Teresa Walker of the Associated Press. “24 of the top 26 fumblers in the NFL are quarterbacks.
“We’ve got to find ways to effect the game. The front has a way they can do it, the back-end has a way they can do it, the linebackers have a way they can do it, and upfront it is put pressure on [quarterbacks] and seeing if we can get the ball off them. The back-end plays a role too; they’ve got to get them to hold it, they’ve got to be in tight coverage, all of the things that come into play. But those are opportunities we can’t miss. We’ve missed too many over the years where we’ve had opportunities to attack the football instead of just going for the sack at times, and we’ve got to make sure we’re making that emphasis that the ball is the issue. The sacks will come, but we need to make sure we’re attacking the football.”
