As we laid out in our snap count takeaways article earlier in the day, the Tennessee Titans’ usage of cornerback Caleb Farley and tight end Geoff Swaim were among the biggest surprises from Week 1.
Swaim totaled 44 snaps, more than fellow tight ends Austin Hooper (37) and Chig Okonkwo (9), and more than any other player on offense aside from quarterback Ryan Tannehill and the offensive line.
On Monday, head coach Mike Vrabel weighed in on why that was the case, saying Swaim is “the best blocking tight end that we have.”
That’s all well and good, but it still doesn’t explain why Swaim would get more targets and the same amount of touches as Okonkwo and Hooper combined when he’s the least talented tight end on the team.
Offensive coordinator Todd Downing even drew up a tight end screen for Swaim, who also dropped one of his four targets.
As far as Farley is concerned, the second-year pro saw just 15 snaps and was not the preferred option on the inside our outside when the Titans needed an extra defensive back.
Vrabel says the idea is to not have rookie Roger McCreary bouncing inside and out, and he prefers Ugo Amadi over Farley because of the physicality needed to play that role.
Mike Vrabel said the #Titans wanted to work Ugo Amadi in at nickel as opposed to bumping Roger McCreary inside and using Caleb Farley on the outside because of the physicality that comes with the nickel spot. Wanted Amadi in there because he's done it in the league before.
— TURRON DAVENPORT (@TDavenport_NFL) September 12, 2022
Not exactly a ringing endorsement for Farley, who now appears to be a man without a role in Tennessee. There’s still time to rebound but the 2021 first-round pick is well on his way to bust status.
