Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel fielded many questions at this week’s NFL Scouting Combine. Among the more interesting ones had to do with perhaps expanding the role of wide receiver A.J. Brown.
Vrabel was asked if he would consider using Brown in the same capacity as the San Francisco 49ers use dynamic wide receiver Deebo Samuel.
The former South Carolina Gamecock had a breakout season, hauling in 77 catches for 1,405, while leading the league in yards per reception (18.2).
But Samuel was utilized quite heavily in the 49ers ground game, too, thanks to injuries at the position. He accumulated 365 yards on 59 carries and eight touchdowns.
While Vrabel is open to using Brown in a similar way, he doesn’t think he’ll ever get as many carries as Samuel did this past season, per Jim Wyatt of Titans Online.
“Deebo plays running back, and he plays receiver,” Vrabel said “That’s a very unique skillset, and I think that would be a conversation that I would have with A.J. and how comfortable …. We’ve handed it off to him, but I think there are some differences.
“I get it. I am just as curious as what (the 49ers) do with Deebo and I watch and I see the runs that they have with him. … A lot of these are skillset driven. In conversations with A.J. to date, the focus is on making him a better receiver, and then expanding what he does for us. Not to say that he couldn’t or he won’t, but I don’t know that he’s going to have 100 carries or whatever Deebo had. I can’t sit here and promise you that. I don’t know that A.J. would want 100 carries from behind the center.”
To this point, Brown has been utilized minimally in the Titans’ rushing attack as Derrick Henry pretty much has that covered, but Vrabel could potentially use Brown in different offensive schemes.
Despite the limited touches in the backfield, Brown has found some success in the NFL.
In 2019, he took one carry for 13 yards in Week 14 against the then-Oakland Raiders, and then another one on a 49-yard scamper to the house in Week 16 versus the New Orleans Saints.
Brown and Henry also had a fun back-and-forth in February last year, with the former posting an old video of himself carrying the ball in pee-wee football, saying he could come in when Henry needed a breather.
I’ll play RB when @KingHenry_2 get tired . I got us lol🤷🏾♂️😂 @Titans pic.twitter.com/wsBsgAi5WG
— AJ Brown (@1kalwaysopen_) February 19, 2021
At any rate, opening up the playbook to give Brown a few more touches out of the backfield could be fun and yet another way the Titans can support quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
