One of the bigger storylines for the Tennessee Titans this offseason has been the absence of second-round pick and defensive lineman T’Vondre Sweat from spring practices.
After taking part in rookie minicamp, Sweat, who is slated to have a starting role in Year 1, hasn’t been on the practice field since as he deals with an injury. Thankfully, the issue isn’t serious and Sweat is expected to be ready to go for training camp.
While that’s all well and good, the concern is that a bunch of missed time could slow his growth, which is always a worry for a rookie.
Adding to that concern, the Titans have to hope that Sweat will be in shape when the most important part of the offseason rolls around.
When it comes to Sweat’s readiness, both in terms of his health and conditioning, head coach Brian Callahan isn’t concerned.
“I’m not concerned, no” he said, per AtoZ Sports. “(The injury is) just one of those things that sort of lingered on him a bit. Don’t anticipate it being a long-term issue for us, but didn’t have any sense to rush him out here, not feeling perfect.
“He’ll get his work over the summer. He’s got a plan in place and I’m confident that he’ll execute it. Biggest thing for him is working still and getting in shape, ready to roll. He’s obviously working, not in front of everybody, but he’s here working. He’s not getting the full feel of work, but he’s here and he’s getting his work in. Anticipating him being ready to roll and we’ll see what he’s got in training camp.”
But health and conditioning are just two parts of what Sweat needs to be ready, as he’s also got to have a handle on the defense. On that front, Sweat should be OK because, as defensive line coach Tracy Rocker pointed out, he’s a fast learner.
“The biggest stride was, when he got here, he caught on fast,” Rocker said, per Jim Wyatt. “He learns very fast in the classroom. Then we got on the field, implemented everything we do defensively (and he) was really good. It was good, felt good about it, but we had to slow it down a little bit and now we’ll wait until training camp and go from there. But that was a positive thing for him.”
The Titans will report to training camp on July 23, with the first practice scheduled for July 24. Sweat will no doubt be in the spotlight when the time comes.
