The Tennessee Titans finished their fifth training camp practice of 2019 on Wednesday as they continue to prepare for the upcoming season.
There was plenty of experimentation going on, particularly within the offensive line and in the search for a solid returner.
Many well-known players who are expected to make a jump this season continued to progress, while darkhorse candidates for a place on the final 53-man roster also stood out.
Here are five takeaways from Wednesday’s practice.
1. A.J. Brown is putting in work off the field.
Brown may not be practicing with the team, but he’s channeling his efforts other ways off the field to prepare for the season. Head coach Mike Vrabel is pleased with the way he’s staying mentally involved before he returns to action.
Brown is considered “day-to-day” at this point.
2. The Titans were without a handful of players.
Running back Derrick Henry and wide receiver A.J. Brown both did not practice, and wideout Cameron Batson was placed on injured reserve. Batson is expected to be out of commission for a significant amount of time.
Brown was once again working on the JUGS machine.
3. Tennessee continues to experiment with the offensive line.
The Titans are taking advantage of camp practices to pinpoint what works within the offensive line as Pro Bowl left tackle Taylor Lewan faces a looming four-game suspension.
The team focused a good bit on the interior on Wednesday, allowing Corey Levin to practice at center with the first team, and giving Ben Jones some first-team reps at right guard.
4. A host of players are working on fielding kickoffs.
Just as the experimentation with the offensive line continues, so does that at punt returner.
Per team reporter Jim Wyatt, Adoree’ Jackson, Darius Jennings, Taywan Taylor, Kalif Raymond, Anthony Ratliff-Williams, Jeremy McNichols and Dalyn Dawkins each caught footballs from the JUGS machine.
5. WR Kalif Raymond continues to stand out.
Many players considered to be underdogs have made a name for themselves during camp.
Raymond is one of these. Wyatt noted that he’s done a fine job of staying open and drawing attention since camp kicked off.
Here’s one comment he made about Raymond in Wednesday’s report.
“I’m mentioning Raymond again because he once again made a lot of plays on Wednesday. Raymond catches the ball well with his hands away from his body, and he’s also not afraid to dive to make a catch. He’s done that plenty in camp.”
