Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel took part in a conference call with the media on Wednesday.
Here are the biggest takeaways from it.
Praise for Jadeveon Clowney
Vrabel spoke about Clowney, who the Titans have been in contact with this offseason, according to general manager Jon Robinson.
The Titans’ head coach dispelled the notion that Clowney has effort issues and also noted his versatility.
A new report from ESPN’s Dianna Russini says that Clowney has lowered his asking price from the $20-plus million he was originally seeking and that both the Seattle Seahawks and Titans are still interested in him.
The Clowey watch continues.
On Jeffery Simmons’ 2020 role
Vrabel made it clear that Simmons’ role with expand in 2020, which was expected in the first place. He also noted that Simmons can play Jurrell Casey’s position after he was traded to Denver this offseason.
Simmons played in nine games after being activated in Week 7 of last season. It looked as though the team was managing his reps near the end of the campaign, as his snap counts gradually got lower.
With Casey no longer in the fold, the Titans are going to need Simmons to step up in a big way next season, and judging from what we saw of him, there’s a good chance he’ll answer the call.
On defensive play-calling
When defensive coordinator Dean Pees retired after last season, the Titans decided not to name a replacement. One of the options the team has is for Vrabel, who is a former defensive coordinator, to call plays.
Unfortunately, there is nothing new to report on which direction the Titans will go as far as defensive play-calling is concerned, as Vrabel says the team is still working through the decision.
No matter what the Titans decide to do, Vrabel will likely have a bigger role in the defense in some way, shape or form. It’s preferable that he doesn’t call plays so that he can focus more on both aspects of the game, though.
On Vic Beasley and OLB group
A former linebacker himself, Vrabel knows a thing or two about the position. As currently constituted, the Titans head coach likes the group he has.
Like Robinson, Vrabel is a fan of Beasley’s skill set and is not concerned with some of the questions about his effort and consistency.
During his own conference call, Robinson said he believes Vrabel, who was a linebacker himself, can really help get the most out of Beasley in 2020.
There’s no question the Titans see the tremendous upside Beasley has to offer.
On the coronavirus
Vrabel admitted he isn’t very good at working from home.
The Titans head coach said he prefers to be more hands-on with the draft process, which is not surprising considering he literally jumps in the middle of practices with his players.
Vrabel also recognized those who are helping to battle the coronavirus, and he’s making sure he doesn’t put his players and coaches in a position to catch it.
