Tennessee Titans general manager Jon Robinson and head coach Mike Vrabel held a Zoom call with the media after the completion of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Here are six things we learned.
Kicker competition
Titans general manager Jon Robinson confirmed that the team has signed UDFA kicker Tucker McCann out of Missouri. The expectation is for McCann to compete with Greg Joseph for the starting kicker job.
Joseph finished out the season as the team’s kicker, but he attempted and made just one field goal in his brief stint.
Despite being a fan of Joseph, the Titans are going to do whatever is necessary to make sure they have the best man for the job after finishing as the worst field goal unit in the NFL last season.
I wouldn’t rule out the Titans bringing in a veteran to increase the competition even more.
Versatility is key
The common thread with fifth-round pick, defensive lineman Larrell Murchison, and seventh-round pick, safety Chris Jackson, is versatility.
Head coach Mike Vrabel likes that both players can help the Titans in multiple ways, which likely led to the team’s interest in them.
Robinson also acknowledged each player’s versatility.
Jackson is listed as a safety, but has said he feels comfortable playing at cornerback, particularly at nickel. The Marshall product also has the speed (4.48 40-yard dash) to do so, and he has special teams experience.
Murchison excels in the pass-rush, but with his ability to be a run-stuffer, he can play all over the defensive line.
Clowney didn’t impact draft strategy
The Titans are in a holding pattern with Jadeveon Clowney, who has yet to announce a decision about where he’ll play in 2020.
Robinson denies that the Clowney pursuit had anything to do with the team’s draft strategy.
The Titans didn’t draft a single EDGE, and the only semblance of a pass-rusher they added was in Murchison, who is an interior defender. Take that for what you will.
It’s possible Clowney has already made his decision and the team that is signing him is awaiting a physical.
Another possibility is that the team signing him is waiting for the compensatory pick cutoff date that is coming up on April 27 at 3 p.m. CT.
QB competition
Seventh-round pick Cole McDonald was brought in to compete with Logan Woodside for the backup quarterback job. At the very least, McDonald will add some excitement to the preseason.
Robinson explained what he likes about the Hawaii quarterback, and he isn’t ruling out adding another signal-caller to the mix.
On top of his size (6-foot-3, 215 pounds) and athleticism, McDonald has a rocket for an arm and isn’t afraid to take chances in order to make plays. I really like what the rookie brings to the table.
Piling picks for 2021
Thanks to a last-minute trade that saw the Titans send one of their 2020 seventh-round picks (No. 237) to the Kansas City Chiefs for a 2021 sixth-round pick, Tennessee now has at least eight selections next year.
That number could go up if the Titans get compensatory picks.
Interestingly enough, the pick the Titans traded to the Chiefs was the one they received from the Denver Broncos in the Jurrell Casey trade. So, the Titans effectively got a sixth-round pick for their defensive stalwart.
Vrabel’s epic draft night background
With the NFL Draft taking place virtually this year, we got some really interesting looks at the respective backgrounds of coaches and general managers over the course of the three-day event.
Vrabel’s in particular caused quite the stir on Thursday night, as people watching the live broadcast of the draft thought they may have caught his son, Tyler, sitting on the toilet, on top of the other interesting things going on.
However, the Titans’ head coach would go on to refute that conspiracy, saying his son was simply sitting on a barstool next to his mother.
“Tyler was not using the restroom. Tyler was sitting on a barstool next to his mom,” Vrabel explained.
No, folks, there is no open door policy in the Vrabel household. Move along.
On Saturday after the draft, Vrabel went into a bit more detail about the scene behind him during the draft’s opening night, which included his other son wearing his old Pro Bowl jersey, and the friend of his son wearing the “Frozone” costume.
While the draft is over, the legend of “Frozone” continues, as he now has his own Twitter account.
As former Titans linebacker Will Compton noted, “Frozone” is a big pickup for the fan base — and he might end up being the biggest steal of the draft.
As if we didn’t need more reasons to love this draft format — from the touching family reactions to all the incredibly awkward moments (like Isaiah Wilson’s mom forcibly removing his girlfriend from his lap) — we now have “Frozone” in our lives to top it all off.
