Titans Head Into 49ers Joint Practices With Clear Strengths And Weaknesses

Joint practices and preseason play are about to kick off for the Tennessee Titans as they head to California to practice against the San Francisco 49ers. The Titans have some surprising strengths that should shine, yet there are still some weaknesses that need to be addressed.

Joint practices will put stress on those weak points while highlighting their strengths, and identifying both early on will be important.

Here are a few strengths and weaknesses to watch as the Titans head into the bulk of their preseason preparation.

 

Weakness: Offensive Line

The offensive line looks much improved through a handful of OTA and training camp practices but there are still some lingering questions about the unit.

The right guard position is in flux and doesn’t have a concrete answer right now. Cordell Volson, Fernando Carmona and Jackson Slater are all in stiff competition for the starting job. One of them will need to separate himself from the pack as the preseason progresses.

The line as a whole is also full of what-ifs. Can JC Latham improve enough to fulfill his status as a top-10 pick? Can Dan Moore solidify the left tackle position? Is Austin Schlottmann a full-time starting center?

Answers to all of those questions could begin to materialize as joint practices and the subsequent preseason games unfold.

 

Strength: Wide Receiver Room

For the first time in a long time, the Titans have true depth at the wide receiver position. Carnell Tate looks like a true No. 1 receiver while Wan’Dale Robinson is making his presence felt early as one of Cam Ward’s favorite targets.

Throw in Elic Ayomanor, who is having an impressive camp, along with Chim Dike, and the Titans have a solid group of young pass catchers for Brian Daboll to work with.

 

Weakness: Run Defense

So far in camp, the defense has been an overall strength. However, the run defense is taking a little longer to catch up.

This is somewhat expected with an attacking-style defense, but with players like Jeffery Simmons, Cedric Gray and John Franklin-Myers, you would expect the front seven to be a little more stout.

They will need to improve, especially if the Titans want to make a significant leap in Robert Saleh’s first year as head coach. Tennessee’s offense has been effective running the ball in practice, and if that is any indication of where the run defense currently stands, it could be a difficult season when facing some of the league’s top running backs.

 

Strength: Defensive Pass Rush

Despite having a tough time stopping the run, Saleh’s front has shown that it can dial up the pressure when needed.

Simmons and Jermaine Johnson have been efficent at getting into the backfield and pressuring the pocket so far in camp. In addition, players like Franklin-Myers and Keldric Faulk have added some punch to what was a below-average area for Tennessee last season.

Going against players like Charles Cross, Darnell Wright and Trent Williams during the preseason should help Tennessee’s front seven improve even further. They will get their first opportunity to test their mettle against a talented unit in San Francisco, which should provide a good measuring stick for how far the defense has come.

These strengths are encouraging but the weaknesses make you pause when looking at this team on paper. The Titans need to at least make incremental improvements in those areas if they want to be competitive this season, and that process could begin this week during joint practices.