NASHVILLE – The Titans took the field on Saturday for their ninth practice of training camp.
Here's a look at what stood out:
-The Titans worked in a two-minute period at the start of practice, and it ended with a fired-up Ryan Tannehill. The scenario: 1:20 left, ball at the 20-yard line, 1 time out left, need a field goal. Tannehill completed passes to tight end Anthony Firkser and receivers Marcus Johnson and Chester Rogers on the first three plays, and after an incomplete pass, a Jeremy McNichols run on 3rd and 2 netted another first down. After cornerback Kristian Fulton broke up a pass from Tannehill to receiver Dez Fitzpatrick, Tannehill threw a strike to Firkser in the middle of the field to put the offense in good field goal range with just seconds left on the clock. A clearly pleased Tannehill was especially vocal, and he let Firkser know how happy he was with his route, and catch.
-Quarterback Logan Woodside directed a two-minute drive with a similar scenario, and he completed passes to tight end Tommy Hudson, receiver Mason Kinsey, receiver Fred Brown, running back Brian Hill and running back Mekhi Sargent before an incompletion. Later, cornerback Breon Borders made a really nice play to break up a pass and kill the offense's momentum.
-Fulton has been making more plays of late. He had a pair of breakups on Saturday, and he's been around the ball a lot more in the past few sessions.
-Rookie cornerback Caleb Farley has been doing more each day. The first-round pick is clearly still knocking off the rust, but he's displayed his skills in flashes. He had a nice break-up on Saturday.
-Outside linebacker Bud Dupree did more on Saturday as well. Dupree has worked some one-on-one with left tackle Taylor Lewan, but they've been in non-contact periods.
-Tannehill connected on throws to Rogers and Firkser during a period late in practice. Firkser had a good day, and he's caught the ball consistently during camp.
-During a 7-on-7 period, Tannehill connected on throws to Evans, Firkser, Kinsey, Hudson, Rogers and tight end Luke Stocker.
-During his opportunities in the 7-on-7 period, Woodside connected with McNichols, receiver Kalija Lipscomb and tight ends Jared Pinkney and Miller Forristall.
-QB Matt Barkley also worked in the 7-on-7 drills and connected with Rogers one and Johnson twice. Johnson made a great run after the catch on his second completion of the drill.
-If it seems like I'm mentioning Johnson's name in here a lot, it's because I am. Johnson, heading into his fifth NFL season, has been a regular standout in a lot of these sessions in camp. Sure, the team worked without Julio Jones and A.J. Brown on Saturday, and Josh Reynolds has missed time in camp as well. But Johnson has been getting himself noticed.
-In addition to Jones and Brown, linebacker Harold Landry, center Ben Jones, guard Nate Davis, tight end Geoff Swaim, defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons, defensive lineman Denico Autry, receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and offensive lineman Adam Coon did not practice on Saturday.
-Center Daniel Munyer had a tough day snapping the football, as he sailed a few shotgun snaps past the quarterbacks and was also involved in mishandled snaps with the QB behind center. The Titans have been sloppy here all camp.
-In a late team jog-through, running back Derrick Henry and Reynolds were both busy after being limited earlier in the session.
-Defensive lineman Teair Tart had great penetration, and a hit on a Darrynton Evans run early in the session.
-Offensive lineman Jordan Roos, signed earlier in the day, was on the practice field on No. 57.
-Titans coach Mike Vrabel closed out the session by putting rookie tackle Dillon Radunz and rookie defensive lineman Naquan Jones in a competition catching punts from the JUGS machine. Vrabel planned to ease the conditioning for either the offensive or defensive players, depending on which player won. But both failed miserably – the ball went right off the chest and hands of Jones, and Radunz had trouble getting in a good position to field it, and let the ball got off his outreached hands as well. Vrabel ultimately decided to give players on both sides of the ball a break.
-Former Titans linebacker Tim Shaw, who is battling ALS, attended practice for the first time in camp. Several players spent time with Shaw before practice and during breaks in the action.
-Vrabel said the plan is for officials to be at practice on Monday or Tuesday.
Next practice: Monday, 9:30 a.m.
