NASHVILLE – Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith held a video conference call with reporters on Friday.
Smith, set to begin in second season as the team's OC, said he felt the team accomplished a lot during a unique offseason that was dominated by virtual meetings. Smith said he got to know a lot of the rookies pretty well without actually meeting them.
One of those rookies: RB Darrynton Evans, who leads off the search for press conference nuggets.
Here's a look at some of the highlights:
Evans and his role?
The Titans drafted Evans in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Appalachian State.
The speedy back is expected to take some of the load off of running back Derrick Henry, but just how much remains to be seen.
"It's going to be: How much can he handle," Smith said of Evans. "Everybody's growth curve is different. We liked (Evans) and what he did at App State, and what he has done here is he's handled what we have given him. Until he gets on the field, and we see what he can handle, we can expand from there. We are certainty optimistic about (him), but it is hard to put a label or timeframe and tell you guys he is going to do this … it is just not fair. Anybody out there competing, we just have to see what they can do."
QB Logan Woodside
Smith raved further about Logan Woodside, who will compete for the No.2 spot behind starter Ryan Tannehill.
Woodside spend last season on Injured Reserve.
"I'm very happy with what Logan has done in the offseason, and this is a great opportunity for him in camp," Smith said. "He has good command of the offense. … So far we have been extremely happy with what he has done and everything we have thrown at him he has handled."
Woodside started last year's preseason finale against the Bears and played the entire game. He finished the night completing 17-of-29 passes for 212 yards and two touchdowns, good for a passer rating of 104.4.
In four preseason contests in 2019, Woodside completed 46-of-76 passes for 539 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. His passer rating was an impressive 99.6.
"Certainly we like Logan's arm strength, and believe in what he has done," Smith said. "We are pleased with what he did last year in the preseason. Logan has a good arm – he is accurate, he is decisive. … He certainty has more command of the huddle and has been more confident as he's calling plays."
What About QB Cole McDonald?
The Titans drafted McDonald, who played collegiately at Hawaii, in the seventh round of the NFL Draft.
The 6-foot-3, 218-pound McDonald finished his career at Hawaii fourth on the school's passing yards (8,032) and passing touchdowns (70) lists.
Could he upend Woodside for the No.2 job?
"Like the rest of these rookies, he is diving into the playbook," Smith said of McDonald. "Certainly, he is coming from a different offense at Hawaii. We've tried to catch him up to speed … and we'll see where he goes.
"When we get into camp he'll have his opportunity and we'll see what he can handle. But like all these rookies, they've done a nice job in the virtual setting and so far when they've been in the building."
A.J. Brown Year 2
Brown led all rookies with 1,051 receiving yards in 2019, and he also had eight touchdown receptions among his 52 catches, and he added 60 rushing yards with another score.
Brown finished third in the voting for Offensive Rookie of the Year after becoming the first rookie since Hall of Famer Randy Moss (1998) to have a minimum of 50 catches, 1,000 receiving yards and five touchdowns while averaging 17-plus yards per catch, plus four touchdown catches of 50-plus yards.
So, how can Brown take the next step?
"He knows there's a lot of room for improvement – there's (room for) a lot of improvement from me," Smith said. "All these players … we feel like we need to improve. (A.J.) has done a good job this offseason in the virtual setting.
"He's probably the biggest critic of himself, and I expect some improvement from him as well."
