NASHVILLE – Rashaan Evans is heading into Year 3, and the do-all-linebacker is facing questions about what else he can do in 2020.
During a video conference call on Wednesday, he had a pretty good answer.
"Hopefully they want me on offense, I'll do that too," Evans said with a smile. "I mean, it's wherever it is on the field to be honest with you. I'm just a team guy. I'm all about the team. Whatever it takes for us to be great, I'm all for."
The Titans have no plans to use Evans on offense.
But Titans Coach Mike Vrabel made it clear on Wednesday the team won't hesitate to put more on the linebacker's plate following a year when Evans led the team in tackles with 139, while posting double-digit tackles in half of the team's contest. Evans recorded sacks, made tackles in the backfield, scored a touchdown, and in the team's playoff win at New England, was a force at the goal-line in a critical series of plays.
"We've always prescribed in theory that the more that the player can handle, the more we'll give them," Vrabel said. "Rashaan has developed very well. He's fun to coach, plays extremely hard, exemplifies what we want, and he's always looking to improve. He has a great attitude, comes in every day with a willingness to learn, and a willingness to improve. I know he's very respected by his teammates, as well as his coaches."
Evans, the team's first-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft out of Alabama, doubled his tackle numbers in 2019 from his rookie season, when he tallied 63.
Playing alongside fellow inside linebacker Jayon Brown, Evans was a difference maker all season. His fumble recovery and return for touchdown in the team's regular season win over the Chiefs was his most memorable play of the year, but his two stops in the goal-line stand at Foxborough also provided more signs about what's ahead. Evans had 12 tackles in the win at New England.
Vrabel named Evans one of the team's Offseason Performers of the Year for his work in recent months.
Evans said he's ready to do more this fall.
"I definitely was honored to get the award in the offseason," he said. "Just making sure I do my job and I'm doing all the things I'm supposed to do, whether that be just helping some of these guys be able to get adjusted with the NFL lifestyle or just being able to stay on top of my work."
Asked if he might be even more involved in the pass rush this year, Evans said he's willing, if needed.
Anything to make the defense better, and offenses uncomfortable.
"I feel like we got a great group of guys that can do it," he said. "Just the guys that are here now, I'm talking about guys that work each and every day to be elite and great. But with that being said, I feel something like that takes a whole defense to be able to make that happen. You got your other end who has to be flying off the ball just as fast as you'd be able to get off tackles, too. So, respect your guys. Your interior linemen have to be just as physical and disruptive as any other players in the league in order for that front seven to be elite, too. Then, just including myself, whether I'm coming off blitzes, whether I'm not at the ball or any other situations on third down, just trying to apply as much disruption as possible."
Titans Online looks back at linebacker Rashaan Evans' 2019 season (Photos: Donald Page)