The Tennessee Titans’ emphasis of being more aggressive on defense began with the acquisitions of L’Jarius Sneed in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs and the signing of Chidobe Awuzie away from the Cincinnati Bengals.
Both are press man-to-man cornerbacks who like to be aggressive during the five-yard contact period with receivers.
Their arrival in Tennessee signals that new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson plans to return to a more aggressive and attacking style, perhaps in the vein of Gregg Williams or Jim Schwartz during their tenures as defensive coordinator under Jeff Fisher.
But as happens with training camp and football in general, injuries sometimes can delay or derail those best laid plans. The addition of Sneed and Awuzie to pair with nickelback Roger McCreary gives the Titans a solid top three cornerback unit to work with. But depth is still a bit of an issue.
But in a silver lining type of situation, a calf injury sustained by Awuzie on the first day of training camp and a management plan for Sneed, whose practice time has been limited by caring for a balky knee that dates back to his Kansas City days, should work to help the Titans sort out the pecking order for playing time behind them.
With Awuzie out and Sneed only practicing on certain days, it has meant a shift outside for McCreary in some base packages, but also a chance for some young, most unproven corners to get a chance to work higher up on the depth chart this training camp.
Tre Avery, entering his third season with the Titans, has been getting a lot of first team work in nickel on the outside in Awuzie’s spot, while rookies Jarvis Brownlee and Gabe Jeudy-Lally are also working with the first and second units at times.
“They’re getting a great opportunity with Chido being down and the management with Sneed,” cornerbacks coach Chris Harris says. “Guys like Rogers, Jarvis and young players like Tre Avery, those guys are getting valuable reps that they might not have gotten as many of otherwise.”
Brownlee, a fifth-round pick from Louisville, says he can already feel that the coaches and his teammates are developing confidence in him.
“The coaches just challenge me every day to come out here and play with an edge and just be the person they know I can be. There’s a reason they drafted me. They know I have potential. All my teammates believe in me, and more than anything these coaches (believe in me),” Brownlee says. “For me, being able to take a step forward with Chido being out is a challenge, and I’m willing to take the challenge.”