Titans Rookie Camp Takeaways: T'Vondre Sweat Comes as Advertised

A few observations from watching Tennessee Titans rookie minicamp.

Tennessee Titans second-rounder T'Vondre Sweat participates in rookie minicamp at Ascension Saint / Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA

NASHVILLE — JC Latham, T'Vondre Sweat, Cedric Gray, and the rest of the Tennessee Titans 2024 got their first taste of professional football on Friday at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park. 

There was a lot of simulated football action between the seven-member draft class, 16 undrafted free agents, 17 try-out rookies, and five veterans trying out. Local media got around an hour to watch, and AllTitans.com was there. Here are some highlights from a busy day at the Titans team facility. 

The 380-Pound Bag

Titans offensive line coach Bill Callahan, aka "Big Coach," is regarded as one of the best to do it as a teacher of o-line play. We learned on Friday his innovations also include a revamped blocking sled. 

Callahan contributed to the design of this custom sled, which mimics a defensive lineman's stance and leverage points upon contact. The offensive lineman sled weighs around 320 pounds at its base and has shoulder pad chest plates for grabbing. Linemen must lift and climb the sled to simulate blocks and improve their footwork and hip movement. It allows players to practice various blocks.

Titans first-year head coach Brian Callahan talked to reporters after practice and further educated on his dad's role in inventing the sled.

"Some of the old school sleds, they don't really give you that same balance issue," Bill Callahan said. "And they're really hard to move. I can't tell you how hard those things are to move and to move straight because they tip and they're off balance. They're meant to really stress guys' ability to strengthen their core, keeping their hands tight and be able to drive a sled vertically as opposed to getting all off kilter."

"It's a balance thing. So, there's a lot of indoctrination that goes into those sleds. Our guys, even now, it's taken them a couple of weeks to feel good about moving them the way they're supposed to move. So, it's fun to watch. I like watching those guys do it, but they improve pretty quickly. It happens fast."

Latham Hits the Sled

One of the players on the sled was Latham, who learned fast about the rigors of moving the monstrosity. He struggled with it at first but got better each rep as the session went on. 

"A lot of areas to improve in, the speed of the game and just being ready to go every single play," Latham said. "But it was really fun. I really enjoyed myself."

T'Vondre Sweat as Big as Advertised

Even without a jersey number, it would not have been hard to identify Sweat from the group of 45 football players on the field. Standing tall at 6'4" and weighing 366 pounds, Sweat moves like a much lighter man. His impressive athleticism was on full display as he effortlessly glided through various drills.

"He looked good today," Callahan said. "I thought he moved well. You never know when guys get here, what they're going to look like. And I thought he did a nice job. Looked like the guy we saw on tape, which was good to see."

Sweat Knows About Weight Concerns

Sweat knew there would be questions about his weight and he was prepared with quippy answer.

"Right now, before anyone asks, me and my nutritionist and my coaches are looking to find that perfect weight for me to play at," Sweat said. "I don't know that perfect weight. But, ya'll (will) see when ya'll see."

Former First-Round Pick Attends Camp

One of the more interesting moments was seeing Shane Ray, who was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the 2015 NFL Draft on a tryout. He looked good in drills. Callahan said he and the other vets are bringing good energy to minicamp.

"They're in the same boat. Even though they've played some football and some guys have some tape out there of playing NFL football," Callahan said. "Just a chance to look at some veteran players and see if they can help us add some competition and some depth. It's always good if you got some guys that have played to bring them out and take a look at them."

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