My Two Cents: Titans' Best Training Camp Improvement? A Better Offensive Line

The most important thing the Tennessee Titans had to do to be better in 2023 was to make improvements along the offensive line. Based on performances the past few weeks, it looks like they've done that — and that's a good thing.

Tom Brew | Aug 24, 2023

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Tennessee Titans

NASHVILLE — It's been very clear in the past month that the Tennessee Titans' offensive line has gotten dramatically better during training camp. Two words sums that up best.

Thank God.

Last year, the Titans were brutally bad along the offensive front. They not only got guys beaten up — including quarterback Ryan Tannehill but their poor play was directly responsible in a lot of ways for that ugly seven-game losing streak that ended the season.

Something had to be done, and it was. It's been nearly a complete makeover along the front, and even though there were some growing pains early in camp, they've really started to come together well. The first-string offensive line looked great in their one touchdown drive at Chicago, and helped roll up 281 yards of rushing last Saturday at Minnesota.

All good signs, and things are trending in the right direction. Everyone sees it, too, from Tannehill to coach Mike Vrable and even stud defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, who's seen their growth up close in the past month.

"I've seen a lot of growth in the way those guys are playing, especially in the last week and a half or so,'' Tannehill said. "They've taken a step in the right direction, they're coming off the football and being physical and understanding what we're trying to accomplish and how we're doing it.

"We're doing a lot at this point and they're in tune with what we're trying to do and the nuances of the different schemes we're running. I'm excited with the steps they've taken, and we just have to keep our foot on the gas.''

There's still work to be done, of course, before the Sept. 10 season opener at New Orleans. It looks like the plan is to get that first unit a little more work in Friday night's preseason finale at Nissan Stadium, and possibly even playing a series or two with Tannehill instead of backup quarterback Malik Willis.

Vrabel said that's still a wait-and-see decision on Tannehill, who's a veteran at 35 and doesn't really need the risk/reward work. But it would also be good to simply go through the game-night routine and get some work in. Getting a few more reps in just might be a good thing.

He also said after Thursday's final training camp practice that he's liked how that unit has come together over the course of camp.

"Everybody is working and everybody is stringing some days together. I think the conditioning is good, and when you look at the way we finished the game in Minnesota, we were pushing the pile and being more physical. We were running the football and controlling the line in the second half.''

The Titans have completely rebuilt the left side of the line, with former Philadelphia Eagles first-round pick Andre Dillard taking over at left tackle and 2023 first-round pick Peter Skoronski sliding in at guard. They are bonding well, and look good together.

It's been a nice adjustment, especially with Skoronski basically learning a new position at at left guard. He played tackle — and at a very high level — during his four years at Northwestern. Dillard, a projected star coming out of Washington State in 2019 when he was drafted by the Eagles with the No. 22 overall pick, is embracing his role as the left tackle handling Tannehill's blind side.

"He's just more comfortable (a month into camp),'' Vrabel said. "You come to a new team and everybody goes through a different transition, everybody's got a different personality. It's been good to see him and Peter (Skoronski) build a relationship in the meeting rooms and out on the field.''

Aaron Brewer is the lone holdover on the Titans' line, and even he's switching positions, moving from guard to center. He's been good, and veteran newcomers Daniel Brunskill and Chris Hubbard have anchored the right side.

Every day in practice, they go up against one of the best defensive fronts in the NFL. They were abused by the edge rushers earlier, especially Arden Key, and they gave up eight sacks in the first game against Chicago, though, to be honest, most of those came against the Tennessee backups. There were only two sacks from the Vikings — and none against the first until that played a good bit of the first half.

Still, that's the concern coming in, that they'll have to keep Tannehill upright.

"There are edge rushers in this league that you are going to have to be able to block,'' Vrabel said. "That's where people are investing resources and money, and we're going to have to make sure we do everything we clan to block those guys.''

Simmons has been battling with these guys from the beginning, especially in the interior. He's becoming a big Peter Skoronski fan and, of course, he's got a lot of respect for Brewer at center, because he's known him for a while and they both like to yap. He's enjoyed his battles with Brunskill too on the right side.

"They've improved a lot. I was talking to Peter (Skoronski) yesterday and I can tell how much he has gotten better from Day 1 when he got here and I got some reps against him in OTAs,'' Simmons said. "He's a guy that I know we expect a lot out of as a team. They drafted him in the first round for a reason and he's gotten better. He's got a lot of good work in from me and Denico (Autry), and (Teiar) Tart's given him a lot of good work. too.

"We've got vets across there with Brewer, and Brunskill inside is an older guy, he's a veteran. We were just talking today about when you do such-and-such, or you bull me like that, this is what you need to see, especially if guys are running a game. Just being able to communicate those things and compete against each other, iron sharpens iron. Even with Brewer, he's real feisty in that center position. I've seen so much improvement in that offensive line, and I'm excited to watch them play this year.''

From Vrabel on down, the Titans have considered this month of training camp a success. They've definitely gotten better, and that's a good thing for a team that's not expected to do much according to national experts.

But that's not the take in the Titans' locker room, and that's all that really matters. They do feel like they can win game, and they're prepared to show that starting on Sept. 10 when they take on the Saints in New Orleans.

''We building each and every day, and that's been good,'' Tannehill said. "I'm excited about where we're at. A lot of guys have put in a lot of good work going into the season. We're trying some stuff out right now, and all that's been good.''

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