Red zone offense, kicking game come into focus at Tennessee Titans minicamp

The Tennessee Titans reconvened for another day of minicamp practices Wednesday, this time focusing on efficiency and quality of red zone offense and defense.

Players aren't in full pads yet, and playing around the red zone makes it tougher for players to navigate space, so Wednesday wasn't exactly a clinic in big plays or physical moments. But there are still a handful of lessons to take away.

Here are The Tennessean's three observations from practice.

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Taking shots at the end zone

The Titans' offense thrives in the red zone in large part due to running back Derrick Henry, who's punched in 56 red zone rushing touchdowns in the last five seasons. Playing without pads on neutralizes a lot of that threat, and gives the Titans chances to explore other options near the goal line.

At times, the offense struggled to fit passes into tight windows in the end zone, finding more success underneath than through the heart of the secondary. That said, receivers like Treylon Burks and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine were able to haul in some contested catches.

For a team that values efficiency over all in the red zone (last season, Titans quarterbacks threw 11 touchdowns with no interceptions inside the 20-yard line), the underneath stuff works. If Burks, Westbrook-Ikhine or other players like tight end Chig Okonkwo can win one-on-one matchups, that's a bonus. But when the pads come on, expect a heavy dose of Henry.

Kicking corner

Second-year kicker Caleb Shudak and undrafted free agent Trey Wolff are competing for the placekicking job, alternating days kicking in team activity. Wednesday's was Shudak's day and he proved accurate while still showing the big leg that let him hit multiple kicks longer than 50 yards at Iowa.

Special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman had complimentary things to say about Shudak and Wolff.

"He's got a lot of confidence and he's striking the ball really well," Aukerman said about Wolff. "I believe he's only missed a couple kicks throughout the offseason. I'm really proud of him the way he does his work each and every day."

"Caleb, just coming in from Iowa last year, we really liked how he kicked a straight ball," Aukerman continued. "He's really improved and continued to do that maybe even better than he did last year. Leg strength same thing. We thought kickoff-wise he was really strong but this offseason has really helped him out and his kickoffs have been even stronger."

Updates on Kristian Fulton, Harold Landry III

Cornerback Kristian Fulton has not been practicing in OTAs or minicamp for undisclosed reasons. Coach Mike Vrabel didn't comment on Fulton's status, but defensive coordinator Shane Bowen did explain a little bit of what the Titans hope from the fourth-year defensive back.

"I think with all these guys when they're not out there going, it's about what you can do," Bowen said. "He's got to focus on what he can do, being engaged in meetings, doing everything he can to improve whatever it is that you can when you're not on the field. He's been in there. He's learning."

As for outside linebacker Harold Landry III, who is coming off an ACL injury he sustained last offseason, Vrabel said he likes the way Landry is coming along and what his presence means for the linebacker room.

"He looks really good. He's engaged in the meetings," said Vrable. "It's good to go in there and see Denico (Autry) and Harold and Arden (Key) in the meetings and then the young players that are in there. It's a really good mix and a really good blend."

Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on Twitter @nicksuss.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Titans focused on red zone offense, defense at minicamp