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Tennessee Titans 53-man roster predictions before Tuesday's final cuts: Here's who makes team

nick suss, nashville tennessean
·5 min read

The toughest day on the football calendar is nearly here.

The Tennessee Titans, along with the rest of the NFL, have to cut their roster from 90 players to just 53 by 3 p.m. CT Tuesday. After three preseason games and more than a month of training camp practices, Titans coach Mike Vrabel, general manager Ran Carthon and their staffs are tasked with winnowing the roster into the best shape possible for the Sept. 10 regular-season opener against the Saints in New Orleans.

Projecting what the Titans will do isn't easy, particularly when so many would-be Titans contributors are injured but haven't been placed on IR. Whether those players begin the season active or on reserve will inform how many players the team will keep at each position, and which players at some of the deeper positions might be relegated to practice squad pickups.

With that in mind, here are The Tennessean's final projections for who will make the 53-man roster, sorted by their projected spot on the depth chart.

Quarterbacks (3)

Especially with Levis coming off an injury, there's no way the Titans can justify trying to sneak Willis on to the practice squad. The Titans need all three, and all three have earned a spot.

Running backs (3)

This is a complicated group. Hassan Haskins and Jonathan Ward both have missed two weeks with injuries. It's easy to see a world where Ward or Haskins makes the roster as the fourth back. But the Titans also rolled with three backs at times last season, so it's plausible to see them stick with three in favor of depth elsewhere until Ward or Haskins is healthy enough to join the ranks.

Wide receivers (7)

Seven is a lot of receivers for the team to carry. But if the plan is to avoid putting Burks and Philips on IR, the Titans are going to need depth here. Dowell started getting significantly more first- and second-team reps in the past week and played more receiver snaps than anyone in the preseason finale. Jackson got his chance as a kick and punt returner, meaning he can substitute for Philips on special teams and in the slot. Making the sacrifice of carrying just three running backs allows this number of receivers to be possible.

Tight ends (4)

The fourth spot could go in any number of directions. Thomas Odukoya could get a look instead of Rader as a blocking option, and Alize Mack could get some consideration as an extra pass catcher. But ultimately Rader's NFL experience and versatility on special teams win him the job.

Offensive tackles (4)

Neither Hubbard nor Murray were on the Titans' roster at the start of training camp. It just goes to show how many twists and turns can happen in a month. Nicholas Petit-Frere will begin the season on the exemption list while he serves his six-game suspension, opening the door for Duncan and Murray to compete for playing time as reserves.

Guards and centers (5)

Not much has changed here since the start of camp. Xavier Newman could be the guy getting the call instead of Roos or Levin, but here's another example of the Titans valuing experience.

Defensive linemen (5)

The fifth defensive line spot is tough. Naquan Jones, Jaleel Johnson and Kyle Peko each has a chance to snag it. But Dwumfour was arguably the Titans' best defensive player in their final two preseason games and his slighter frame makes him a little more versatile than some of his teammates who profile as nose guards.

Inside linebackers (5)

Monty Rice makes the inside linebacker conversation tricky. He barely played in the preseason and hasn't practiced in two weeks. Niemann, by contrast, played pretty darn well in the preseason and could easily carve a role on this team. Right now, let's put Rice in the same boat as Haskins and Ward and say he starts the season on the reserve list.

Outside linebackers (4)

Murphy played his way on to the roster with four sacks in three preseason games. He probably won't be taking reps away from Landry or Key any time soon, but he's as good of a depth piece as the Titans could've asked for from an undrafted rookie.

Cornerbacks (6)

One of the toughest choices on the whole roster is the battle among Marsh, Kendall, Eric Garror and Steven Jones Jr. at the bottom of the secondary. The way Kendall has contributed on special teams ends up winning him the final tiebreaker with Garror, and Marsh's impressive play from the beginning of training camp gets him his shot.

Safeties (4)

Josh Thompson just hasn't done enough since coming off the non-football injury list to merit taking the last spot from Brown after he had a quality preseason.

Specialists (3)

Given the Titans' track record with kickers, it's not a surprise the team waived Michael Badgley on Sunday after less than a week with the team and after he struggled in his lone preseason outing. But rest assured knowing three of the 53 roster spots will belong to specialists, even if the kicker is yet to be determined.

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 53-man roster predictions before Tuesday's final cuts