NFL teams will head off for training camps at the end of July. To tide you over until the official report dates, here's a few things to know about the Tennessee Titans.
2017 record: 9-7
Training camp schedule: Rookies: July 22; Veterans: July 25
Three players to watch:Marcus Mariota, Derrick Henry, Adoree' Jackson
Post-draft analysis, courtesy Jeremy Bergman: Under Mike Mularkey, the Titans offense was identifiable by the nickname "Exotic Smashmouth," a catchy description that attempted (fruitlessly) to explain Mularkey's offensive philosophy of crash-and-dash football. The defense, on the other hand, had no nickname, which is to say it also had no identity under the offensive-minded skipper. First-year head coach Mike Vrabel is looking to change that. A linebacker by trade, Vrabel spent the offseason reshaping the Titans' defense. Tennessee started by signing Patriots persona-non-Super-Bowl-starta Malcolm Butler, despite already boasting two solid cornerbacks in Logan Ryan and Adoree' Jackson. Then, to replace the departed Avery Williamson, the Titans traded up in the draft to select two linebackers with their first two of just four picks: Alabama's Rashaan Evans and Boston College's Harold Landry. The acquisition of nose tackle Benny Logan also illustrates a desire -- between Vrabel and new Titans defensive coordinator Dean Pees -- to develop a more physical culture on Tennessee's defense.
