[FREE] Why the Titans Need to Treasure the WR6 Role More
The Titans continue their historic trend of suffering injuries in the wide receiver room. At some point they need to work on improving their quality of depth.
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During normal times for most NFL teams, the WR6 spot isn’t one that holds a great deal of importance.
I mean I believe we all know why right? Usually you’re relying on your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd best receivers, with some versatility that allows WR4 and WR5 to come into the equation based on the offense you’re running.
Aside from the receivers, you’d like to have a tight end that can contribute in the passing game, as well as another weapon or two that can help your offense make waves each and every week.
But for the Tennessee Titans, these descriptions of normal offenses don’t apply.
Not only because they’re a run oriented team, but because they have a big problem that’s tied to their receivers and the overall performance of the receiver group.
Well, two problems that is.
The first problem is health, as they’ve struggled to keep their best receiving wideouts on the field due to health related reasons throughout the Mike Vrabel era (Corey Davsi, A.J. Brown, Julio Jones, and now Treylon Burks).
The second problem is simply depth, which for the Titans right now, is the biggest problem currently plaguing the team. If you’re an offense that struggles to keep your top wideouts healthy, possessing good depth is the best way to combat that issue at the root cause.
Unless you’re playing Madden that is.
However, the Titans don’t possess a good amount of receiver depth. In fact, throughout the Vrabel and Jon Robinson era, the Titans have lacked a good amount of receiving depth almost each season. The results of not having good depth haven’t been kind either, as we saw during the 2022 season in which the Titans routinely ran out new names each and every week.
Which brings us to the main point here.
You remember the short discussion we had about WR6’s a short time ago? About how a normal offense shouldn’t need to think agonizingly hard about a back end depth receiving spot?
Well uh aha, the Titans aren’t a normal offense. And at this point, they need to think agonizingly hard about the WR6 spot they’ll surely carry into the regular season. But there’s a problem, one that comes when dissecting any WR6 spot on any team across the league.
The candidates for the Titans’ current WR6 spot are um….how should I put it….unproven and unreliable. Sure, yeah let’s go with that.
Which for a team that struggles with receiver health — like the Titans have in the past and currently are with the injuries to Treylon Burks and Kyle Phillips— is downright disastrous.
Yes, you heard me right, disastrous.
Let me explain.
The Candidates
To explain, first the candidates have to be made known:
Mason Kinsey: Titans practice squad veteran, hasn’t made much noise over the years even after being given numerous opportunities. Could find his way on the initial 53 as a punt returner due to Kyle Phillips’ latest injury.
Racey McMath: Has remained in the Titans’ plans due to his developmental traits (size, speed), but hasn’t shown much due to injuries and missed opportunities.
Reggie Roberson Jr.: Second year man out of SMU, is a deep threat but hasn’t shown he’s more than that.
Colton Dowell(R): UDFA that has some interesting traits, interesting enough that some penciled him in as an immediate contender for a back end receiver depth spot. But through camp and the preseason, has underwhelmed.
Tre’Shaun Harrison(R): Another UDFA who has garnered some attention throughout camp. Proved his camp hype by having a decent game against the Chicago Bears.
Kearis Jackson(R): UDFA out of Georgia has garnered some attention throughout camp as well. Has gotten looks as a returner during camp, his situation is one to monitor over the next week and change.
Gavin Holmes(R): *Patrick Star sleeping gif*
*Rookies have an R next to their name*
The Problem
Now that you know the candidates, do you mind doing the mental math and explaining the problem here?
If you came to the conclusion that this list of full of inexperience and lacks the necessary amount of talent, then congratulations, you win a prize that consists of absolutely nothing.
Here’s the deal.
This isn’t to say that the Titans’ WR6 should be some hidden gem, some giant with quick feet and a 4.4 40 time, or some created demigod.
Not only is that unrealistic, but it’s almost impossible to even stash someone like that as a WR6.
What I am saying though, is that this specific WR6 spot needs to be someone that can fill in and temporarily fill the cracks left behind from the more talented players on the totem pole.
If necessary as always.
The Titans have lived through the experience of bad receiver depth crushing their offense. Do you remember the Titans-Patriots game in 2022, when the Titans had to run out a plethora of names that shouldn’t be receiving significant snaps?
I’m sure you remember the 2 and a half hour long torture fest because of that.
That’s why this WR6 spot needs to be taken a bit more seriously than others. Injuries will occur, as they always have throughout Vrabel’s tenure as head coach.
So in order to prepare for that, this WR6 spot needs to be taken with more care and be paid a lot more attention than it's receiving right now. Not only due to injuries either, but due to lack of success from others in the past as well.
This isn’t to say the Titans will stick with one of the 6 guys there as a WR6. Cut down day provides every team across the league with a number of opportunities to add players other teams might not want.
Whether that’s due to lack of skill, monetary reasons, etc. The Titans will have some options if they deem those better than the ones they have right now. But we’re a ways away from cut down day, so this discussion needs to be had right at this moment.
Overview
Maybe one of the in house options proves us wrong and uses their play to signify that they’re ready to contribute whenever they can.
Who the hell knows.
But we do know right now that neither of the 6 options in house are ready to do just that. Which screams fear for a team that is already dealing with injuries to 2 major focal points of their offense.
We’ll see how the Titans address this spot and if they truly value the role. If they do, they’ll make a move according to developments over the next 7 days and some change.
If they don’t, well we’ll either know for the right or wrong reasons.
The hope for Titans fans, is that it’ll be for the former.
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