Titans rookie first-rounder Taylor Lewan remains unsigned, but that didn’t prevent the team from training him at both left and right tackle, writes John Glennon in the Tennessean.
Here’s a few more Titans tidbits provided by offensive coordinator Jason Michael, who did an interview for the team website:
- Talented but raw second-year receiver Justin Hunter has shown flashes of playmaking, and “the sky’s the limit” for him, but the staff needs to continue pushing him.
- Veteran Shonn Greene (injury) and rookie Bishop Sankey (academic requirements) missed most of the team’s offseason, opening the door for Dexter McCluster to learn the system.
- Another player who must make strides is Taylor Thompson, whose transition from college defensive end to NFL tight end has not gone smoothly. Michael did not call out Thompson, but did stop short of praising him, saying, “He’s still young to the position, with changing from defensive end, and I know we’ve talked about those things and at some point, he’s got to put that behind him and move forward and be a tight end…”
- However, unlike Hunter, a 2013 second-rounder who scored four touchdowns and averaged nearly 20 yards per catch as a rookie, Thompson enters his third pro season with just nine catches to his credit. In a recent Daily News Journal article, Thompson admitted to enduring growing pains and a steep learning curve. Additionally, first-year position coach Mike Mularkey said his first impression of Thompson is that he’s raw and inexperienced. Thompson, whom the Titans traded up for in the fifth round of the 2012 draft, has two years remaining on his rookie contract, but the team is hoping for signs of development. He’s expected to be the team’s No. 3 tight end, but at 6-6 and nearly 270 pounds with sub-4.6 speed and natural catching ability, Thompson has breakout potential if the light comes on.