Taylor Lewan - Pro Football Rumors

Latest On Titans LT Taylor Lewan

June 16th, 2021 at 9:19pm CST by Rory Parks

We heard several weeks ago that Titans left tackle Taylor Lewan, whose 2020 season was cut short due to an ACL tear in October, was on track to return for training camp. That might not be the case, however.

As Kayla Anderson of WKRN.com writes, Lewan — who turns 30 next month — hopes to be ready for the start of the regular season. “I could sit here and predict a bunch of things, but you never know what can happen in these next six to seven weeks,” he said. “I expect it to go swimmingly, smooth, but you never know what could happen.”

Lewan said that he’s pleased with the way his rehab is progressing, but there is no definitive timetable at this point. Tennessee expects to have a powerhouse offense in 2021, and having its three-time Pro Bowler anchoring the blindside for the full season would be a major boost to the club’s championship aspirations.

Lewan signed a five-year, $80MM extension in July 2018, which positioned him as the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history at the time. He rewarded the Titans with a Pro Bowl effort that season, but due to the ACL tear and a PED suspension, he has played in just 17 of a possible 32 games over the past two years.

Taylor Lewan On Tack For Training Camp

May 23rd, 2021 at 5:36pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Titans were dealt a big blow when star left tackle Taylor Lewan tore his ACL last October. Lewan will turn 30 this summer and is coming off the serious knee injury, but fortunately it sounds like everything is going well.

Lewan is believed to be on schedule in his recovery and should be ready to go at the start of training camp, Jim Wyatt of the team’s official site writes. The Michigan product made the Pro Bowl three straight seasons from 2016-18, and is the anchor of the team’s offensive line. With the team relying so heavily on Derrick Henry, obviously the trenches are of the utmost importance.

Lewan was the 11th overall pick back in 2014. He started at least 15 games every year from 2015-18, but was hit with a four-game PED suspension in 2019. Then he made it only five games last year before going down with the ACL tear.

He’s signed through the 2023 season after inking a five-year, $80MM extension in July of 2018.

Torn ACL For Titans’ Taylor Lewan

October 19th, 2020 at 11:53am CST by Zachary Links

On Monday morning, Taylor Lewan‘s worst fears were confirmed. The Titans tackle has been formally diagnosed with a torn ACL (Twitter link via Lewan).

“I can’t wait to watch my guys crush it, I’m going to be the biggest Titans fan each and every Sunday,” Lewan wrote. “We are doing something special here and this small set back doesn’t change a thing!”

It’s a bad blow for the Titans, who advanced to 5-0 with their overtime win against the Texans. They managed to pull out the W without Lewan at left tackle, but it wasn’t exactly smooth sailing. Shortly after Ty Sambrailo took over, he allowed J.J. Watt to blow past him and surrendered a sack.

Lewan, a three-time Pro Bowler, stands as one of the NFL’s better left tackles. He’s also a locker room leader for the Titans. Last year, he earned an 80.2 grade from Pro Football Focus, slotting him as the No. 11 tackle in the league. That score was good for fifth among left tackles and his run-blocking grade was the best of any LT. He’s been consistently strong, too, routinely earning top 10 scores for pass and run blocking throughout his career.

If the Titans don’t want to move forward with Sambrailo as their LT, they could bump first-round pick Isaiah Wilson to the starting cast. After being cleared from the COVID-19 list, the Georgia standout could debut as soon as Sunday against the Steelers.

Torn ACL For Titans’ Taylor Lewan?

October 19th, 2020 at 9:37am CST by Zachary Links

The Titans fear that tackle Taylor Lewan has suffered a torn ACL, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports. Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (on Twitter) has also confirmed the news, though Lewan won’t officially know the diagnosis until he undergoes an MRI.

Lewan went down in the third quarter of the Titans’ win over the Texans on Sunday. The Titans replaced him with Ty Sambrailo and went on to win 42-36, keeping their undefeated record in tact. Sambrailo allowed J.J. Watt to blow past him and gave up a sack – a sign that they could be in trouble without their three-time Pro Bowl left tackle.

Lewan, the No. 11 overall pick in the 2014 draft, started in at least 15 games between 2015 and 2018, earning Pro Bowl nods in every year from ’16 through ’18. Despite last year’s suspension, the 29-year-old has blossomed into one of the league’s better tackles.

Sambrailo figures to take over, but the Titans could also consider moving tackle Dennis Kelly over to the left side. First-round pick Isaiah Wilson, who was shelved on the NFL’s Reserve/COVID-19 list, could also be an option as he returned to practice earlier this week.

South Notes: Godwin, Titans, Texans, Jaguars

October 3rd, 2020 at 6:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

With the Titans dominating NFL newscycles this week, here is the latest from their division and an update on one of the NFC South’s best players.

Chris Godwin‘s latest injury-induced absence may well extend beyond Sunday. The Buccaneers wide receiver will miss Week 4 with a mild hamstring pull, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). Because the Bucs face the Bears on Thursday to kick off Week 5, the team may be hard-pressed to have Godwin avoid missing two games. Godwin missed Tampa Bay’s Week 2 game because of a concussion. Coming into his contract year, Godwin had only missed two career games.
The shoulder injury Taylor Lewan suffered against the Vikings last week is not considered serious, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. He was iffy to face the Steelers, prior to the game’s postponement, so odds are certainly better the longtime Titans left tackle would be ready to play against the Bills next weekend.
Should the Titans be cleared to resume their season against the Bills in Week 5, they will need to bring in another long snapper. The team will not use starting center Ben Jones as its specialty snapper, Paul Kuharsky of PaulKuharsky.com tweets. Beau Brinkley, Tennessee’s long snapper in every game since his 2012 rookie season, is currently on the Titans’ reserve/COVID-19 list.
The Seahawks will have Shaquem Griffin in uniform for the second straight week, despite not carrying the linebacker over to its Week 1 roster out of training camp. A Seahawks regular in 2018-19, Griffin began the season on the team’s practice squad. But at least three other teams, including the Texans, expressed interest in the inspirational defender. Griffin, however, did not believe a move elsewhere would have presented a better situation, per Brady Henderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Shaquem Griffin’s twin brother, Shaquill, being a longtime Seahawk factored into this decision, Shaquem said (Twitter link).
The Jaguars did some reshuffling in their scouting department recently. They promoted DeJuan Polk to director of pro personnel and named Chris Driggers as their pro scouting director, Adam Caplan of Sirius XM Radio tweets. Driggers has been with the Jags since the franchise’s inception, actually joining in 1994 — a year before the team began playing games — and has worked in a scouting capacity for the past 23 years. Polk was hired as the Jags’ assistant pro personnel director in 2016.

Titans Activate T Taylor Lewan

October 4th, 2019 at 3:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

Taylor Lewan is back on the Titans’ 53-man roster. The team activated its left tackle starter on Friday, placing running back David Fluellen on IR in a corresponding move.

Tennessee’s sixth-year cornerstone blocker failed a PED test, causing him to miss his first games since the 2015 season. Going into this year, the former first-round pick had not missed more than one game in a season since his 2014 rookie year.

The Titans gave Lewan a five-year, $80MM extension in 2018. Because the Raiders moved Trent Brown back to right tackle, Lewan’s deal still tops the left tackle market. He has made the past three Pro Bowls and operates as a central piece of the Titans’ run-based offense. Dennis Kelly filled in for Lewan during the season’s first quarter.

Seeing Titans action for a third straight season, Fluellen has been limited by a knee injury. He played in Tennessee’s first and fourth games this season. While Fluellen could come back in December, his status as Tennessee’s third-string back may not make him a priority IR-return candidate.

Titans Reach 53-Man Limit

August 31st, 2019 at 3:00pm CST by Zachary Links

The Titans reached the 53-man limit on Saturday, mostly via cuts. They did, however, free up one roster spot by trading Taywan Taylor to the Browns.

Among the more notable cuts – quarterback Logan Woodside, running back Jeremy McNichols, and offensive lineman Corey Levin.

Here’s the complete rundown of the Titans’ Saturday slashing:

Waived/released:

OL Hroniss Grasu
OL Austin Pasztor
TE Ryan Hewitt
DB Kenneth Durden
DB D’Andre Payne
DB JoJo Tillery
DB Michael Jordan
DB Kareem Orr
DB LaDarius Wiley
DL Chris Nelson
DL Braxton Hoyett
DL Frank Herron
DL Amani Bledsoe
LB Derick Roberson
LB Ukeme Eligwe
LB Quart’e Sapp
LB LaTroy Lewis
LB Eric Cotton
OL A.T. Hall
OL Aaron Stinnie
OL Corey Levin
OL Tyler Marz
P Austin Barnard
QB Logan Woodside
RB Akeem Hunt
RB Jeremy McNichols
RB Alex Barnes
TE Parker Hesse
WR DeAngelo Yancey
WR Anthony Ratliff-Williams
WR Papi White
WR Cody Hollister
WR Tanner McEvoy

Reserve/NFI:
DL Jeffery Simmons

Suspended:
LT Taylor Lewan

Titans’ Taylor Lewan Loses Appeal

August 23rd, 2019 at 3:29pm CST by Zachary Links

Titans left tackle Taylor Lewan has officially been suspended for the first four games of the 2019 season for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances, according to a team announcement. Lewan was first hit with the ban late last month and the official denial of his appeal means that he will be out for the first four games of the season.

Lewan vehemently denied the use of PEDs and even said that he took a polygraph test to prove his innocence. Unfortunately for him, that wasn’t enough to sway those in charge.

“It’s a really horrible situation to feel like this, and to walk into the locker room and tell those guys you’re not going to be with them for four games – it breaks my heart,” Lewan said last month. “It’s tough, man. But I’ve been very candid with [GM] Jon (Robinson) and [head coach] (Mike) Vrabel and [owner] Amy (Adams Strunk) and told them right away. I don’t want the legacy, or whatever I have done in the last five years, to be tarnished because of this, because of something like this, that was a complete accident that I’m going to try and make up for.”

According to the league, Lewan popped positive for ostarine, which is used to combat muscle wasting. Lewan, meanwhile, says he didn’t “knowingly” take anything to skirt the rules.

Lewan will be eligible to play for the first time in 2019 on October 6 vs. the Bills.

South Notes: Texans, Titans, Lewan, Panthers

August 15th, 2019 at 9:39pm CST by Dallas Robinson

While it’s still unclear exactly how the Texans will configure their offensive line in 2019, the front five does appear to be rounding into form. At recent practices, Matt Kalil has been taking first-team reps at left tackle while rookie first-round pick Tytus Howard plays left guard, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Zach Fulton is filling in at center for the injured Nick Martin, but once Martin returns, Fulton will continue to battle second-rounder Max Scharping for time at right guard, and the veteran holds the edge in that battle, per Wilson. Seantrel Henderson, who hasn’t started more than one game in a season since 2015, is the top man at right tackle. Houston’s offensive line was one of the NFL’s worst in 2018, ranking 27th in adjusted line yards and dead last in adjusted sack rate, per Football Outsiders.

Here’s more from the NFL’s two South divisions:

After suffering a fractured and dislocated ankle last September, Titans tight end Delanie Walker is working his way back to full strength. Walker expects to be ready for Week 1 of the regular season, and in excellent news, he’s likely to play in Tennessee’s second preseason contest, tweets Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com. The 35-year-old posted at least 60 receptions and 800 yards in each season from 2014-17, and he’s likely to be a featured part of the Titans offense once again in 2019. Signed to a two-year, $17MM extension last summer, Walker is under contract through 2020.
Panthers defensive end Bryan Cox Jr. was cited on Wednesday for speeding, possession of marijuana, and possession of paraphernalia, reports Blaine Tolison of WSOC (Twitter link). In a statement, the Panthers said they are aware of the incident and are working to gather information (Twitter link via Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic). Cos has appeared in 18 games for Carolina over the past two years, playing roughly 200 snaps in each season. In his latest roster projection, David Newton of ESPN.com left Cox off the Panthers’ 53-man squad.
Titans offensive tackle Taylor Lewan will formally appeal his four-game suspension on August 22, per Paul Kuharsky of PaulKuharsky.com (Twitter link). Lewan was dealt a ban after violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy, but he’s been adamant in his claims that he didn’t purposefully ingest a banned substance, and even took a polygraph test. However, as recent failed appeals by Golden Tate and Robert Quinn have shown, the NFL’s drug policy is extremely unforgiving.

AFC South Notes: Henry, Lewan, Jags, Texans

July 28th, 2019 at 8:57pm CST by Micah Powell

Mystery still surrounds the extent of Titans running back Derrick Henry‘s leg injury, but as of now, there is no official timetable for when to expect the bruising back to return to the field, Titans online’s Jim Wyatt tweets.

The big back has missed a few days of training camp with the injury and was seen in a walking boot. Many do not expect the injury to be a serious one, but it does have an ominous feel to it after the team announced him as day-to-day on Saturday.

After taking over down the stretch in 2018, the former Alabama running back was expected to enter 2019 as the unquestioned workhorse. We will see if those plans are affected by the latest injury, but Tennessee has the likes of Dion Lewis waiting in the wings.

Here’s more from around the AFC South:

Titans offensive lineman Taylor Lewan‘s four-game suspension will cost him $3.4MM in base salary, Paul Kuharsky writes. In addition to the base salary, the Titans also be able recoup part of his signing bonus. Lewan was suspension earlier this week for violated the league’s PED policy.
Since Jaguars defensive end Yannick Ngakoue has held out of camp for four days, he’s currently facing a fine of $160,000, ESPN’s Michael DiRocco tweets. That brings his total fine to $248,650 due to him missing mandatory minicamp. The fourth-year defensive end is expected to report back to the team in early August as he looks for a long-term deal.
Texans head coach Bill O’Brien confirmed Lamar Miller is the team’s lead back but the other spots behind him are wide open, ESPN’s Sarah Barshop tweets. Behind Miller, Houston boasts a large collection of unproven backs looking to make an impact, led by D’Onta Foreman.