Radunz Won't Be Right Tackle. But Who Will?
NASHVILLE – One thing is certain when it comes to who will be the Tennessee Titans’ starter at right tackle this season.
It won’t be Dillon Radunz, the rookie out of North Dakota State who the Titans selected in the second round of this year’s draft. Radunz played extensively in the three preseason games but split his time between guard and tackle. As of now, he remains a work in progress.
Coach Mike Vrabel said Monday that coaches ultimately will choose between three veteran players, David Quessenberry, Kendall Lamm and Ty Sambrailo. With nearly two weeks remaining before the regular-season opener against the Arizona Cardinals, however, that decision is not imminent.
“I think we have some time, and it is still a competition. We want to try and find the best guy to play over there,” Vrabel said. “[Sambrailo) has been working his way back. (Quessenberry) has been in there consistently. And then (Lamm) has been working his way back in just recently.
“I think that is probably going to go a little bit longer and we will make sure they are all given an opportunity, and also figuring out what is going to be best for the rotation for the season and where the other pieces fall.”
Whoever it is will be the third different starter in that spot in as many seasons. Jack Conklin had the job in 2019 but went to Cleveland as a free agent in 2020. Dennis Kelly started every game there last season but was waived in March in one of numerous offseason moves to help free up salary cap space.
Sambrailo and Quessenberry each started at left tackle for the Titans in 2020. Sambrailo stepped in when Taylor Lewan sustained a season-ending knee injury and played five games before a foot injury knocked him out of action. Quessenberry started the final six games.
In six seasons with three teams, Sambrailo has started 18 games, 11 of them at right tackle. Quessenberry has never started at that spot.
Lamm was added as a free agent in the offseason (he signed a two-year $4.5 million contract) and looked like the front-runner throughout the offseason and the early part of training camp. An injury sidelined him for a time in camp, and his only preseason action came in the final Saturday against Chicago. Back in 2018, though, he started 13 games at right tackle for the Houston Texans.
During the preseason, which ended with Saturday’s 27-24 loss to the Bears, Quessenberry started all three contests at right tackle. Sambrailo missed the first game but started the second at left tackle and played as a reserve versus Chicago.
Radunz was the starting right guard in all three but later got playing time at right tackle in each.
“I think where that competition is, it is going to fall on one of those three [veteran] guys,” Vrabel said. “(Radunz) is going to continue to work and have to get better – and he has. There have been improvements since training camp in each game, but there is a lot of things that go into that.
“Playing at guard or playing at tackle, having the ability to do both of those can be a really positive, one, and where guys are each week and where we need him to be. It will be nice that he can play multiple positions.”
