Adding Pads Will Reveal Truth About O-Line Hopefuls
In this story:
NASHVILLE – In the first four days of training camp, left guard Aaron Brewer and right tackle Dillon Radunz have at least held their own during team and seven-on-seven drills.
But how much has that really told us about their chances of winning starting jobs?
Not much.
The real test for both Brewer and Radunz comes Monday, when the Tennessee Titans strap on pads for the first time.
Will the 6-foot-1, 295-pound Brewer be able to stand up to the bull rush of someone like 6-foot-4, 305-pound Jeffery Simmons?
Will Radunz be able to handle Harold Landry or Bud Dupree, should one of those edge rushers drop a shoulder in his chest before heading for the quarterback?
These are things coaches need to know sooner rather than later.
“Once the pads get on, it’s a different game,” coach Mike Vrabel said. “This is all great work [over the first four days], and I’m glad we’re able to for the most part take care of each other and stay on our feet in practice.
“But ultimately we’re going to have to get the pads on and be able to move some people and try to create some angles and spaces for our backs -- and when we throw it, be able to protect the middle of the pocket.”
It’s been a slower-than-anticipated development process for Radunz, in part due to circumstances beyond his control. He played just one game during his final year at North Dakota State before the season was shut down due to COVID concerns.
The lack of recent experience – as well as the jump from an FCS program to the NFL – proved challenging for the 2021 second-round pick. Radunz started just one game last season and played a total of 124 offensive snaps.
It has seemed at times that one of Radunz’s greatest challenges has been proving to himself that he could excel on the NFL level.
“I’m from the FCS, so (I’ve just been) getting used to the speed and getting used to the confidence I can build, getting used to the speed of the NFL,” Radunz said. “So, as long as I can do that and have the confidence for that, I think that’s going to be huge. I have full trust in my abilities to then block if I have that confidence. So, I have no doubt in my mind we’ll get there.”
The 6-foot-6, 301-pound Radunz said he’s happy with the progress he’s made early in training camp, but understands everything changes on Monday with the pads.
Will he emerge as the odds-on favorite to replace David Quessenberry, who replaced Dennis Kelly, who replaced Jack Conklin?
“It’ll just be the true test of physicality,” Radunz said. “The defense will be able to bull rush one-on-ones. We’ll get to see where they’re actually at when they have all the moves in their arsenal, and we have all our moves in our arsenal, and we’re doing A-gap power and stuff.
“Obviously we’re not trying to kill each others’ shoulders when we don’t have shoulder pads on. We put those on and that will be the true test of physicality to see where we’re at as an offense.”
The arrival of padded practices will also serve as the first litmus test for Brewer, who’s hoping to replace Rodger Saffold.
This certainly won’t be the first time he’s had to battle against larger opponents on the defensive line, but it’s the first time Brewer will be asked to do so with a potential starting role on the line.
“It’s been a challenge my whole life,” Brewer said about his size. “People can say all they want to. But if you cut on the film and tape, I done went against the best of the best , the biggest of the biggest. So, you can say what you want about my weight. But if you look at the film, the film don’t lie.”
Nor will the padded practices.
