Titans Veteran WR in Danger of Losing Roster Spot

The Tennessee Titans could see their veteran wideout leave the team before the start of the season.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Van Jefferson scores a touchdown against the New York Jets. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

The Tennessee Titans signed Van Jefferson from the Pittsburgh Steelers in the offseason to add some experience to the position group.

However, the team selected a pair of wide receivers in the fourth round of the draft, making Jefferson's outlook very cloudy on the roster.

Pro Football Focus writer Mason Cameron believes that training camp will feature a battle between Jefferson and fourth-round rookie Elic Ayomanor.

"The Titans needed to invest more into their receiving corps this offseason, and that thought led to the signing of some veteran options on short-term deals, including Jefferson," Cameron wrote.

"However, Jefferson has struggled lately, posting sub-58.0 PFF receiving grades in each of the past two seasons. Ayomanor, the 35th-ranked player on PFF’s big board, profiles as a clear upgrade at X receiver with his size, football IQ and play strength, earning him a 78.9 PFF receiving grade over the past two seasons."

The Titans are already giving roster spots to Calvin Ridley, Ayomanor and fellow rookie Chimere Dike, which means there are two or three other receiver jobs on the 53-man roster. Tyler Lockett is expected to occupy one of those spots, leaving a few players to fight for the final vacancy.

Former first-round pick Treylon Burks will be in the mix for that job and so will undrafted wide receiver Xavier Restrepo, who played with Cam Ward while at Miami. Those players could have that spot over Jefferson, especially if Ayomanor edges him out for a starting role as the X receiver.

The future of the position with the Titans belongs to Ayomanor, but Jefferson could have a hold on that role for the one year he's signed on for if he can edge the rookie out of Stanford this offseason.

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