Which Practice Squad Players Could Step Up This Week?

Following last week's COVID-19 outbreak, the Titans will have to replenish the roster for Sunday's game against the Bills.

The Tennessee Titans have gone two days without a positive coronavirus test.

Barring any additional positive tests, coach Mike Vrabel is hopeful that his team will be able to return to Saint Thomas Sports Park in the coming days to start in-person preparation for their next opponent, the 4-0 Buffalo Bills.

However, Vrabel knows the Titans will more than likely have to prepare and play without a handful of key players this week. Vrabel said the Titans will play with the 48 guys who give the team the best chance to win a football game. Thus, practice squad players will need to step up.

“We have 14 guys on the practice squad,” Vrabel said on Tuesday. “Some of those guys have played for us. Some of those guys haven’t played for us. I know that they’re excited and I am looking forward to seeing them play. We’re confident in what we have.

“... I am confident we’ll have the right number of players at each position for the game.”

Since Sept. 29, nine players and eight staff members have tested positive for COVID-19.

Several of the players who tested positive for the virus are starters, including defensive tackles Jeffery Simmons and DaQuan Jones, rookie cornerback Kristian Fulton, wide receiver Adam Humphries, fullback Khari Balsingame and long snapper Beau Brinkley, who the Titans may need to replace via free agency if he cannot play on Sunday.

Other players who tested positive include outside linebacker Kamalei Correa, practice squad wide receiver Cameron Batson, who has appeared in the last two games, and practice squad tight end Tommy Hudson.

On top of COVID-19-related absences, the Titans still have plenty of football-related injuries to deal with. Cornerback Adoree’ Jackson, who was placed on the injured reserve list before the season, has missed the first three games with a knee injury. Additionally, wide receiver A.J. Brown has missed the last two games with a knee injury.

Here is a look at which practice squad players the team may need most on Sunday.

Wide receivers Cody Hollister and Chester Rodgers: With Batson and Humphries on the COVID-19 reserve list and Brown’s injury status unknown, Cody Hollister and Chester Rodgers are the leading candidates to have increased roles this week. Hollister spent much of the 2019 season on the Titans’ practice squad. He appeared in two games and made a pair of catches for 13 yards. Hollister played four snaps in the Titans’ Week 1 win over the Denver Broncos. Undrafted out of Arkansas, he spent the 2017 season on the New England Patriots practice squad. He caught 27 passes for 342 yards and a touchdown in 29 games at Arkansas. Sixteen of Hollister’s collegiate receptions converted first downs.

Rodgers has no shortage of NFL experience. The 26-year-old signed with the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2016. He spent four seasons (2016-2019) with the Colts and played in 53 games (12 starts). Rodgers was targeted 171 times. He made 111 catches for 1,221 yards and five touchdowns. Rodgers had a significant role as a kick returner during his time as a Colt. He returned 60 total kicks for 551 yards. Rodgers played collegiately at Grambling State University, where he caught 153 passes for 2,232 yards and 15 touchdowns over the course of four seasons.

Defensive backs Maurice Smith, Breon Borders and Kareem Orr: Cornerback has been a position of great concern all season. Jackson has been out with an injury. Fulton is on the COVID-19 list and veterans Malcolm Butler and Jonathan Joseph have both battled minor injuries. It’s reasonable to expect Maurice Smith, Breon Borders, Kareem Orr, or all three, to have significant roles this week.

Smith certainly has the most experience of the three. He signed with the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2017. Over the course of two seasons with the Dolphins, Smith played in 13 games and tallied six tackles and two passes defended. He spent the 2019 season with Washington, where he appeared in two games (1 start) and made one tackle. Smith started his college career at Alabama but later transferred to Georgia. In his lone season as a Bulldog (2016), he was a team captain. Smith signed with the Titans on Sept. 29.

Borders has pinballed from various practice squads and active rosters. Undrafted out of Duke in 2017, Borders started his NFL career on the Oakland Raiders practice squad. He then went on to sign with the Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Washington and Pittsburgh Steelers. Borders, who has not spent a full season with any team, has appeared in 13 regular season games (11 with Jacksonville last season). He has just seven tackles to show for it.

Orr (pictured), undrafted out of Chattanooga in 2019, spent most of last season on the Titans’ practice squad. He was on the active roster for three weeks, played in two games and made nine tackles. Orr transferred to Chattanooga from Arizona State. In two seasons with the Mocs, the 5-foot-11, 195-pound cornerback recorded 81 tackles, six tackles for a loss, five interceptions and 13 passes defended.

Defensive tackle Teair Tart: Jones and Simmons, two of the team’s best players and leaders, could both be non-factors for the Titans this week. Teair Tart could have the opportunity of a lifetime this week.

The 23-year-old signed with the Titans as an undrafted free agent in May. In his lone season at Florida International University, Tart totaled 51 tackles, 19.0 tackles for loss, six sacks, one pass defensed, five quarterback pressures and two forced fumbles. Before attending FIU, Tart played one year at Ellsworth Community College (Iowa) in 2017 and one season at ASA College in New York.

Linebackers Daren Bates, Wyatt Ray and Tuzar Skipper: Linebacker should not be a huge concern for the Titans, but somebody will presumably need to fill in for Correa, who is still on the COVID-19 list.

Daren Bates could be first in line. After spending three seasons with the Titans (2017-2019), including one as a special teams captain, Bates signed with the Houston Texans this past offseason. However, the seven-year veteran was cut at the end of training camp. He ended up with the Titans once again. Playing in 45 out of a possible 48 games for Tennessee, Bates led the Titans with 11 special teams tackles in 2019 after he finished second each the previous two years, including 2017 when he notched a career-high 16 stops. He was credited with seven total tackles on defense during his time with the Titans, including a career-high six in 2018.

Defensive end/outside linebacker Wyatt Ray is another likely candidate. An undrafted free agent in 2019, Ray spent time with the Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans, Buffalo Bills and New York Jets before landing with the Titans this past August. Ray played collegiately at Boston College and recorded 114 tackles, 24 tackles for loss, 17 sacks, one forced fumble and one interception in 50 games over four seasons.

Tuzar Skipper is more than capable of making an impact. Skipper signed with the Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2019 but was waived before the season began. He had a brief stint with the New York Giants before ending up with the Steelers again in November. In six games with the Steelers last season, Skipper recorded six tackles and a half sack. He signed a two-year contract with the team after the season but was cut in September and signed with the Titans 10 later. Skipper played college football at the University of Toledo from 2016-2018 after spending his first two collegiate seasons at Monroe College in New York City.

D’Onta Foreman, running back: With Blasingame on the COVID-19 list, the 6-foot-1, 236-pound D’Onta Foreman could have to play fullback this week. A third-round Selection by the Houston Texans in 2017, Foreman has played in 11 NFL games (one start). In two seasons with the Texans, Foreman amassed 85 carries for 326 yards and two touchdowns.

Foreman had an impressive collegiate career at the University of Texas. In four seasons as a Longhorn, Foreman recorded 431 carries for more than 2,000 yards and 20 touchdowns. As a senior, Foreman ran for 2,028 yards and 15 touchdowns en route to the Doak Walker Award, which is given to college football’s top running back each season.

Offensive linemen Brandon Kemp and David Quessenberry: Three-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle Taylor Lewan did sustain a shoulder injury in the Titans’ Week 3 win over the Minnesota Vikings. However, it does not appear to be serious. In addition, Vrabel said rookie offensive tackle Isiah Wilson, who has been on the team’s COVID list since Sept. 6, could get back to work this week. The Titans selected Wilson with 29th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. It would be surprising to see Brandon Kemp or David Quessenberry play this week.

Tucker McCann, kicker: Stephen Gostkowski is too good. Barring a positive COVID test or injury, undrafted free agent kicker Tucker McCann surely will not see any action against the Bills.

Trevor Simeian, quarterback Siemian is a seasoned veteran quarterback and a good emergency option to have on the practice squad in a COVID-19 world. However, starter Ryan Tannehill and backup Logan Woodside have not tested positive for COVID-19 or sustained any serious injuries. Siemian appears to be out of the picture this week.