Callahan: Thanks to Free-Agent Signings, Tennessee Titans Have Flexibility to Draft Best Available Players

Tennessee Titans coach Brian Callahan feels good about the team's offseason moves: "As you add players of need in free agency, which is what free agency is for, the draft then opens up for you and you're able to take a bit more of an open-minded approach on what the best players are at those positions."

NASHVILLE — First-year coach Brian Callahan isn't hiding his excitement about where the Tennessee Titans are in the rebuilding process.

During a 30-minute question-and-answer session Wednesday, Callahan emphasized how the signing of free agents such as Calvin Ridley and L'Jarius Sneed has given the team more flexibility to focus on the best player available in the April 25-27 NFL Draft.

"I feel really good about where we're at. I feel like there's going to be opportunities to draft some good players. You know, you don't control what happens in front of you," Callahan said. "And so, as these picks go off, it allows you to be a little more flexible in your approach, and whatever that pick may be, we can find that best player for us in the process. So, I do feel like the free agency has opened our ability to be more open-minded in the draft."

Acquiring cornerbacks Sneed and Chidobe Awuzie allows the team to focus on other positions with their first two picks, Callahan said. "We felt like there were corners that we could go sign (in free agency). And maybe there weren't as many corners in the early parts of the draft that were of the same caliber. So those two processes work simultaneously.

"And as you add players of need in free agency, which is what free agency is for, the draft then opens up for you and you're able to take a bit more of an open-minded approach on what the best players are at those positions."

Callahan said that his staff has been playing catch-up for the past two months, evaluating the existing Titans roster and available free agents, and preparing for the draft.

On top-30 visits

NFL teams can invite up to 30 college players to their facilities for medical evaluations and interviews. These visits are called "top-30," but they don't necessarily mean that the invited players were among the top 30 on the team's draft board. Callahan said he's met with "at least one player a day for what feels like last three weeks."

The interviews answer the question: Will the Titans be comfortable with the player and the person?

"We watch the tape. The tape's been graded. We know what the player is on their tape. But we're trying to get a feel for the person and ask questions.

"Some of these guys we've had scouts and coaches at the pro days, we've had the 30 visits, we've had the combine time. We've spent a lot of time on these players to make sure that when that moment comes, if that's the player we pick, we're very comfortable with who they are, both as a player and as a person."

On the run-up to draft day

"I think you advocate and fight for guys when you have a really strong opinion or there's a large difference maybe in the positions and where you feel like, as the offensive coach or defensive coach, you feel strongly that you might need.

"But you go through all the different scenarios. There might be 50 different scenarios that happen in front of us at pick seven. And so, you have to work through all of those things, all the contingencies. What happens if this player's there? What happens if that player is there? Would we be comfortable with this player over that player? And you just go through all of these exercises at your picks in particularly the first and second round for sure."

Related Titans stories

•  DENNARD WILSON TALKS UP DEFENSE: The Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator raved about general manager Ran Carthon's free-agent acquisitions, specifically cornerbacks L'Jarius Sneed and Chidobe Awuzie. He emphasized players rather than schemes. He dismissed the new NFL tackling rule as something outside of his control. CLICK HERE
• JOE ALT AND THE BEST TACKLES: The majority of mock NFL drafts have the Titans taking Notre Dame left tackle Joe Alt as the No. 7 overall pick. But the options are rich at the position. CLICK HERE
• REBUILD ON FAST TRACK: The Tennessee Titans have "needs all over the field, so credit to GM Ran Carthon for recognizing the deficiencies and addressing them decisively in his first year without former coach Mike Vrabel," Jeremy Fowler wrote on ESPN.com. CLICK HERE
• NEW FACES IN AFC SOUTH: The free-agent market is still open. The NFL Draft is April 25-27. The Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans have been trading haymakers with their significant player acquisitions. CLICK HERE
• LEARNING CURVE ON KICKOFFS: The NFL changed its kickoff rules to encourage more returns. Tennessee Titans GM Ran Carthon says "the preseason is going to be very important for us ... to figure out how we're going to be able to execute that play for us to start the game, because it's really going to be the first offensive snap." CLICK HERE