The Tennessee Titans were on the practice field Tuesday to start their two-day mandatory minicamp. After doing so, they confirmed four roster moves that seemingly came out of nowhere. They signed center Andre James and defensive lineman Jalyn Holmes, waived/injured defensive lineman C.J. Ravenell, and released center Trey Hill.
Both James and Holmes practiced on Tuesday and Wednesday. Ravenell was a waiver claim last season after roster cuts with Mike Borgonzi’s No. 1 priority. The additions are particularly
interesting though.
James was a multi-year starter for the Las Vegas Raiders at center. He strung together some really nice seasons after being an undrafted free agent in 2019. He’s appeared in 106 career games with 61 starts. Most notably, James once developed into a quality starter under new Titans offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo in Vegas. Bricillo undeniably signed off on this signing. Could he push Austin Schlottmann for the starting job? This move also has implications for rookie center Pat Coogan, who gets pushed even further down the depth chart.
Holmes was selected in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. He’s been a journeyman ever since, spending time with five additional teams since, most recently the Washington Commanders. The former Ohio State standout has recorded 104 career tackles, 13 tackles for a loss and four sacks.
The Titans are pretty well stocked on the defensive line. Jeffery Simmons and John Franklin-Myers are the starters inside. Solomon Thomas and Jordan Elliott were acquired during the offseason to support the starters and reunite with head coach Robert Saleh. The Titans also drafted defensive lineman Jackie Marshall, who is the favorite to be No. 5 on the depth chart. Holmes is facing an uphill battle to make an impression.
Choosing between James and Holmes, the James addition is likely to have the bigger impact.
