With training camp in the rearview, the Tennessee Titans are about ready to fully turn their attention to the season opener against the New York Jets. Just two hurdles remain: the preseason finale against the Chicago Bears on Saturday and the cut-down to 53 on Sunday.
This past week, head coach Robert Saleh and assistant general manager Dave Zeigler discussed the week and noted that a few roster spots remain up for grabs. But what are those? And who are those in contention?
While some players like Julius Chestnut appear to have locked up a roster spot as the fourth running back or Kylen Granson as the fourth tight end, others are still fighting for the final spots, and the final roster breakdown will be dictated by the final positional breakdown.
Here is a breakdown of what Titans Wire believes could be those final spots.
Wide receiver
The Titans are five deep, but will have some decisions to make at receiver. Bryce Oliver is a special teams asset, which could give him an advantage, but Xavier Restrepo is making a strong push. With Wan’Dale Robinson going down with a potential concussion, Restrepo could be in-line to gain some extra snaps in the preseason finale and could have a golden opportunity to cement his case.
Offensive line
You can never have enough quality offensive linemen, and the Titans definitely have questions about depth here. While the interior depth looks solid, the tackle depth could use some added talent. With Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson likely the swing tackle, and the combination of Jackson Slater and Pat Coogan in place for interior depth, it will be interesting to see what the Titans do with veterans Cardell Volson and Andre James.
Defensive line
This is completely a numbers game, and how many players the Titans plan to keep. Edge players Truman Jones and Malik Herring and defensive tackles Jackie Marshall and Khalen Saunders could make or break their case against the Bears.
Linebacker
This may be one of the more interesting positions on the roster to watch play out heading into the cuts. The Titans clearly have four linebackers set to make the final 53, but have a couple more in Mohammoud Diabate and Dorian Mausi fighting for a spot. Both have special-teams ability and could be solid depth, but the final roster numbers could dictate the depth chart.
Cornerback
A couple of things to watch heading into the final preseason game will impact the final 53. First is the status of Joshua Williams, who is being reevaluated for a pec injury that kept him out this week and has nagged him throughout training camp. Second are the performances. Micah Robinson, Keydrain Calligan, and Mario Goodrich have all had their moments in camp and could work their way into the final roster spots depending on the structure.
Safety
Erick Hallett has made a strong case for a roster spot, but the final roster breakdown will be the deciding factor. With Kendell Brooks being an outstanding special-teams player and quality depth, keeping a fifth safety will have to come at the expense of another position.
This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: How many roster spots are actually up for grabs for Titans?
