NASHVILLE – Titans head coach Mike Vrabel held a video conference call on Monday morning to provide some updates at the start of the week.
Vrabel, who remains in quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19 last week, hit on these topics:
-Vrabel won't be available at practice today. He didn't say whether he'd be back on Tuesday or Wednesday. "I'm just continuing to work my way through the protocols," Vrabel said. "I'm going to focus on today – we had a great team meeting this morning. … We'll have a great practice and we'll see where things are after today."
-Vrabel didn't give any indication that players will be returning from COVID protocols today, or if anyone might be added to the COVID-19 list, saying "we'll see where that is this afternoon when the personnel report comes out."
-Asked about the competition at right tackle, Vrabel said the team hasn't decided on a Week One starter. He mentioned David Quessenberry, Ty Sambrailo and Kendall Lamm as the contenders. "There's been some moving parts," Vrabel said. "We have some time, and I think it's still a competition. We want to try and find the best guy to play over there. Ty has been working his way back, Quess has been in there consistently, and then Kendall has obviously been working his way back in just recently. I think that is probably going to go a little bit longer, and we'll make sure that they are all given the opportunity, and also figuring out what is going to be best for the rotation for the season, and where the other pieces fall."
-Vrabel didn't mention second-round pick Dillon Radunz among those in the mix to start at right tackle. He reiterated the starting job will be between Quessenberry, Sambrailo and Lamm. Vrabel said Radunz will continue to work and try to get better. "There have been improvements since training camp and each game," Vrabel said of Radunz. "Playing at guard and playing at tackle, having the ability to do both of those can be a real positive one. … It will be nice that he can play multiple positions."
-Vrabel offered some praise for outside linebacker John Simon, who was released by the team on Sunday. And he hinted the team would like to have him back. "Hopefully we can continue to have a relationship with John," Vrabel said. "I've got a lot of history with John, and as a person and as a player, I think very highly of him. Hopefully we can potentially find a way to bring him back as we work our way through this process, that is something that could happen."
-Vrabel said the Titans have a plan to get receiver Julio Jones ready for the season, like everyone else. "We're hoping that things continue to trend towards where they would be for the regular season," Vrabel said. "We'll continue to try and have a plan to get him ready, as well as everybody else as we move forward. These four (practice) days will be important for us."
-The Titans, like all NFL teams, must be down to 53 players by Tuesday at 3 p.m. Vrabel said the decisions will be tough. "There's been a lot of great competition," Vrabel said. "They are all hard, they are all tough cuts when you have to tell guys they are not going to be on the 53-man roster, they are all hard."
