#ProTops: Taywan Taylor and the Titans Offensive Philosophy
Tennessee found themselves a pair of stellar wideouts this past draft by selecting Corey Davis and WKU’s Taywan Taylor to sure up the…
Tennessee found themselves a pair of stellar wideouts this past draft by selecting Corey Davis and WKU’s Taywan Taylor to sure up the receiving corps for Marcus Mariota and company.
After running one of the most tight end heavy offenses in the league last year — the Titans had the fifth-most snaps involving multiple tight ends in the NFL in 2016 — is Tennessee primed for an offensive overhaul with the acquisition of two potential studs?
Unfortunately for Taylor, and I suppose Davis, it doesn’t appear likely.
Paul Kuharsky wrote for ESPN.com a couple of weeks ago about this very topic, and had this to say on the matter:
The Titans ran the fifth-most snaps in the NFL with two or three tight ends on the field last year. I don’t think the lack of wide receiver threats and depth was the primary reason for that.
Tennessee is a run-first team, and that second tight end is a vital piece of the run game (same for a third tight end).
And while the Titans should be better at wide receiver, they should also be better at tight end, where Jonnu Smith comes in as a versatile third-round pick.
Well, that’s a bummer — but I get it. With a run-first team, you’re going to need as many bodies on the turf as possible to provide blocking to create a path for the ball carrier, it’s Football 101.
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And, at least on paper, the mutli-tight end sets seemd to work in the favor of the Titans, as Tennessee finished 3rd in the league in rushing yards per game (136.7) and came in at 4th in the league for yards per rush (4.59).
BUT, never say never, as Paul didn’t want to poo-poo too much on Titans, and Taylor, fans’ dreams:
If their new receivers are what they expect, the Titans will be more equipped to play three-wide, and we could see it more. But don’t expect a philosophical change away from the Titans being a two tight end-leaning team that will sometimes play three.
So, what do I take away from this? That we might see an opportunity for more multi-reciever sets from Tennessee, and that’s going to bode well for Taylor. But, for that to happen, we are going to need Taylor (and Davis and other WR’s) to produce early, and early enough for the change to be warranted.
Does this mean that Taywan might not have a successful stint in Tennessee? Of course not. Does this mean we might see less of Taywan than we might if he were on another team, say for instance, the Atlanta Falcons? (Which is kind of an unfair comparison, considering they’re a defending conference champ and coming off a record-setting offensive season.) Well, yes, but that’s a whole other story.
Do you think the Titans will change anything in their offensive approach to better accommodate Taylor? Will Taylor be effective even if the Titans continue using their two or three tight end looks? Let us know in a comment below, or on twitter @TheTowelRackWKU.