Saturday 28 July 2018 14:10, UK
Day two with the Tennessee Titans was a picture-postcard type of day with glorious sunshine broken up by the occasional fluffy white cloud and temperatures hovering around 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
Friday was particularly long as I was awoken at 3.28am Central Time by an automated phone call from my bank saying I need to pay my credit card bill. Wonderful. How does that 'Do Not Disturb' feature work on my phone again?
I then watched the team practice at the Titans' St Thomas Sports Park headquarters in Nashville before six fascinating interviews inside the Titans' bubble (indoor practice facility) followed by a cross-country flight to Los Angeles before the filing of this diary entry at 10.30pm Pacific Time.
What made the whole experience so wonderfully enjoyable was the fact the Titans were so laid back about having the media on their sidelines during practice. I have been to many a training camp practice where media are herded into a painted box at one end of the field, while the team works out as far away as possible at the other end of the complex.
I have on a previous occasion been lambasted by team officials for stepping one yard over a painted white line to shake hands with a player who I had previously hosted an NFL UK Live with - and that player had waved me over! I'm not naming names but that team rhymes with Shoe Mingland Matriots!
I have also stood in the end zone only to have 60 men stand between me and what is going on during each given play. In short, some teams 'open up' their training camps but don't always want you to see what is going on.
Not these Titans. At one point, my producer, Alex Mason, said he had lost me on the sidelines. He then spotted me almost in among the Tennessee defense during team drills. It was fantastic to be up close and personal with a team filled with positive vibes early in camp.
Here are a few things I noticed on Friday while in camp with the London-bound Titans…
Five observations from Tennessee Titans training camp
• First-year head coach Mike Vrabel is very hands-on indeed. During one drill in which the running backs were working on their pass blocking, Vrabel donned some padding and played the role of the blitzing linebacker. That got the media's camera phones clicking, mine included. In another drill, an assistant coach asked who was whistling each play dead. Vrabel left no doubt who was in charge, screaming: "Only I blow the whistle. I'm the head coach!" Vrabel's verve and teaching skills were impressive to witness as he raced from drill to drill. Like one of his big coaching mentors in New England, Bill Belichick, Vrabel has an ability to move from position group to position group and teach his players something vitally important. The former Super Bowl-winning linebacker may have a defensive background, but he is very unlikely to get stuck solely on that side of the ball. Colour me impressed.
• Vrabel has amassed an impressive coaching staff around him with much excitement focusing on the addition of offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur and veteran defensive coordinator Dean Pees. LaFleur is garnering a great deal of attention following his work with then-NFL MVP Matt Ryan in Atlanta in 2016 and Los Angeles Rams Pro Bowl quarterback Jared Goff in 2017. Some fans were so pumped up about their new hot-shot offensive coordinator today that they regularly shouted throughout practice: "We love you, Matt LaFleur." That's a new one on me! Vrabel kept his assistant coach in check, telling me: "Players win games, not coaches."
• The Titans had high hopes for first-round receiver Corey Davis in 2017 but an injury-plagued campaign saw him catch just 34 passes. One early training camp practice does not a season make but Davis looked every bit a top-five selection on Friday. He made big play after big play, scoring three touchdowns in team and seven-on-seven drills and showed an ability to stretch the field (on a 60-yard play action touchdown from Mariota) and make circus catches under pressure (as he did on a fade down the left sideline, again from Mariota). I know there is a long way to go, but if Davis can maintain that kind of form, he can be everything the Titans dreamed he could be… and then some.
• Derrick Henry is a physical specimen when you watch him work in the flesh. What an impressive-looking running back. At 6ft 3in and 247 pounds, Henry is a beast of a back who seems intent on wearing defenses down this season, as he did during Tennessee's massive playoff win at Kansas City last term. Following the offseason retirement of DeMarco Murray, it appeared the path was being cleared for Henry to be the bell cow. So it was refreshing to hear him speak so glowingly about teaming up with Dion Lewis this season. Henry cut a very mature and unselfish figure as he detailed how they want to be the best running back pairing in the NFL this season. There are a couple of guys in New Orleans who might dispute that, but Henry and Lewis could very well be in the mix. I did not expect Henry to take that job-sharing approach when we sat and chatted today and I think his mindset leaves the Titans in very good shape in the backfield.
• One man who could not stop smiling on Friday was left tackle Taylor Lewan, who became the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history on the day of our visit, inking a deal worth $80m over five years. Lewan celebrated in style, donning a dazzling white suit and chomping on a huge cigar while attending a press conference with his offensive line team-mates. Sadly, that attire was long gone by the time he sat down with Sky Sports and he was in regulation shorts and hoodie. Lewan was a great and engaging interviewee and it was clear that he: a) values his offensive line buddies; and b) has no intention of resting on his laurels with millions of dollars set to flow his way this season and for years to come. This intense and outstanding left tackle is a true team leader in Nashville and truly one of the best in the business.
Quote of the Day I
"You guys are from London? No wonder you sound like Harry Potter!" - Titans cornerback Malcolm Butler at the end of a 10-minute interview during which he clearly had very little idea where we were from.
Quote of the Day II
"It was a coach's decision and there was nothing I could do about it. It didn't work out for me and it didn't work out for the New England Patriots. I'm moving on but it most definitely puts a little chip on my shoulder. It adds some fuel to the flames." - Malcolm Butler on being benched by New England head coach Bill Belichick during the Patriots' loss to Philadelphia in Super Bowl 52 last season.
Quote of the Day III
As a team, we really under-achieved in 2017. That's kind of a crazy thing to say when you have a playoff win and lose in the divisional round to the Patriots, who have had so much success. But if you look at the talent we have on this team, we definitely under-achieved.
Training camp finish that sentence
A great ice-breaker while preparing to interview NFL players involves… producer Alex and cameraman Scott (Drummond) regaling our hosts with tales of their big night out in Nashville on Thursday. I cannot divulge all the details, but let's just say that particular pair was playing hurt today. It should also be noted that every single Titans player we interviewed knew all the spots visited by Alex and Scott on their big night out. It must be that kind of town. As for me? I binge-watched NFL Network in my hotel room before passing out around 8.30pm. Rock and roll, baby.
Watching Marcus Mariota operate at close quarters was… mightily impressive. Mariota is clearly an athletic phenom who can tuck it and run with the best of them. On one play during team drills, the fourth-year quarterback pump-faked linebacker Harold Landry out of his shoes before running around him and downfield. But I was most impressed when Mariota dropped back to pass and despite one interception, he was sharp all day long. Tennessee's star signal-caller was not physically right in 2017 but looked pretty good to me on Friday. Mariota has to be managed carefully as a runner because he is not that big and cannot withstand a consistent pounding, but this could be a very big year under LaFleur and I think this proves to be a big bounce-back campaign.
Final thought
The Titans' practice was intense and high-spirited, even though the pads have yet to be put on in Nashville. Receivers were laying out to make spectacular grabs and I didn't spot too many injuries. But training camps can be season-wreckers. Last year, I recall being on the sidelines in Jacksonville when news broke that Miami quarterback Ryan Tannehill was done for the year with torn knee ligaments the day before our visit to South Florida.
And on Friday, news broke that Los Angeles Chargers' outstanding cornerback, Jason Verrett, had suffered a reported torn Achilles in a conditioning drill… the day before our visit to California. I hate it when talented and vital players go down before the season has even started. I wonder if that injury will affect the mood of the Chargers? I'll let you know after spending Saturday with Anthony Lynn's team. Speak to you tomorrow.
