NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Some of the stitching that holds a team together is sewn during offseason work and in the early days of training camp.
This time around, outside of small groups late in OTA/minicamp season, the Titans were separated in the spring and only later this week will they all be in a team meeting together and on the field working in the same phase.
Lost time and missed preseason road trips will be a factor in a ton of categories moving forward, and camaraderie is certainly one of them.
It’s another area where the Titans are ahead, as 10 of the top 12 defensive players and 11 of the top 12 offensive players are back and already know each other well.
Still, they want to incorporate new veterans, a draft class and a group of undrafted free agents and get to know them.
“Once camp is in full-force we'll all be together, so we don't have any doubt that we can't build that relationship,” Ben Jones said. “It's more of a personal relationship you miss out on going through OTAs, kind of learn a little bit about each teammate, their family, everything.
“When it comes to work, we're here in camp, we’re going to have the same amount of time to get ready for the first game. So, we're excited and looking forward to grinding and just getting in there actually putting on pads and working.”
The offensive line is one especially close-knit unit on the Titans, and they’ve got Isaiah Wilson and Ty Sambrailo, Zac Kerin and Avery Gennesy to get to know.
The secondary is another, where Kristian Fulton, Chris Jackson and Johnathan Joseph headline the newcomers.
Adoree’ Jackson said being separated by coronavirus protocols hasn’t kept the group from its continual connecting.
“With the group of guys we have here, we’re still joking around,” he said. “We haven’t missed a beat, like we’ve been here in OTAs. We got each other’s numbers, we might chop it up with each other, things like that. So, I just feel like everything's been going smoothly.
“Even though it feels like we missed a bunch of time, with the time that we have been together we've been putting a lot of work, just trying to get better, so it feels like we haven't lost a beat with that camaraderie. We’re still joking, having fun, on the same page, we just have to make sure we're speaking the same language and getting ready for the season.”
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