NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The odds are very good that Tom Brady will finish his illustrious career with the New England Patriots.

But he took below-market deals in 2013 and 2016 and for the first time in what will be a 20-year career after he finishes the 2019 season, he could be a free agent. He recently signed what’s been deemed a pseudo-extension that upped his 2019 money and included an interesting stipulation: he cannot be franchise or transition tagged next year when the final two seasons of the deal will void and he will hit free agency barring another new contract.

More than one Patriots’ reporter asked me Wednesday or Thursday about just how much cap room the Titans will have next year. Why? Because they think that, while it may be a long shot, Brady could be making visits next spring.

He didn't want $32 million-plus in an exclusive franchise tag deal next year. Maybe it's because he wants to see how the rest of the league values him. He will be able to, for the first time, if he so desires.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – As the Patriots revved up for Thursday’s joint session with the Titans, Tom Brady, Brian Hoyer and Jarrett Stidham threw a bit.

Brady would simply call out a spot: “Red line, 40 yards,” and the equipment man they were throwing to would get there, 40 yards from the quarterback on the red line, five yards inside the sideline. He’s then put the ball directly on the spot, his two protegees doing their best to follow suit while Brady called out the next spot to get the target ready for it.

It was a small sampling of the complete-control quarterback in complete control. [Unlocked]

.@TomBrady puts an equipment guy on a spot, takes first turn of three QBs, puts it right on him. pic.twitter.com/bHNuKLl1nI

— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) August 15, 2019

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Titans’ passing offense has frequent moments of uncertainty and shakiness in the Wednesday work against New England, I thought.

Yet again, the team’s chief weapons were limited or missing. Delanie Walker didn’t work for the third day in a row, which suggests he rehabbing something not just resting, though Mike Vrabel wouldn’t concede as much and indicated the tight end might work Thursday. Corey Davis’ snaps were managed. A.J. Brown is still being eased in. Adam Humphries left practice with a trainer. Derrick Henry remains out.

Marcus Mariota had a better morning than Ryan Tannehill, but things felt choppy for a good while against an unfamiliar defense featuring a solid and experienced secondary.

In the middle of that, Taywan Taylor surprised and had a very solid day as the most effective and dependable target.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – In 2018, the Titans’ offense maxed out with a 69-play game at Dallas.

Preseason games don’t tell us a lot, but it was noteworthy that in Philadelphia last Thursday night, the offense ran 89 plays.

If the high-tempo offense is a sign of things to come, the Titans will be dictating things in a new and potentially exciting way.

“The time of possession, that’s really a team stat,” Arthur Smith said of the 37:51 that helped make the 89 plays possible. “That’s a credit to the whole team, the way that we played on special teams and it’s hard to play that many plays if the defense isn’t getting them off the field. It was just our operation, the way we wanted to get in and out of the huddle and the way it worked out. The defense did a great job.

NASHVILLE, Tenn.  -- Daryl Johnston is widely known as the fullback who played 10 seasons for the Dallas Cowboys and was the lead blocker for Emmitt Smith during the prime of his career as the NFL's all-time leading rusher.

While he mains part of the NFL on Fox calling games, he's also now the director of player personnel for the Dallas franchise of the XFL which is set to start play in the spring of 2020. He was in that capacity as he watched the Titans on Saturday and Sunday with his focus on the bottom of the roster, not the top.

He was kind enough to join me to share some thoughts about the Titans, to talk about scouting players likely to become available, to look back at Logan Woodside who he saw work while he was general manager of San Antonio of the Alliance of American Football, to contemplate the pull the secondary leagues have had on him, to discuss Bob Stoopes' foray into the XFL and to examine the state of the fullback in today's pro game.

You can find it on it on Apple Podcasts, Sticher, Spotify and TuneIn as well as directly through the Vokal website.

Also, feel free to listen on this page by heading below the line. [Unlocked]

You can find the history of this site's podcasts right here.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The last play of Sunday’s practice when the offense was operating in the red zone, Logan Woodside was under pressure. Moving backward he threw a hopeful ball to the front left corner of the end zone intended for Anthony Firkser that Joshua Kalu didn’t have trouble breaking up. It could have been worse.

It was a fitting topper to a hugely successful red-zone day for the defense. As the period built to that finish, starters on the sideline hooted and hollered and splashed water out of bottles in wild celebrations of each success.

If it didn’t break the spirit of the offense for the day, it might as well have. That unit will be asked to respond Sunday after a weak, low-energy effort.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Thanks for stopping by the mailbag. I'm happy you are here. You should be drinking a Yazoo while you read on.

We start with the most popular question of the week. 

Any chance Logan Woodside makes the roster? He’s looked good in camp and now it looks like in preseason. If he’s cut, he’ll be picked up super fast :/

— Dashawn (@SucessfulShawn) August 9, 2019

PK: He’s improved a great deal. I think it’s pretty quick to be so certain he’s gold for them or someone else. But certainly, in a QB-starved league, he looks to be a guy who is on the upswing and will garner interest.

The question is, will the Titans come to view him as what Luke Falk should have been last year when they spent a sixth-rounder on him. He was not good, they cut him and hoped to get him on their practice squad but watched the Dolphins claim him. He’s now with the Jets, so clearly he’s an Adam Gase guy.