NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The recent fan/brand rankings from an Emory University study put the Titans dead last in the NFL.

It seemed harsh to me given some of the teams ahead of Tennessee, but the Titans are undoubtedly in the bottom third or quarter of the league.

Clad in new uniforms this season and playing under a new coach with new systems, they will have a chance to begin to grow the brand.

We’ve talked on The Midday 180 about how Vanderbilt baseball does itself a disservice by wearing red, white and blue at times. The patriotic push and tribute to veterans is nice. But if someone if flipping channels and comes across Vanderbilt, whose brand is black and gold, the school loses that clear identifiability.

The #Titans are allowed to wear their alternate, light blue jerseys up to three times. How many games do you want to see them in those?

— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) July 3, 2018

The Titans new uniforms don’t include a random color –

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Rashaan Evans should be a Day 1 starter as an inside linebacker for the Titans.

But the team’s former director of scouting says the franchise shouldn’t look to him to be the defensive quarterback right from the start and he doesn’t expect Mike Vrabel and Dean Pees will ask at of the first-round pick.

Blake Beddingfield was part of 19 drafts with the Titans, the last five as director of college scouting. John Robinson let him go in 2017.

During an hour with The Midday 180 on Monday Beddingfield, an Alabama graduate, said he likes Evans but guarded against too much too soon.

“I don’t think he’s going to be that guy, I think Wesley Woodyard is going to be that guy this year and Rashaan is going to be a guy that kind of learns off of Wesley and that’s a good situation,” he said. “I think he can (graduate to it later.) Stay in the same system, don’t’ start changing systems on the guy and don’t start mixing things up.

“But right now, no, it’s not going to be a thing for him.”

Blake Beddingfield on The Midday 180 @Titans https://t.co/P7JART53ri

— The Midday 180 (@Midday180) July 2, 2018

[Unlocked]

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Greetings as you head into a big weekend. It’d be so much better if it was a holiday weekend. The fourth falling on a Wednesday is less than ideal, right?

Here’s this week’s Periscope, in case you missed it.

Watch on #Periscope: The #Titans and Nashville’s pizza and bagels https://t.co/A3LDs7JznF

— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) June 29, 2018

The podcast was a wide-ranging affair.

This weekend, I’ll be seeing if a team of my favorite 8-year olds can withstand the pressures of the state baseball tournament. Maybe it’s too much too soon, but the good, fun parts are incredibly memorable and the bad ones sure provide some learning moments.

Now, on to your questions.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – So Rishard Matthews was on the sideline, watching receivers without a helmet during the five practices of 12 offseason sessions that were open to the media.

We did not know if Matthews carried something from the 2017 season into 2018 or if he suffered something new.

Via the team’s Facebook show, we can now reasonably presume he did something this offseason because it includes snippets of Matthews participating in team drills.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Jon Robinson points to LeShaun Sims as a real find, a player the Titans weren’t giving any real consideration before the new GM came aboard and eventually used a fifth-round pick on.

Now heading into his third season, Sims ranks as the team’s fourth cornerback, behind two pricey free agents and a first-round pick. But if Malcolm Butler, Logan Ryan or Adoree’ Jackson go down or if the Titans want to put a four-cornerback dime package on the field, there is likely to be a spot for Sims.

He may be the quietest member of the Titans ever and he ranks as the quietest player Robinson’s known.

Interestingly, “Mouse” now works under the loudest Titans’ assistant, Kerry Coombs.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Greetings as you kick off what I hope is a glorious summer weekend. May it be filled with responsibly consumed Pickers cocktails.

If you missed the Periscope from earlier this week, here it is. I cover my Midday 180 vindication against the ridiculous accusation that I run a burner Twitter account.

Watch on #Periscope: The burner account verdict and more https://t.co/hnA0KgiPSp

— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) June 21, 2018

I also did a shorter, free-for-all podcast this week. Find it here. Please subscribe while you are there.

On to the questions of the week, and a reaction to the development at The Tennessean.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Mike Vrabel has a swagger and a charm that makes him seem super-confident.

And I think he is self-assured in his approach, and his willingness to adapt his approach, as an NFL head coach.

But it doesn’t translate in the way we might expect with regard to his team, at least not in the way he talks.

Asked last week if his confidence level in the team was high and if that was part of having a team event rather than a practice on the final day of minicamp, he basically said no.

“I don’t know as a coach if I’ll ever be truly confident.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Titans used three receivers just 44 percent of the time last season, the second-least in the NFL.

Meanwhile, the Rams, where Matt LaFleur coached last season, ran three-wide receiver formations 81 percent of the time, a league-high.

Tennessee isn’t likely to be equipped to flip from very little to quite a lot.

Receiver depth is a question they carry into the summer break. And while Phillip Supernaw was out for many offseason practiced, presumably for an injury we don’t know the details of, Luke Stocker saw a lot of action along with Delanie Walker.

Tight end coach Arthur Smith said there are some misconceptions about two- and three-tight end sets.