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Derrick Henry of the Titans talks conditioning, contract

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Derrick Henry is known for the crazy array of elements that comprise his incredible workout

He was in his regular place at the front of the line of Tennessee Titans running backs at the first of three scheduled mandatory minicamp practices Tuesday, and spoke to the press for the first time since the team blew the AFC’s No 1 seed and home-field advantage in the divisional round of the playoffs.

Derrick Henry

© George Walker IV / Tennessean.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

While he said the work has really been the same stuff, he has been working with the guy who did the surgery that repaired the Jones fracture in his right foot, inserting a metal plate and screws.

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On A.J. Brown's claim he 'was the best receiver' to play for the Titans

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Through his three seasons playing for the Titans, A.J. Brown’s best skill was making explosive plays in the Tennessee passing game.

Since then, it’s been being a baby/diva on social media.

The receiver, now a member of the Eagles, got into a Twitter exchange in which he pronounced himself the team’s best receiver ever.

A.J. Brown

From @ESPNNFL

He said franchise. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and say he’s talking Titans and not Oilers/Titans, removing some awfully good run-and-shoot receivers in Ernest Givens, Drew Hill and Haywood Jeffries and two from earlier in Houston Oiler history, Ken Burrough and Charley Hennigan.

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Things to feel especially good about with the Titans right now

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Things to feel great about for the Titans in early June:

Austin Hooper: The Titans only went a year thinking they could make things work without a legitimate No. 1 tight end, but somehow it feels like longer since Jonnu Smith left.

Austin Hooper

© George Walker IV / Tennessean.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

You never want to overread anything in OTAs where there is no jamming or contact. But just on size and presence, Hooper can clearly play the part. At 6-foot-4, 254 pounds he’s got a bit of a size edge on Smith (6-3, 248) but he looks longer for sure.

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Where Dillon Radunz currently stands with the Titans

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Maybe, inside Titans headquarters, Dillon Radunz gets doses of criticism from the team.

Maybe Mike Vrabel, Todd Downing or Keith Carter have been on him at times on him for his inability to seize the right tackle job. Right now, it’s not job-seizing time.

Publicly, the franchise works hard to say nice things about Radunz, and those have typically been about his versartility.

Keith Carter talks to Dillon Radunz

Titans offensive line coach Keith Carter instructions Dillon Radunz (75).

Not since Jon Robinson’s first second-round pick, Kevin Dodd in 2016, have expectations been lower for the second year of a second rounder.

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Tim Kelly influence crucial in Titans' passing game, which had 10 games under 200 yards

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Titans’ passing offense disappointed too often last season.

It ranked 23rd in the NFL and had 10 games under 200 yards passing. It regularly started slowly.

Then on draft day, the Titans traded away their one explosive receiver, A.J. Brown, drafting Traylon Burks to help fill the void.

Tim Kelly

© George Walker IV / Tennessean.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

But another big addition is Tim Kelly, who Mike Vrabel coveted as offensive coordinator in 2021 when Arthur Smith left a void at the spot when he became head coach of the Falcons. Kelly was not able to leave his post in Houston and Vrabel promoted Todd Downing, who didn’t have a great debut.

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Memorial Mailbag: Titans' questions on Treylon Burks, Caleb Farley, Dez Fitzpatrick and finances

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Congratulations on making it to Memorial Day Weekend.

May it be filled with late mornings, full days, no thoughts of work and fitting tributes for those who died protecting and serving our country.

Treylon Burks

Here is the best of the mail that came in.

Adam Alsup Where do you stand on Burks? Do you believe he is out of shape or was just having allergy/pollen issues as stated? It is concerning to me that he is struggling to make it through practice.

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Why it's unwise to dismiss Taylor Lewan for the Titans beyond 2022

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Since he counts sixth in cap dollars for the Tennessee Titans next season, the final year of his five-year contract, Taylor Lewan is already looked at as a potential cap casualty after the season.

But I think if he’s solid in his second season back after a 2020 torn ACL he could be in prime position to play out that deal or get a contract extension that would bring his 2023 $14.845 million cap number down.

Taylor Lewan

© George Walker IV / The Tennessean via Imagn Content Services, LLC

At 30, Lewan has no guaranteed money remaining on his deal. His $14.69 million cap number this season is 10th among left tackles in the NFL and next year currently ranks 14th.

Those are reasonable spots if he plays to the level we know he’s capable of.

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We're beyond time to stop referencing how far the Titans have come since Ken Whisenhunt

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A line runs through the Titans’ fandom map, tracing back to the Ken Whisenhunt years, a 2-12 season in 2014 and a 3-14 season in 2015.

For some, challenges to the team’s recent playoff failures or to Ryan Tannehill’s performance are rebuffed with these ideas: You forget how far we’ve come, how bad things were. I hear a lot of that from fans.

And even Taylor Lewan falls back on this sort of thinking.

Taylor Lewan

Asked about the tone regarding Ryan Tannehill since the terrible playoff loss to Cincinnati in the divisional round of the playoffs, Lewan said it’s a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately league.

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