NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Xavier Restrepo does nothing but put in good, full days of work. Yet he’s caught in the middle of an intense social media debate and a media-fan tug-of-war.
We in the media watched him play steady football in camp, but he failed to rise up the receiver ranks.
If his chances were going to be based on his relationship and connection with Cam Ward from their time together in Miami, well, he was running routes from Brandon Allen and Tim Boyle.
Sure, small, slow receivers have had success before, and he was efficient in practices.
But he didn’t even light up the preseason, as many underdog Titans receivers who fans have latched onto in the past did. Restrepo: Three catches on six targets for 26 yards.
The one reason I could see for a role for Restrepo is this: Ward passes on underneath options too often. If the guy he has a friendship with that extends beyond his time in Tennessee is somehow more of a magnet that will pull the QB to underneath routes more, preventing him from passing on easy yards and forcing tougher, lower-percentage attempts, it might help the cause.
But the practice squad call-up receiver who will be fifth in line at the position is going to play about 10 snaps. Mason Kinsey played four against the Patriots, but 22 on special teams.
@paulkuharskynfl Xavier Restrepo at #Titans practice Wednesday. #miamihurricanes #NFL ♬ original sound - PK
It’s preposterous that the Titans’ three practice squad receivers are all slot guys in Mason Kinsey (5-foot-11, 200 pounds), James Proche (5-11, 193) and Restrepo (5-10, 202). Sure, they can play outside if the team is desperate, but all of them are slots by nature. How about rounding out the group?
The Titans are in three-wide 73.8 percent of the time, per Sumer Sports. But that number is surely higher than they’d like because of how often they are in chase mode. Even so, more of Chig Okonkwo and Gunnar Helm on the field at the same time would be preferable to one of the practice squanders getting time on offense. In three-wide, right now.
Chimere Dike, now the primary slot, is one of the team’s two fastest receivers and has a totally different body type at 6-1, 196. He’s played 72 percent of his 184 snaps in the slot. Tyler Lockett, now gone, played virtually all the other slot snaps.
Fans are constantly pelting me with the idea that they “deserve” to see Restrepo play.
I can’t say the Titans don’t owe you anything. They owe you everything. But this is a chip you want to cash in? A 10-snap guy who doesn’t play special teams. (John Fassel is terrific, but he paints a positive picture of everyone.)
Kinsey is the best special teamer of the trio by far, with Proche second. Restrepo cannot offer close to the 22 snaps (88 percent) of special teams work that Kinsey did against the Patriots. If they shoehorn him in, he will be a weak link.
@paulkuharskynfl If Xavier Restrepo gets his chance I’m pretty sure he’ll make some plays. — #CamWard. #Titans. #NFL ♬ original sound - PK
Another tweeter bombards me with messages about how Restrepo is a gamer with massive heart. I’ve said for a long time that the Titans need to raise the bar on practice squad receiver from Kinsey. They have not done so. But if you’re touting Restrepo’s heart, you’re insulting Kinsey’s.
People point to Restrepo’s Miami stats. He set the all-time receiving yardage record there, a tremendous accomplishment given the quality receivers who have been part of the program. But if college stats translated to the NFL, the draft would simply be an exercise in plugging a formula into a computer and taking the list it spits out.
And there is no such thing as a gamer in the NFL. If you're not in the automatic lineup group, you don’t get a spot on the game day 48 if you haven’t practiced well enough to earn your way up. It’s merit-based, and the merit isn’t your college resume.
This member of the media has soured on Nashville's constant love of the underdog receiver.
Every guy gets his chance. But are there no lessons learned, no dials turned down from your giant hopes and ultimate experiences with Biren Ealy and Cameron Batson and Tre McBride (a seventh-rounder) and Michael Preston and Kinsey (who’s caught four balls in five years)?
Julian Edelman was undersized; therefore, many of you tell me Restrepo will be Edelman. Nevermind that Edleman was a small college QB, he was a seventh-round pick and he was honed by a coach who will be in the Hall of Fame early next year.
But Edelman was drafted to play special teams first, and he ran a 4.52, way better than Restrepo's 4.83, even if you boost it because he had a hamstring issue.
Let’s just conveniently forget the thousands of other undersized, slow, undrafted guys who didn’t come close.
I think Restrepo is going to start getting some reps with Ward – that may be happening this week – and that the extra call-up spot may be more of a competition. Proche's been up once but didn't dress and Kinsey has been up once.
But Fassel needs that guy to be a true special teams contributor, which scores Restrepo down, and said his vote defaults to a guy who’s grinded the longest, which scores Restrepo down again.
Lost here is Bryce Oliver, who showed some promise last year when he was thrown the ball. He turned six catches into 95 yards (15.8 average) and is unquestionably the team’s top gunner on special teams.
He’s hurt a knee in Week Two against the Rams and we haven’t seen him since. He’s been talking as if he’s ready for at least a couple of weeks now, but he still didn’t practice on Wednesday.
The Titans came into the season thinking he could follow a course similar to Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and his re-emergence will be much more meaningful than a practice-squad call-up. (NWI, an undrafted success story!)
Part of the media pushback on all the Restrepo hype is the overbearing fan wonderment and expectation for him.
Fans clamoring for him – one told me his presence on game days could save the Titans' season and get this 1-6 team into the playoffs – seem to fail to realize the extent of the judgment that’s been passed on him and is being passed on him weekly.
Thirty-two teams didn’t see fit to draft him. He landed as an undrafted with his college QB. Thirty-one teams passed on him when he was on waivers on Aug. 27. He’s been available to sign to a 53-man roster for 58 days.
Some diehards have him jumping from practice squad to starter.
If he’s up, he’s WR5 with the Titans continuing to focus the most energy at the position on the two guys they should – Elic Ayomanor and Dike. Calvin Ridley is dealing with a hamstring injury but when he’s back -- if he’s not dealt, which is unlikely to me – he goes back to the head of the line because of his route running and speed.
Then there is Van Jefferson, who you may not like, but who’s a veteran who knows what he’s doing and made two notable, helpful catches last week. Plus Oliver, who’s worthy of the sort of expectations you have for Restrepo and can glow on special teams.
So dream your dream for Restrepo, love who you love. He’s likely to get a chance at some point. He won’t find the open space he somehow did in so many of his college highlights and he will get tackled way faster.
But he may get a few first downs in limited action.
If seeing him is the thrill of your season, I don’t get it but have at it. I just hope here I’ve helped you understand why you feel pushback from me, and others, who are around the team every day, where he’s a lot like Timmy Horne.
I bet you have to look Horne up.
