Tennessee
Tennessee Titans’ revamped roster still doesn’t impress ESPN analysts in starter rankings
ESPN NFL analysts Mike Clay, Aaron Schatz and Seth Walder ranked every projected starting lineup in the NFL from best to worst on Tuesday, slotting the Tennessee Titans among the worst rosters in the league.
Clay, Schatz and Walder rank the Titans with the 25th-best unit in the league heading into the 2024 regular season, ahead of only the Las Vegas Raiders, New England Patriots and Denver Broncos among AFC teams. The Titans’ next-closest division rival is the Indianapolis Colts, slotted at No. 21, while their other AFC South foes from Jacksonville and Houston are both ranked in the top half of the league.
The trio of ESPN analysts rank wide receiver as the Titans’ biggest strength heading into 2024, raving about the revamped unit built around DeAndre Hopkins, Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd. They also identify cornerback L’Jarius Sneed as the “x-factor” for 2024 since cornerback is such a difficult position to project year-over-year success carry over from and pick off-ball linebacker as the Titans’ biggest area of weakness, arguing that Kenneth Murray II is a downgrade from Azeez Al-Shaair.
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ESPN’s projected starting lineup for the Titans doesn’t match up with The Tennessean’s observations from OTAs and minicamp in some areas. In particular, ESPN still lists offensive lineman Dillon Radunz as a starting right tackle despite the fact that Radunz talked about working exclusively as a guard this spring and lists veteran Daniel Brunskill as the starting right guard even though Brunskill talked about practicing almost exclusively as a center in OTAs.
The Titans return for training camp practices on July 23.
Tennessee Titans schedule 2024
- Preseason Week 1 (Aug. 10): vs. San Francisco 49ers
- Preseason Week 2 (Aug. 17): vs. Seattle Seahawks
- Preseason Week 3 (Aug. 25): at New Orleans Saints
- Week 1 (Sept. 8): at Chicago Bears
- Week 2 (Sept. 15): vs. New York Jets
- Week 3 (Sept. 22): vs. Green Bay Packers
- Week 4 (Sept. 30): at Miami Dolphins
- Week 5: Open date
- Week 6 (Oct. 13): vs. Indianapolis Colts
- Week 7 (Oct. 20): at Buffalo Bills
- Week 8 (Oct. 27): at Detroit Lions
- Week 9 (Nov. 3): vs. New England Patriots
- Week 10 (Nov. 10): at Los Angeles Chargers
- Week 11 (Nov. 17): vs. Minnesota Vikings
- Week 12 (Nov. 24): at Houston Texans
- Week 13 (Dec. 1): at Washington Commanders
- Week 14 (Dec. 8): vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
- Week 15 (Dec. 15): vs. Cincinnati Bengals
- Week 16 (Dec. 22): at Indianapolis Colts
- Week 17 (Dec. 29): at Jacksonville Jaguars
- Week 18 (TBD): vs. Houston Texans
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @nicksuss.
Tracking the opt outs for both Tennessee and Illinois before the Music City Bowl on December 30 (5:30 p.m. Eastern Time, ESPN) at Nissan Stadium in Nashville:
Tennessee
Linebacker Arion Carter: Carter over the last seasons had 96 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in 31 career games. He had a team-high 76 tackles this season, with 6.0 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks while appearing in 10 games. He missed two games and was limited against Oklahoma in November while dealing with turf toe injuries. Carter had 68 tackles and 6.5 tackles for loss in 13 games last season and 17 tackles and 1.0 tackles for loss in eight games as a freshman in 2023.
Wide Receiver Chris Brazzell II: He a breakout senior season in his second year with the Vols, catching 62 passes for 1,017 yards and nine touchdowns. He had 19 catches for 333 yards and two touchdowns in 2024, after transferring from Tulane. In 15 games at Tulane he caught 45 passes for 722 yards and five touchdowns. Brazzell is ranked No. 7 at wide receiver on Mel Kiper Jr.’s NFL Draft Big Board. He’s ranked No. 34 overall on ESPN’s list of the best available prospects in the draft.
Cornerback Jermod McCoy: Did not play this season after tearing his ACL during offseason training in January. He was a star last season with 44 tackles, nine passes defended and four interceptions. He had 31 tackles and two interceptions in 12 games as a freshman at Oregon State before transferring to Tennessee.
Illinois
Offensive Tackle J.C. Davis: Bret Bielema said the Illinois starting left tackle is opting out of the Music City Bowl. He was an All-Big Ten First Team pick by the league coaches this season and the No. 3 left tackle this season according to Pro Football Focus grades. He had made 49 straight starts before opting out of the bowl game.
EDGE Gabe Jacas: The Illinois outside linebacker declared for the NFL Draft on Friday night. He led the Big Ten this season with 11.0 sacks. He had 13.5 tackles for loss and 43 total tackles in 12 games this season. He finishes second in Illinois program history for career sacks, with 27.0, trailing only Simeon Rice. Jacas had 74 tackles, 8.0 sacks and 13.0 tackles for loss last season, after combining for 8.0 sacks and 9.0 tackles for loss in his first two seasons at Illinois.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — Tennessee employers laid off more than 8,500 workers in 2025 compared to 7,320 last year, according to the Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development.
This is about a 19% increase in layoffs, with WARN notices impacting 8,691 Tennesseans to date. As of 2023, 5,168 Tennessee workers were laid off through WARN notices.
Counties in Middle Tennessee impacted include:
- Davidson
- Sumner
- Maury
- Rutherford
- Williamson
- Wilson
- Coffee
- DeKalb
- Bedford
- Lawrence
- Putnam
The largest layoff this year was in Maury County. Come January, 710 employees will be laid off from GM Ultium Cells’ Spring Hill facility. Research Assistant Professor at the University of Tennessee Knoxville Michael Kofoed tells FOX 17 News that the facility is is likely impacted by the rise on steel tariffs ruled out by the Trump administration. He adds steel tariffs raise input costs for employers which directly impacts employees’ salary or employment.
The second largest layoff impacted 658 workers at Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC in Rutherford County with 615 workers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center permanently laid off. WARN notices are reports a company is required to file with the state to give workers time to find future employment.
Kofoed states that Tennessee is seeing a troubling trend, with layoffs skyrocketing since 2023.
“That is a very big and concerning number,” Kofoed said.
According to CNBC, more than 1.1 million U.S. employees were laid off this year, the highest 11-month total since 2020.
Tennessee
Nonprofit rescues 11 ‘emaciated and suffering’ animals from Tennessee property ahead of dangerous cold snap
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – The Animal Rescue Corps (ARC) is asking for donations after rescuing 11 animals Friday.
ARC said it was contacted by law enforcement in an unidentified rural Tennessee area to rescue five dogs and six cats in what the nonprofit is calling “Operation Cold Snap.”
In the rescue, the nonprofit took in two emaciated Great Danes, three Pit Bulls and six cats. ARC said some of the animals are emaciated and suffering from untreated bite wounds and infections.
The nonprofit said the animals were kept without heat or regular care.
ARC shared a video of the rescue. In it, you can see the property s in disarray with trash littering the floor and overturned furniture.
This rescue comes just days before Middle Tennessee is expected to see its coldest temperatures of the season.
Now, ARC is asking for donations to help the 11 animals rescued Operation Cold Snap. Those interested in donating can do so on the nonprofit’s website.
Copyright 2025 WSMV. All rights reserved.
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