Weaver Looks to Raise His Game by Going Low

NASHVILLE – A towering bodily specimen, Rashad Weaver stands 6-foot-4, with 33.5-inch arms and an 82-inch wingspan.

One of many challenges as he readies for his second season with the Tennessee Titans? Ensuring all that top, size and width works as a bonus – not a detriment.

The sting rusher, a fourth-round choose in 2021, was restricted to only 12 defensive snaps over two video games as a rookie earlier than a damaged fibula ended his season and led to surgical procedure.

Weaver was again on the follow discipline in the course of the offseason, and he wasn’t carrying a yellow non-contact jersey.

Nonetheless, in some respects, he is sort of a rookie after enjoying so sparingly final season.

That’s why Titans exterior linebackers coach Ryan Crow desires him to be sure that — in a sport the place low-man leverage wins on the line of scrimmage – Weaver is aware of the significance of not getting too excessive.

“The largest factor for him is getting his pads down,” Crow stated. “He’s a tall human being and people guys can battle with pad degree. His primary factor this (offseason) is simply get his palms rock-steady and get his pad degree down.”

In faculty, Weaver put his bodily belongings to good use, posting a productive 2020 season after he missed all of 2019 with an ACL damage. Weaver totaled 35 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, three compelled fumbles and two passes defended in 9 video games throughout that last 12 months at Pitt.

Professional Soccer Focus referred to as Weaver “arguably the very best run-defending edge” within the 2021 draft class, noting he “has the best mixture of measurement and size that makes blocking him a chore.”

The Athletic’s Dane Brugler chimed in by saying Weaver’s “size and handwork on the high of his rush permits him to interrupt down blockers.” However he additionally supplied some phrases of warning just like Crow’s, noting that Weaver “permits his pads to get upright.”

Crow stated pad degree will catch the attention of Weaver when the Titans open coaching camp on the finish of the month, together with reacquainting himself with the playbook.

“I feel once more for him, his pad degree is all the time going to be a problem, however (additionally) simply getting extra comfy with the playbook,” Crow stated. “(After his damage final 12 months), we sort of took his thoughts somewhat bit off the scheme and applied it extra in direction of what’s occurring within the sport and serving to him research the sport. Now it’s bringing him again, getting him able to play in our system and getting him caught up there. He’s doing a fantastic job. It’s simply day-to-day enchancment.”

Crow believes Weaver did profit from his rookie season, despite the fact that it got here to such a fast finish.

“I feel he grew to become a scholar of the sport,” Crow stated. “He had somewhat little bit of enjoying time. That’s all the time invaluable. When he (got here again from the damage), he was rehabbing and doing that stuff. However he stored contemporary and realized and watched loads of movie and simply studied it from sort of an outsider’s perspective, and now he’s translating that to when he’s on the sector.”

Assuming Weaver stays wholesome, makes use of his off-field training and remembers to maintain a low pad degree, he ought to add some intriguing versatility to the Titans’ already imposing entrance seven.

Weaver is large and powerful sufficient to set an edge towards the run, but in addition a ok rusher that he might transfer inside on passing downs. His measurement and talent set are value evaluating to the Titans’ 6-foot-5, 285-pound Denico Autry, who piled up 9 sacks, 10 tackles for loss and 44 quarterback pressures final 12 months.

“I’m not precisely positive the place (Weaver) goes to finish up,” Crow stated. “However I do know wherever we put him, he’s going to do a fantastic job.”