The first game after the bye is an especially convenient time for NFL teams to make lineup changes.
Extra practice days between games offer players and coaches a larger preparation period, easing the transition from one starter to another.
Would the Tennessee Titans consider making such a move at left tackle this Sunday, when they face the Indianapolis Colts at Nissan Stadium?
Coach Mike Vrabel seemed to at least open the door for speculation on such a move earlier this week when asked if current starter Dennis Daley could improve – or if all options needed to be considered at left tackle.
“I think we have to consider a lot of options throughout the roster,” Vrabel said.
It was hardly a ringing endorsement of Daley, who has manned the position ever since Taylor Lewan tore his ACL in Week 2 against Buffalo.
Then again, Daley – acquired via trade from Carolina just before the season started – hasn’t been overly impressive thus far in his Titans tenure. His 32.9 pass-block grade is the NFL’s lowest among tackles with at least 100 snaps, per Pro Football Focus, and his 16 pressures allowed (nine hurries, five quarterback hits, two sacks) are the most among tackles who’ve played five games or fewer.
If the Titans did make a change, the options at present appear limited to one player: Le’Raven Clark.
Though Dillon Radunz played left tackle in college and in his one 2021 start, the Titans look like they’re committed to Radunz at guard now – ever since he lost the right-tackle competition to Nicholas Petit-Frere. The fact that starting right guard Nate Davis will miss a second straight game due to injury this week means Radunz is all but certain of a second consecutive start at that position.
So what do we know about Clark, and how likely is it he would represent an upgrade over Daley if the Titans chose to make that switch?
A third-round pick of the Colts in 2016, the 6-foot-5, 311-pound Clark, has played in 52 NFL games, 13 more than Daley. But Daley has been a more active player over the last three seasons, with 15 starts compared to just four for Clark.
In the 97 snaps Clark played last season for Philadelphia (all at right tackle), he posted a PFF overall grade of 62.4 -- 56.4 in the passing game and 64.8 as a run-blocker. Clark saw 125 snaps at left tackle in 2020, when he registered an overall PFF grade of 49.1 – 42.6 in the passing game and 52.4 as a run-blocker.
So according to those numbers, anyway, there doesn’t appear to be any guarantee Clark would be a big step up from Daley.
The Titans acquired Clark off the Eagles’ practice squad less than a month ago.
“I’d say everything is going well,” Clark said of his progress. “I’d just say the past few weeks, it’s just been having the time to learn the terminology and get into the playbook a little more.”
Vrabel offered some praise for Clark’s practice performances, but also noted the challenge of evaluating players who arrive after training camp.
“He is understanding what we are trying to do,” Vrabel said. “Those players that we get here midseason -- they're working hard. The coaches are meeting with them a lot.
“What you find is that you are just limited on what you can do. You are in pads once a week if you are lucky. (Clark) is working hard. We are evaluating him. We are trying to identify all those players that can help us in some capacity and get them caught up to speed mentally, then also physically and in the execution of what we are doing -- terminology, the speed of things and how they happen.”
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