The Tennessee Titans are still trying to figure out which player will wear the green dot and be the defensive communicator to open the 2024 season.
Inside linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, who was the leader of the defense in 2023, left in free agency for the divisional rival Houston Texans. Tennessee's free agent addition Kenneth Murray Jr. is an unlikely candidate to fill the void with his style of play.
The Titans used a fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on linebacker Cedric Gray, and two-year captain from North Carolina who they believe could be their green dot. But it won't come without competition. Veteran safety Amani Hooker has already contacted GM Ran Carthon about wanting the responsibility.
Carthon reviewed the Titans' 2024 draft class in an interview with "Ramon, Kayla, and Will" on 104.5 The Zone earlier this week. According to Carthon, Gray is one of three candidates to wear the green dot along with Jack Gibbens and Amani Hooker, who has already reached out about it.
"It really depends on the person," said Carthon when asked if a rookie is capable of being the green dot on defense. "Cedric [Gray] definitely fits that. Three-year starter, two-year captain, so he has those leadership traits. He has that ability to do it. It's just a matter of how he comes in and how he connects with the defense. It's up to him."
But if things don't click for Gray, the Titans have some other viable options. And as we know, Carthon does not believe the green dot role is limited to an inside linebacker.
"I believe Jack Gibbens can do it as well and I believe we could also be creative. It's gonna be a hard time convincing Amani Hooker that he can't do it," said Carthon. "After one of the pressers I mentioned Eric Weddle - as a safety had been the green dot communicator in Baltimore and in his time with the Rams - and as soon as I got back to my desk, I had a text from Amani saying he wanted it and how can he go about getting it."
We say this every training camp, but competition is a good thing. Iron sharpens iron. Hooker, Gibbens, and Gray all trying to earn the green dot means you have three key defensive players working to be the most knowledgable teammate possible.
This is one of the position battles that I'll be most interested in watching once training camp opens this fall. Cedric Gray is a really intriguing prospect that could play a big role as a rookie, and I'm interested in seeing how he fits with the defense on Day 1.
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