When the Tennessee Titans hit the practice field for the first time in training camp on Wednesday, the team will be cautious with two key players leading up to the start of the regular season.
Wide receiver Robert Woods and cornerback Caleb Farley, both coming off torn ACLs, have been limited in their offseason workouts, and they will continue to be limited at the start of training camp.
“They’re probably participating in 90 percent of the stuff that we did the first couple of days,” Titans head coach Mike Vrabel said via AllTitans at SI.com. “There’s some things that we’re holding them out of. But the nice thing is that, when we’re doing those drills, they go (off to the side) and find ways to work for a few minutes with each other, which kind of makes it nice. They’re both going through the same process in their mirrored positions.”
Rookies and injured players reported to camp over the weekend. Woods and Farley have a head start on their teammates, and neither was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, which is a good sign.
Vrabel specifically praised Farley for his work since reporting, noting that the second-year corner had two interceptions during practice on Monday and reminded the team how long he is.
Mike Vrabel mentioned that Caleb Farley had two INTs yesterday. Said neither he nor the QBs realized how long he is. Commended Farley for making plays on the ball. #Titans
— TURRON DAVENPORT (@TDavenport_NFL) July 26, 2022
Vrabel noted that neither Woods nor Farley are taking part in the team’s open field tackle drill. At this stage of the offseason, it’s simply not worth the risk, given how vital each player is to their respective side of the ball.
So, what are they doing instead? According to Vrabel, it’s a strategic mix of individual training and what the team has identified.
“They can go over and they can work releases or they’ll work something else,” Vrabel added. “We’ve asked them to come to us with a plan that they would like — we’ve given them a couple of things — and also ask them to kind of think of some things that they can do to work with each other.”
When healthy, Woods was one of the most productive wide receivers for the Los Angeles Rams over the last five seasons. The Titans will be counting on him to be their No. 1 wide receiver in place of the departed A.J. Brown.
Tennessee hasn’t seen much of Farley to this point. The former first-round pick was limited to just three games (one start) last year. He also sat out the COVID-19-impacted 2020 season at Virginia Tech before undergoing back surgery prior to the NFL draft that year.
Having both players healthy and ready to go for the regular season would be a massive win for a Titans team needing some positive vibes.