NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A.J. Brown was out of sight when the Titans were on the field and OTA sessions and minicamp practices were open to the media. The receiver was still working his way back from post-season surgery on both knees, a process he called "a slow grind."
But when the Titans hit the field Wednesday for their first practice of training camp, Brown will be with them.
He is a full go.
“I am not getting impatient, but excited,” Brown said in late June. “I am excited to get back on the field, and get back out there with my teammates, just to be out there again. I have been rehabbing, and I have been taking it slow. And I'll be back out there soon.”
When he wasn’t on the field, he concentrated on lifting and improving his conditioning while watching a load of film. He studied old games looking for ways he could improve.
His return for the start of the team's preparations is a great sign for a high-powered offense that will deploy Brown and Julio Jones as its top two receivers with Derrick Henry in the backfield.
Josh Reynolds is in line to be the third receiver though any of the top three could work out of the slot at any time. Rookie Dez Fitzpatrick, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and Cam Batson are the top contenders to fill out the receiver group.
Taylor Lewan also did not participate in offseason on-field work as he recovered from a torn right ACL suffered Oct. 18, 2020 against Houston in the Titans’ fifth game of the season. He’s posted encouraging video and is expected to start camp on time.
1st time I’ve seen #Titans LT Taylor Lewan on a football field since the injury. Moving well 🤙🏼
— Wes on Broadway (@TitansDraftTape) July 9, 2021
🎥: Lewan’s IG pic.twitter.com/gRBckMpCFc
Teams often take a super-cautious approach at the start of camp. If there is even the slightest question about his status, a player will frequently begin on the physically unable to perform list (or NFI if an injury was sustained away from the team.) If there is any sort of early setback, the rules can then serve as a sort of insurance.
But the Titans have no worries about Brown and are not anticipating any about Lewan.
Lewan tweeted out a picture of the two in the training room together on June 1, during Julio Jones acquisition speculation.
With @1kalwaysopen_ ... Jusy talkin about @juliojones_11 to @Titans need that pic.twitter.com/u7vMIcCC29
— Taylor Lewan (@TaylorLewan77) June 1, 2021
Bud Dupree is also coming back from a torn right ACL, but his was suffered much later in the 2020 season -- Dec. 2 -- than Lewan’s). He is virtually certain to start off on the list.
Other concerns for the start of camp who did not practice in the offseason are Caleb Farley (back) and Ty Sambrailo (unknown).
A few others didn’t finish minicamp: Rodger Saffold, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Kristian Fulton and Jayon Brown.
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