Cedric Gray and Cody Barton are adjusting from a match-heavy approach to Robert Saleh's vision-based defense, while Anthony Hill Jr.'s development could determine the future of the position.
By PAUL KUHARSKY
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Finding linebackers who can cover is difficult business.
The tight ends and running backs they are asked to contain typically have an athletic advantage, and defenses often scheme to minimize the amount of space and time backers are asked to hold up.
In Robert Saleh’s scheme, things are changing for Cedric Gray and Cody Barton, while second-round pick Anthony Hill, Jr. starts out at a different place.
Gray said the Titans have moved from a match defense to more of a vision defense.
He said he's excited about learning the new techniques involved and applying them.
“It’s definitely a different defense, a different style of defense,” Gray said. “I’m still playing the Will linebacker, so not much is different in that aspect. But it is a different scheme. It’s more of a reactive defense. We spot drop, break on things. That’s kind of the change up, not as much matching as we were before. Understanding how to get into your drop, being low, getting in and out of breaks, I’m doing that a lot more so that’s kind of the things I’ve been working.”
Instead of carrying receivers through routes as often as they did previously, Titans linebackers are spending more time dropping to designated areas and reading what unfolds before driving on the football.
Dave Borgonzi doesn’t want to overcomplicate things for his group.
“The No. 1 job for a linebacker is to find the ball,” he said. “The worst thing you can do as a coach is slow down good players. We’ll try to keep it simple for them and let them run and hit.”
What’s the required range for a Titans linebacker now, and what does the change mean for Barton, who was not as big an upgrade from Kenneth Murray as was hoped in 2025?
Robert Saleh discussed these responsibilities back at the owners’ meetings in March.
“The Mike linebacker, he’s hook to hook,” Saleh said. “He’s monitoring the hash marks, basically. And there are times where he’s got to expand a little bit, based on the scheme that we’re getting. But our system always transfers stress from one position to the next, and we’re always trying to move it… You know, back in the day, the linebackers, there’s stress on them 60 plays a game from the Seattle system.
“Based on how we do things, we’ll transfer stress to the linebackers, then to the safeties, then to the corners based on play call, just to keep the moving target away.”
Barton has played in this system in Seattle and Saleh said the more comfortable he gets with the system again, the more he’ll feel free to play faster.
“I almost feel like it’s easier for the linebacker, especially for the Mike in our system, because the range at which we ask them to cover isn’t nearly as much as people think,” he said. “You know, as we go through OTAs and training camp, he’ll start to get a feel for what he needs to defend on a play-in and play-out basis, which will tighten up his drops and getting closer to where he needs to get to, which will increase his speed, if you will.
“So I think Cody’s got great instincts. He’s got great awareness, and he’s proven that over time. So hopefully we can maximize who he was.”
Maybe the system last year somehow worked against him, but Barton didn’t look like a particularly instinctive player in his first year with the 
Titans. If Saleh’s scheme has him looking like one, that will really say something.
The Titans won’t play much base defense when Gray, Barton and Hill will all be on the field together.
I expect Barton vs. Hill for Mike will wind up as a fight. The Titans didn’t trade up into the second round to choose Hill for him to sit and watch for very long.
How soon will the rookie be ready to overtake the veteran? How does a player who rushed the quarterback so effectively at Texas transition into more of a coverage role on passing downs when the Titans expect their front four to generate pressure?
Like many spots, it’s an area of development that will tell us a lot about the team, Saleh and his defensive staff.
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