Last week, the Tennessee Titans made former University of Miami quarterback Cam Ward the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. They’ve spent a significant portion of the offseason trying to upgrade Ward’s supporting cast, from offensive line to the receiving corps.
The latest addition among the pass-catchers is longtime Seattle Seahawks wideout Tyler Lockett, and head coach Brian Callahan is fired up to have Lockett on board.
“He [has been] a productive player for a long time,” Callahan said, via ProFootballTalk. “On top of that, he’s a fantastic person — understands his role on a football team, understands the value he brings as a leader. Those are traits that we’re looking to add as many as we can. He’s still got some production left in him, I think. Still wants to play ball, and still has the desire to try to play at high level. So, excited to have him.”
Lockett is coming off of his least productive season since 2017, having caught 49 passes for 600 yards and two touchdowns. Each of those figures was the lowest mark he’s posted since that 2017 season. But Callahan isn’t just thinking about what Lockett can bring to the table on the field.
“Haven’t had a chance to be out there with him yet, obviously. But I think he’s going to bring a veteran leadership to us and veteran play style, which will complement our group well at this point,” the head coach said. “I think when we’re all together, we’ll have a good mix of veterans and young players to develop.”
After signing Lockett, the Titans now have a group of veterans that includes him, Calvin Ridley, Van Jefferson and Treylon Burks at receiver, and Chig Okonkwo at tight end. They also have numerous rookies in the mix, with fourth-round picks Chimere Dike, Elic Ayomanor and Gunnar Helm joined by Ward’s former college teammate, undrafted free agent Xavier Restrepo.
That’s a whole lot of bodies to throw at the pass-catching corps, and Callahan is hoping the older guys can help the younger ones out as they make their transition to the NFL.
“That’s part of the puzzle, opportunity to have some perspective from a veteran player,” Callahan said. “Obviously, you have Calvin [Ridley] as well, who’s played quite a bit of football. Those guys, they offer perspective. They offer maybe a how-to-do things, and hey, think about this or think about that.
“It really does help having veteran players around a young player for the same reason it’s good to have a guy like Kevin Zeitler for the guys up front. Guys that have just done it for a long time, they have perspective, they understand what it takes to be successful — and not just for a year, but for multiple years of playing at a really high level. All those guys that you can bring in help supplement your football team, bring a lot of value.”
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