Mike Vrabel: Rookie WR Dez Fitzpatrick beginning to show signs of progress

This is certainly an interesting development. On a weekly basis, the Tennessee Titans are allowed to “protect” four players on their 16-man practice squad. On Wednesday afternoon, it was announced that rookie wide receiver Dez Fitzpatrick was one of the players Tennessee was protecting from being poached by another organization.

It’s the first time general manager Jon Robinson has named Fitzpatrick to the list, despite him being a member of their practice squad for several months now. So why decide to guarantee their ability to hold onto Fitzpatrick now? Head coach Mike Vrabel gave us an intriguing peek into the team’s thought process while speaking with reporters on Wednesday afternoon.

“We’ve seen good progress with Dez Fitzpatrick,” Vrabel said. Vrabel went on to explain that Fitzpatrick recently won the team’s scout-team Offensive Player of the Week, AND the scout-team’s Special Teams Player of the Week. Vrabel wrapped up his statement by saying that capturing BOTH honors is a difficult accomplishment to achieve.

A fourth-round selection out of Louisville in the 2021 NFL Draft, Fitzpatrick was released from the roster after a string of uninspiring performances in training camp and preseason throughout the month of August. Fitzpatrick became Robinson’s highest draft pick (109th overall) not to earn a spot on the team’s initial 53-man roster.

It sounds like the young receiver is beginning to flash signs of encouraging progress. May Fitzpatrick make his NFL debut season? We shall see. Stay tuned to MCM for all roster updates and in-depth analysis.