Titans practice versus Patriots would provide good litmus test

The Tennessee Titans are in the process of organizing a week of practice with the New England Patriots, head coach Mike Vrabel recently confirmed. The Titans will practice against the Minnesota Vikings prior to their Week 2 preseason contest. The Patriots are the Titans’ final preseason opponent. Joint practices are likely come to come to fruition.

It wouldn’t mark the first time the Titans and Patriots have held joint practices throughout training camp. Vrabel’s excellent relationship with Patriots head coach Bill Belichick should help the two sides reach an agreement. Vrabel was recently selected as the 34th member of the Patriots Hall of Fame.

A controlled environment would lead to several intriguing head-to-head battles. Titans offensive tackles Andre Dillard and Nicholas Petit-Frere would get to measure their progress against Patriots sack artist Matthew Judon. Judon recorded 15.5 quarterback takedowns last season and would certainly push both Dillard and Petit-Frere.

Much has been made about the progression of Treylon Burks and Chigoziem Okonkwo this offseason. Iron sharpens iron, and both Burks and Okonkwo could benefit from squaring off with the likes of Jonathan Jones, Kyle Dugger and first-round pick Christian Gonzalez in practice. The receiver versus defensive back matchups are often the most entertaining aspect of joint practices.

Tennessee’s rookies would also be placed in a fruitful position. First-round selection Peter Skoronski is attempting to make a successful transition from tackle to guard. The Patriots have several effective interior defensive linemen such as Davon Godchaux and Deatrich Wise Jr. Skoronski could measure his progress against some of the most well-regarded interior defenders in the league.

The Titans appear stuck between a transitional period and one final shot at capturing postseason glory. Practicing against the Patriots should provide the franchise with a quality update on their current standing across the league. We’ll be monitoring those practices closely.