Ben Arthur
AFC South Reporter
New Tennessee Titans broad receiver coach Tyke Tolbert met Treylon Burks earlier than arriving in Nashville this spring.
Throughout the 2022 pre-draft course of, when Tolbert was an assistant with the Bears, Burks took a “30 go to” to Chicago.
An eventual first-round decide by Tennessee, the previous Arkansas star is similar expertise now that Tolbert noticed then.
“(I advised him) ‘You are the identical man I noticed kill Alabama DBs, kill LSU DBs,'” Tolbert mentioned earlier this month. “Within the NFL, guess who you are enjoying towards? Alabama DBs. LSU DBs. You have to proceed to be you. Management what you possibly can management. He is been doing that (this offseason).”
Will it carry into the common season?
Burks’ function is murky getting into 2024, contemplating his struggles by way of two seasons coupled with the offseason additions of veteran standouts Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd, pushing him down the depth chart. Since getting into the NFL, Burks has missed 12 video games because of well being points and accidents. And he is upset when he is on the sector. In 15 appearances, he has 49 receptions for 665 yards and only one landing.
Considering that the present Titans regime did not draft him, many league observers consider the previous first-round decide may very well be on the commerce block. However coach Brian Callahan has mentioned he’ll have a job on the staff.
“We have made very clear to Treylon that the signing of Tyler just isn’t about him,” Callahan mentioned. “It is about serving to our staff get higher. Including higher gamers to our staff. Making us a aggressive soccer staff. What he is finished and the way he is labored has been nice. I am anticipating him nonetheless to have the ability to play an excellent function for us.
“You must have guys that may step in and play,” he added. “You bought to have guys that may play roles. That hasn’t modified. Does not change something for Treylon so far as what we’re anticipating from him and what I am hopeful he can carry to the offense.”
What the function will likely be is unclear, although.
On paper, Burks is fourth within the pecking order, behind DeAndre Hopkins, Ridley and Boyd. And Tennessee plans to play him throughout the formation (all Titans receivers will likely be cross-trained). He is performed primarily exterior his first two years within the NFL, whereas he performed predominantly out of the slot at Arkansas, based on Professional Soccer Focus.
Callahan and Tolbert have raved about how Burks has appeared within the offseason program so far.
“You hear issues while you come into a brand new scenario about guys and what occurred previously and all that stuff,” Tolbert mentioned. “I advised all of these guys, ‘you get a recent set of eyes on you.’ Treylon has finished the whole lot and extra that we have requested of him. Treylon is a man that this offseason, he is in all probability the one man — perhaps one different man on our staff from a receiver standpoint — that has performed three positions. I am forcing him to study all of the positions, all of the ideas since you by no means know the place he may line up. He may very well be exterior, inside. So he is actually taken a maintain of that.”
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Callahan mentioned earlier this month that he had Burks break the staff down after observe, a testomony to the work ethic he is displayed.
“Simply to present you guys some context, Tuesdays are our hardest days of our four-day work week,” he defined. “It is a actually heavy day. So the load on the gamers is excessive. And what I imply by that’s acceleration, max pace and yardage. Treylon I believe ran 3,591 yards (that day) and hit our high pace and team-leading high pace at 22.6 miles per hour in observe. So tremendous spectacular workload and efficiency.”
Burks does not have a lot commerce worth proper now, and that may very well be a terrific factor for the Titans. If he enjoys a breakout 2024 in Callahan’s pass-first scheme, Tennessee may have extra depth at broad receiver than it is had in years — perhaps greater than the franchise has ever had in Tennessee.
It may make for an attention-grabbing 2025 offseason, when the Titans would have the choice of exercising the fifth-year possibility on his rookie contract.
Hopkins, Ridley and Boyd will all be no less than 30 years previous subsequent spring. Retaining an ascending Burks for 2026 — and probably past — may turn into a precedence for Callahan and common supervisor Ran Carthon. Rapidly, Tennessee would have a promising, younger goal to develop with Will Levis, its hopeful franchise quarterback.
However Burks has an extended method to go to achieve that time. If he reaches that time.
The Titans see the expertise, although.
“Treylon is likely one of the most athletic individuals I’ve ever performed with, for as huge as he’s and as quick as he’s,” Hopkins mentioned Tuesday. “I am wanting ahead to seeing what he does this 12 months.”
Considered one of his coaches agrees.
“He is received a skillset,” offensive coordinator Nick Holz mentioned earlier this month. “He is a giant man who can run and he could make contested catches. If he can discover a approach to do this for us, that will be a fairly large addition.”
Will that potential be realized?
Ben Arthur is the AFC South reporter for FOX Sports activities. He beforehand labored for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Community, the place he was the Titans beat author for a 12 months and a half. He lined the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for 3 seasons (2018-20) previous to transferring to Tennessee. You possibly can observe Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.
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