Tennessee Titans’ Most Head-Scratching Cuts As Roster Is Trimmed

The Tennessee Titans had to cut down their roster to 53 players by 3p.m. on Saturday. They got done early, and some cuts were a bit head-scratching.

After an 0-4 preseason, the Tennessee Titans had some roster trimming to do. As one would expect, a bunch of no-named guys would get cut. However, the Titans released some pretty quality players.

Let’s start with the obvious: Fifth-round draft pick QB Luke Falk. Falk was drafted in April, and has not had a chance to prove himself in an actual NFL regular season game. This cut comes as a huge surprise to many.

With Marcus Mariota still leading the way for his Tennessee Titans, it is unlikely that Falk will ever have a chance to prove himself this season. Still releasing a player that was just drafted a few months prior is a bit of a shocker.

If Falk is not signed back to Tennessee as a practice squad player, he will likely get a chance elsewhere on a team that is quarterback hungry or looking for a quarterback to groom behind a veteran, like the Steelers, Chargers, or Saints.

Linebacker Robert Spillane was also cut, and it was thought by many that he would make the 53-man roster. Spillane’s presence was felt on the field throughout the preseason, and not just because he is a 6’1″, 229 pound linebacker.

Spillane led the Titans’ defense in tackles in the preseason. His most notable game was versus the Buccaneers where he had three solo tackles and three assisted tackles. It is a bit of a shocker that the Titans did not give him a shot, considering they are thin at the linebacker position because of injuries.

Deontay Burnett, an undrafted WR out of USC, was targeted 11 times and had 11 receptions for Tennessee in the preseason, and yet he was cut on Saturday. He was the youngest Titan on the roster, born on October 4th, 1997 (20). The Titans are a bit thin at receiver too, even with Rishard Matthews returning.

The receiving core could use all the help it can get, and Burnett would have been a nice option. It is not as shocking to see him go, but considering those numbers and the Titans’ lack of receivers, he could have made the roster.

Some other notable players released by Tennessee includes: RB Akrum Wadley, WR Nick Williams, DB Demontre Hurst, DL Julius Warmsley, TE Ethan Wolf, and TE Tim Semisch. You can view the full list here.

It is definitely possible that some of these guys could get picked up on the practice squad. That should definitely be the case with Falk and Spillane.

One thing is for certain though, sometimes you may question Titans’ G.M. Jon Robinson, but he has proved that he knows what he is doing.