The Tennessee Titans didn’t have 2019 first-round pick Jeffery Simmons for seven games last year.
Now, the 23-year-old defensive tackle is one year removed from ACL surgery and finally fully healthy, which could make all the difference for the Titans defensive line heading into the new season.
kAm“,(:E9. 2? pr{ :?;FCJ @C >6?:D4FD :?;FCJ[ :E’D 2 =@E E@ 86E 324< E@[” $:>>@?D D2:5] “$@>6 A6@A=6 D2J E96J’C6 ?@E E96>D6=G6D 7@C 2 J62C @C EH@] qFE H96? x H6?E 324< 2?5 H2E4965 7:=>[ x <?6H E92E H2D?’E >6] x <?@H H92E EJA6 @7 8FJ x 2>…%96C6 H2D 2 =@E @7 DEF77 E92E x 5:5?’E D66 @? 7:=> E92E x <?@H x 4@F=5 5@[ 6DA64:2==J E9:D FA4@>:?8 J62C] $EF77 E92E x’G6 366? H@C<:?8 @?]k^Am
kAm“x 925 2? :?;FCJ 7@C DFC6[ 3FE 2E E96 D2>6 E:>6 E92E’D E96 H9@=6 A@:?E @7 E9:D J62C 96C6 — E@ D66 9@H >F49 x 42? 8C@H 7C@> E92E E9:D A2DE J62C] ,%96 4@2496D. 2C6 8@:?8 E@ AFE >6 :? 2 8C62E A@D:E:@? E@ D66 9@H >F49 x 42? 86E 36EE6C 7C@> =2DE J62C]”k^Am
kAm$:>>@?D H2D 2 D@=:5 4@?EC:3FE@C =2DE D62D@? :? E96 ?:?6 82>6D 96 A=2J65] w6 7:?:D965 9:D C@@<:6 D62D@? H:E9 ba E24<=6D[ 7@FC E24<=6D 7@C =@DD[ EH@ D24<D[ EH@ BF2CE6C324< 9:ED 2?5 2 A2DD 5676?D65]k^Am
kAmw:D DE2ED H6C6?’E E@@ 72C @77 7C@> E9@D6 @7 !C@ q@H= 5676?D:G6 E24<=6 yFCC6== r2D6J[ H9@ H2D EC2565 E@ E96 s6?G6C qC@?4@D 5FC:?8 E96 @77D62D@?] r2D6J 925 cc E24<=6D[ 7:G6 E24<=6D 7@C =@DD[ 7:G6 D24<D 2?5 `_ "q 9:ED =2DE J62C] w25 E96 %:E2?D 366? 23=6 E@ <66A 3@E9 :? a_a_[ E96J H@F=5 92G6 AC6DF>23=J 925 @?6 @7 E96 E@A :?E6C:@C =:?6 8C@FAD :? E96 }u{]k^Am
kAm}@H[ $:>>@?D :D 36:?8 C6=:65 @? E@ C6A=246 r2D6J’D AC@5F4E:@? H9:=6 2==@H:?8 2 J@F?86C A=2J6C DF49 2D s2"F2? y@?6D[ y24< rC2H7@C5 2?5 C@@<:6 {2CC6== |FC49:D@? 2? @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ >2<6 2? :?DE2?E :>A24E E9:D J62C]k^Am
kAm“~7 4@FCD6[ yFCC6== H2D 2 3:8 =@DD 7@C FD[” $:>>@?D D2:5] “w6 H2D 2 8C62E =6256C @? 2?5 @77 E96 7:6=5[ 6DA64:2==J :? E96 4@>>F?:EJ] (96? 96 42>6 E@ E96 3F:=5:?8[ 96 H2D ;FDE 2 7:CDE\4=2DD =6256C] qFE 2E E96 D2>6 E:>6[ x 5@?VE 766= =:<6 :E’D 2?J AC6DDFC6 @? >6[ A6CD@?2==J] xV> 2 =6256C >JD6=7] x =:<6 E@ =625]k^Am
kAmp5565 wr |:<6 'C236=i “(6VC6 6I4:E65 23@FE E96 8C@FA E92E H6 92G6 >@G:?8 7@CH2C5…x E9:?< E96JVC6 H6==\4@24965] x E9:?< q:8 % W%6CC6== (:==:2>DX 5@6D 2 8C62E ;@3 4@249:?8 E96> 2?5 +2< WzF9CX 92D 96=A65 9:> @FE]”k^Am
kAm$:>>@?D 92D 366? FD:?8 E96 F?4@?G6?E:@?2= @77D62D@? E@ D965 D@>6 H6:89E H:E9 E96 8@2= E@ 36 2 =62?6C[ BF:4<6C G6CD:@? @7 9:>D6=7 5FC:?8 EC2:?:?8 42>A]k^Am
kAm%96 e\7@@E\c D64@?5\J62C =:?6>2? :D 4FCC6?E=J =:DE65 2E b_c A@F?5D @? E96 %:E2?D @77:4:2= H63D:E6] w6 A=2J65 >F49 @7 =2DE J62C 2C@F?5 ba_ 2?5 92D C62==J 6>A92D:K65 62D:?8 E96 2>@F?E @7 H6:89E 9:D DFC8:42==J C6A2:C65 <?66 92D E@ 42CCJ]k^Am
kAm“|J 8@2= H2D E@ 6DA64:2==J 4FE 5@H? E96 72E @? >J 3@5J[” $:>>@?D D2:5] “xV> ?@E DFC6 6I24E=J H96C6 x H2D 2E 7:CDE[ 3FE x 766= =:<6 xVG6 >256 2 3:8 492?86 H:E9 >J 3@5J H6:89E] |J <?66 >256 2 =@E @7 AC@8C6DD:@? 7C@> H96? x 7:CDE DE2CE65 A=2J:?8 E@ E96 6?5 @7 E96 D62D@?] qFE 2E E96 6?5[ x <?6H E92E x ?66565 E@ 5@ 2 =:EE=6 >@C6 DEC6?8E96?:?8 2?5 ;FDE >2:?E6?2?46 DEF77 27E6C E96 6?5 @7 E96 D62D@?] $E:== ?@H[ x’> ECJ:?8 E@ DE2J @? E@A @7 :E[ >2<6 DFC6 E92E xV> ;FDE C625J E@ 92G6 E9:D E62> H:? 82>6D] $@ >J 3@5J :D 766=:?8 8C62Ej >J <?66 :D 766=:?8 8C62E]”k^Am
kAm$:>>@?D 2EEC:3FE65 2 D:>A=6 5:6E 492?86 2?5 2 5:D4:A=:?65 2EE:EF56 E@H2C5 :>AC@G:?8 9:D 962=E9 7@C 96=A:?8 9:> 5C@A E96 `d A@F?5D 96’D 2=C625J =@DE]k^Am
kAm“(96? J@F’C6 ECJ:?8 E@ =@D6 72E[ ]]] J@F 92G6 E@ 36 :? E96 C:89E >6?E2= WDE2E6X E@ 36 23=6 E@ 36 5:D4:A=:?65 :? H92E J@F 62E] pE @?6 A@:?E[ x H2D 4FEE:?8 @77 H92E E:>6 x 2E6 2E ?:89E] %2<6 2 =@E @7 C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ @7 J@FCD6=7 :? ECJ:?8 E@ >2:?E2:? 2 C@FE:?6 E92E J@F 92G6] ~7 4@FCD6[ x 492?865 FA >J 5:6E 2 =:EE=6 3:E]”k^Am
kAmp D=:>>6C[ BF:4<6C $:>>@?D >2J 36 ;FDE H92E E96 %:E2?D ?665 E@ 6=6G2E6 E96:C 5676?D:G6 =:?6 7C@> 8@@5 E@ 8C62E]k^Am
kAmu@==@H |:4926= v2==2896C @? %H:EE6C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^EH:EE6C]4@>^|vDA@CED0Qmo|vDA@CED0k^2mk^Am
