Latest news with #JefferySimmons
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
What Treylon Burks release actually means for Tennessee Titans on field, as organization
The answer to the question people might be curious about: Five. Now that the Tennessee Titans have waived Treylon Burks, just five players drafted by former general manager Jon Robinson remain on the roster: cornerback Roger McCreary, tight end Chig Okonkwo, defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, safety Amani Hooker and offensive lineman Corey Levin. And for what it's worth, Levin is a bit of an asterisk. The Titans have waived or released him five times. Burks' release on July 28 is hardly a surprise. Even if he had not suffered a broken collarbone on July 26, it would have been an uphill battle for him to find a place to contribute on this team. But his departure is yet another symbol of the lost years of the Titans' roster. After building an impressive core from 2016 to 2019, the Titans' entire operation, led by Robinson, followed through with three years of misses. The first-round failures of Burks, cornerback Caleb Farley and offensive tackle Isaiah Wilson are the most notable whiffs. But the long list of missteps in this window also includes bad draft picks like Darrynton Evans, Monty Rice, Dez Fitzpatrick and Nicholas Petit-Frere; the mismanagement of draft picks who've gone on to succeed elsewhere such as Elijah Molden and (to a lesser degree) Malik Willis; and the poor or shortsighted free agency and trade investments like Vic Beasley, Bud Dupree, Julio Jones and Dennis Daley. ESTES: This was a fun Tennessee Titans fan day. Then Treylon Burks got hurt again None of this is news. But consider the state of the AFC South. The Houston Texans still have nine players they drafted from 2020 to 2022, including cornerstone pieces like receiver Nico Collins, cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. and safety Jalen Pitre. The Indianapolis Colts have 10 players left from those drafts, including running back Jonathan Taylor, receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and defensive end Kwity Paye. And the Jacksonville Jaguars have 11, most notably quarterback Trevor Lawrence, cornerback Tyson Campbell and pass rusher Travon Walker. The Titans have Okonkwo, Simmons and McCreary. It's hard to ignore that inequity. The truth is that cutting Burks doesn't much hurt the Titans. Failing to develop Burks into a No. 1 receiver hurt the Titans. Three of their four biggest contracts on the books belong to receiver Calvin Ridley, cornerback L'Jarius Sneed and offensive tackle Dan Moore Jr. — all of whom can, at least in part, be seen as filling the roles that Burks, Farley and Wilson never did. And all of whom cost a lot of money that the Titans could've spent on plugging holes elsewhere on the roster instead of throwing big contracts at correcting failures. So, no. Don't get caught up in the wonder and the worry about what the Titans are going to look like without Burks in 2025. The answer is probably very similar to what they would've looked like with him. But this development is yet another reminder of the root of why Titans have struggled the past three seasons, and why it has been so hard to claw back to relevance. Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@ Follow Nick on X @nicksuss. Subscribe to the Talkin' Titans newsletter for updates sent directly to your inbox. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: What Treylon Burks' release actually says about Tennessee Titans
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
ESPN ranks Tennessee Titans' roster among worst in NFL
The Tennessee Titans made a lot of changes during the 2025 offseason. They hired a new general manager in Mike Borgonzi, they hired John Fassel as special teams coordinator, and they brought in a mix of veterans and rookies to improve the roster. All 32 NFL teams make adjustments in the offseason. The goal is always to improve over the previous season, but not every team is successful. Advertisement ESPN asked NFL analysts Mike Clay, Aaron Schatz, and Seth Walder to rank every roster in the league. They considered factors like talent, age, and production, and then detailed the strongest and weakest position groups, identified X factors, and selected nonstarters who could have an outsized role this season. The Titans came in pretty low, with their starting lineups ranking 28th in the NFL. Biggest strength: Interior defensive line. Jeffery Simmons is one of the league's best, and his 26.5 sacks over the past four seasons ranks sixth among interior linemen. It appears Tennessee found a gem on Day 2 of last year's draft, as T'Vondre Sweat was terrific as a rookie, posting PFF's 13th-highest grade among 89 qualified DTs. Veteran Sebastian Joseph-Day is returning and will help fill out the terrific trio. -- Clay Biggest weakness: The rest of the front seven. Edge Harold Landry III (second among Titans defenders in snaps last season) and linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr. (fourth) were among Tennessee's notable offseason departures. That leaves Arden Key (career-high 6.5 sacks last season) as the team's top edge, with a host of newcomers (Dre'Mont Jones, Lorenzo Carter and second-round rookie Oluwafemi Oladejo) competing for a prominent workload. Linebacker Cody Barton is on his fourth team in four years, but he has registered 100-plus tackles in each of the past three seasons. Though Barton could solidify things, no other LB on the roster played more than 140 snaps last season. -- Clay Clay hit the nail on the head with the strengths and weaknesses. Jeffery Simmons is an absolute monster on the interior, and with T'Vondre Sweat entering his second year, the two of them will give opposing linemen a hard time all year long. The rest of the front seven were listed as the Titans' biggest weakness, but this is more of an unknown than a weakness. On paper, it doesn't look like they made improvements in this area, but when the players hit the field, it might be a different story. Walder said the X factor for 2025 is the Titans' offensive line. Not only does the line's performance have a direct impact on the development of Cam Ward, but the Titans made a ton of changes to the line in an effort to protect their new quarterback. We don't yet know how they will perform together, but if they do well, the Titans' season will be successful. Advertisement As for the nonstarter to know, Schatz named cornerback Darrell Baker Jr. Baker is a journeyman on his third NFL team, but ranked first in coverage DVOA last season among qualifying cornerbacks. His numbers are inconsistent across the board, but last season, he performed well in the absence of L'Jarius Sneed and Chidobe Awuzie. Sneed seems to be ready for camp, but we'll see how that plays out. Keep an eye on Baker as he could make waves in his second season with the Titans. The roster ranks low now, but this is all based on projections. What the team does during the season will tell us where the roster truly ranks. Advertisement This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: ESPN ranks Titans' roster among worst in NFL
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Titans DT shares excitement about playing with No. 1 pick Cam Ward
The Tennessee Titans open training camp in a few days with No. 1 draft pick Cam Ward set to lead the offense at quarterback. While some outside the organization question Ward's talent, his teammates are eager to compete alongside him. On Thursday's edition of Good Morning Football, Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons shared his feelings about practicing with the rookie signal caller. Simmons started off by saying that Titans have never gotten the "respect and attention" they need. He added, "I've never seen the No. 1 pick overall never get the respect and, quite frankly, the attention that he deserves." Simmons, a three-time Pro Bowler, then praised the quarterback's competitive spirit by sharing an incident from practice. "It was after a play, we stopped him, and I think I ended up getting a sack," Simmons said. "All of the sudden, we're talking smack and Cally (head coach Brian Callahan) is giving him the dang play and I'm still talking smack to him, I'm jawing because that's my game. I want to talk smack, I want to get in your head. "It didn't faze him. He's still talking smack while Cally's getting the play to him. He's giving the play to the offense, still talking smack to me. When they gave him that play and came to the line, the next play after the smack talk, he threw an 80-yard bomb to Calvin Ridley. So, that right there showed me we got us one. He's legit." Titans fans are hoping Cam Ward displays the same poise once the regular season begins. Tennessee finished last in the AFC with a 3-14 record in 2024, missing the playoffs for a third consecutive year. A postseason berth with Cam Ward under center would mark a notable step forward for the franchise.
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Yahoo
Alberta company fined after worker dies of carbon monoxide poisoning
An Alberta company has been fined $330,000 in the death of a worker who succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning on the job two years ago. NC Equipment Ltd. — a heavy equipment rental company and dealership based in Nisku, Alta., — has been convicted of a single contravention under Alberta's Occupational Health and Safety Code in the 2023 death of its employee. The company pleaded guilty to a safety violation for failing to ensure that the equipment used by the man would perform its intended function safely. According to court documents, Jeffery Simmons died on Feb. 22, 2023, in or near Edmonton, while conducting sandblasting work for the company. Investigators determined that he was using an air respirator equipped with a supplied air system when he was exposed to carbon monoxide. A co-worker found him unresponsive on site. He was taken to hospital in critical, life-threatening condition but later died. The risks of carbon monoxide poisoning are well known. Exposure to the colourless, odourless gas in excessive levels can prove toxic, resulting in arrhythmia, seizures or death. According to the court documents, Simmons had been using a sandblasting system which included a portable air compressor, a Radex airline filter, a Nova blasting safety respirator, and a Mod-U-Blast sandblasting machine. NC Equipment Ltd. was convicted July 14 and ordered to pay a total of $330,000, inclusive of a victim surcharge. The company had been charged with a total of 22 counts, but all other charges were dropped. According to the company's website, the family-run operation rents and sells heavy equipment. When reached by phone Thursday, company officials declined to comment.
CBC
17-07-2025
- CBC
Alberta company fined after worker dies of carbon monoxide poisoning
An Alberta company has been fined $330,000 in the death of a worker who succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning on the job two years ago. NC Equipment Ltd. — a heavy equipment rental company and dealership based in Nisku, Alta., — has been convicted of a single contravention under Alberta's Occupational Health and Safety Code in the 2023 death of its employee. The company pleaded guilty to a safety violation for failing to ensure that the equipment used by the man would perform its intended function safely. According to court documents, Jeffery Simmons died on Feb. 22, 2023, in or near Edmonton, while conducting sandblasting work for the company. Investigators determined that he was using an air respirator equipped with a supplied air system when he was exposed to carbon monoxide. A co-worker found him unresponsive on site. He was taken to hospital in critical, life-threatening condition but later died. The risks of carbon monoxide poisoning are well known. Exposure to the colourless, odourless gas in excessive levels can prove toxic, resulting in arrhythmia, seizures or death. According to the court documents, Simmons had been using a sandblasting system which included a portable air compressor, a Radex airline filter, a Nova blasting safety respirator, and a Mod-U-Blast sandblasting machine. NC Equipment Ltd. was convicted July 14 and ordered to pay a total of $330,000, inclusive of a victim surcharge. The company had been charged with a total of 22 counts, but all other charges were dropped. According to the company's website, the family-run operation rents and sells heavy equipment.
