Tennessee Titans plan to reevaluate quarterback Cole McDonald
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tennessee Titans quarterback Cole McDonald passed during training camp, Tuesday, in Nashville, Tenn. One day after waiving Cole McDonald, the Tennessee Titans today said they weren’t ready to write off the former University of Hawaii quarterback just yet.
One day after waiving Cole McDonald, the Tennessee Titans today said they weren’t ready to write off the former University of Hawaii quarterback just yet.
Titans head coach Mike Vrabel said in a media conference, “We’ll re-evaluate Cole when we get an opportunity.”
Due to COVID-19, teams can expand their practice squads from 12 to 16 players this season and McDonald is viewed as a potential candidate.
The Titans waived their seventh-round pick Wednesday and, in his first press conference since then, Vrabel said, “There are decisions that have to be made and with the roster at 80 players there’s decisions that you have to make, so we moved on. Again, we can certainly revisit that and try to continue to work with him but there were just things here now that forced us to go in a different direction.”
That Titans announced the signing of former Broncos and Jets quarterback Trevor Siemian at the same time they announced waiving McDonald. Siemian has appeared in 27 NFL games, 25 as a starter.
Asked if Siemian’s experience was the key, Vrabel said, “That always has something to do with it. You want competition at every position. So, guys that have that experience and can lead… probably helps them to come in the middle of this thing or at the beginning.
Intelligence, decisiveness, accuracy were all keys in signing Siemian.
Vrabel said, “We’re just trying to make decisions that make us better at this time and that are in the best interests of the team. That’s why we brought in the players that we did.”
Vrabel cited Siemian’s intelligence, decisiveness and accuracy as traits they liked.
Vrabel was asked if the cut back in practices, exhibition games, organized team activities and mini camps due to the pandemic contributed to the decision to waive McDonald. “Maybe. but everybody is working under the same rules. Again, Jon (Robinson, the general manager) and I talked about it and wanted to take a look at another player there (at quarterback). Whether the off-season had anything to do with it, everybody is working under the same rules.”
