Tennessee Titans: What is up with Dorial Green-Beckham?

Shortly after the completion of the 2015 NFL season, some experts tabbed Tennessee Titans wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham as a potential breakout star in 2016. As of right now, he isn’t even lining up as one of the top three receivers on the Titans depth chart.

Reading too much into the Tennessee Titans personnel decisions is an unwise task, since Mike Mularkey‘s head coaching chops are just as uncertain as the credentials many of the first and second-year players on his roster hold. What we do know is that Dorial Green-Beckham wasn’t supposed to be an early success in the league, and it took him time to be a factor in his first season.

Even so, Green-Beckham finished the season as the only wide receiver on the team with over 500 yards, and he was the team’s only noteworthy deep threat, averaging a hefty 17.2 yards per reception. His four touchdowns placed him second on the team behind Delanie Walker, so, for all intents and purposes, he was the team’s best wide receiver in 2015.

Fast forward to zero regular season games later, and Green-Beckham isn’t even lining up as a starter in the Titans offense.

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According to TitanInsider.com’s Terry McCormick, the Titans starting wide receivers are rookie Tajae Sharpe and former Miami Dolphins wideout Rishard Matthews. Those two offseason additions, combined with the return to health of former 90-catch receiver Kendall Wright, should cause Green-Beckham’s role to decrease. After all, being the best wide receiver on team with Harry Douglas and Justin Hunter as notable options isn’t exactly a difficult feat.

What puzzles me about Green-Beckham’s situation, however, is the way the Titans are treating him. Beyond the fact that he’s no longer lining up as a starter, we’ve heard his head coach talk about how he is trying to motivate DGB.

Dec 6, 2015; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Titans receiver Dorial Green-Beckham (17) celebrates after scoring a touchdown after a reception during the second half against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Nissan Stadium. The Titans won 42-39. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports /

You know who else he’s trying to motivate? Hunter. You know who else the Titans tried to hype up and motivate last season? Yup, Hunter.

It seems as if the Titans have already pushed DGB into Hunter’s path, deeming him an inconsistent deep threat better suited for a situational role, as opposed to the “X” receiver job. Or, perhaps, he really is just as frustratingly up-and-down and unfit to start.

The problem is that the Titans need him, because he’s their most explosive receiver. Sharpe is no short plodder at 6’2″ with 4.55 speed, but he was criticized for his work at the catch point by NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein. In fact, his profile as an inside-outside receiver with strong route-running and safe hands makes him sound like a bigger version of Matthews (6’0″) and Wright (5’10”).

Walker can score passing touchdowns, and he is capable of stretching the seam. But who else is going to make the big plays on this offense? Who is going to command coverage in the end zone? The Titans could succeed as an offense with Marcus Mariota, a strong running game, and a precise intermediate attack.

What gives a passing attack the highest chance of success, however, is a multi-faceted armory, so by not even having DGB on the field in three-wide sets, the Titans are lacking that dynamic, lid-lifting dimension. Hunter is still on the roster, but with way things are going, it doesn’t even seem like the Titans are preoccupied with his potential 2016 contribution.

Sep 13, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) runs the ball in the first half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports /

Matthews is an underrated player and Sharpe looks like he can play, but is that really the Titans best two-wide combination? Why don’t they start Matthews and DGB to maximize their ability to make plays in two-wide sets? Since they’ll run two receivers when they have two running backs or two tight ends on the field, it would make more sense to give the defense the looming threat of being stretched vertically.

For a team that preaches building a foundation of physicality, taking a 6’5″ receiver off the field in three-wide sets seems counter-productive. Green-Beckham is no star, but the Titans aren’t exactly a flourishing playoff contender. They will take their lumps, and they need to put DGB on the field so he can take them, too. More importantly, they need him for the potential threat he provides, unless, of course, Sharpe truly is a very good, well-rounded rookie receiver.

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