2 Underrated Winners From Titans Roster Cuts That Make Tennessee Better Immediately

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2 Underrated Winners From Titans Roster Cuts That Make Tennessee Better Immediately

Tennessee Titans DT Jeffery Simmons celebrates the sack from LB Truman Jones. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images — Aug 23, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons (98) celebrates the sack from linebacker Truman Jones (56) against the Seattle Seahawks during the second half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Lane Mills · Tennessee Titans On SI

Mon, Aug 31, 2026 ·

3 min read

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Now that the initial wave of roster cuts are officially over and the Tennessee Titans have been refined down to a 53-man structure, it's time to look back on Sunday's laundry list of decisions and sift through the rubble.

There were a few surprising cuts along the way, but for the most part, cut day was all about who secured a roster spot in Nashville after the yesterday's cut deadline passed.

By our count, here are the two most underrated winners from the Titans' roster departures that, in staying with Tennessee , make the team better immediately. Not every holdover has to be a plug-n-play starter for a rebuilding franchise looking for reliability first and foremost.

Truman Jones (DE)

Kicking things off with the defensive side of the ball, DE Truman Jones narrowly making the cut on Coach Saleh's defense may go down as Tennessee's sneakiest win of this roster cycle.

Jones, in 56 preseason pass-rush snaps, logged 2.5 sacks and nine pressures. Entering just his third year in the NFL, and coming off of a season with the Titans in which he only managed 1.5 sacks, Jones is one of the most obvious early beneficiaries of Saleh's new system.

As a result of that, he's earned the opportunity to hang around another year and better his game. Three sacks in limited preseason snaps hints at a player ready to fully break out, and Tennessee granting him the window to do so was one of Sunday's best stories.

Pat Coogan (C)

Whereas Jones stands out due to his potential to raise the Titans' defensive ceiling, C Pat Coogan is a victory for the exact opposite reason: He's a floor-raiser.

Tennessee Titans center Pat Coogan (79) during warmup period. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images — Aug 23, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans center Pat Coogan (79) during warmup period against the Seattle Seahawks at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Coogan, who was kept on as a seemingly direct result of Tennessee parting ways with veteran G Cordell Volson , is a sixth-round rookie. There's a slight risk regarding his development here, but with fellow rookie Fernando Carmona taking over duties at starting right guard, Coogan won't have to make a splash along similar lines.

Instead, in the wake of an impressive preseason, Coogan will serve as depth on a line that is being slowly retooled. PFF rated Coogan as the highest-graded rookie center (73.4) after his particularly impressive showing in Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks .

Paired with Carmona, Coogan helps form a growing duo on the line that both bolsters the unit now and promises security for it down the line.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/titans/onsi as 2 Underrated Winners From Titans Roster Cuts That Make Tennessee Better Immediately .

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