Titans need to unleash Adoree’ Jackson on offense
Adoree’ Jackson makes no secret of his desire to help the Titans offense. Given the lack of weapons available to Marcus Mariota, Tennessee should let him.
Most NFL teams would be well served to tell a player like Adoree’ Jackson to focus all of his energies on the defensive side of the football. The Titans aren’t most teams, though. Their lack of talent on the offensive side of the ball means the coaching staff should strongly consider using Jackson on both sides of the ball.
For what it’s worth, Jackson is anxious to help his team in every way possible. He recently told reporters that he wants to lead the NFL in snaps next season. In particular, he wants to add more special teams and offensive snaps to his responsibilities. Jackson has already told Vrabel he’s willing to do whatever his coach “needs him to do.”
The unfortunate truth about the Titans offense is that they lack playmakers. Marcus Mariota has received a lot of criticism for his lack of development as a quarterback, but he doesn’t have nearly enough help. Delanie Walker is a terrific tight end, but when he leads your team in receptions with 74 it’s a solid sign your wide receiver corps isn’t talented enough.
Eric Decker led Titans’ wide receivers in catches last season with 54, but he isn’t on an NFL roster at the moment. That puts Corey Davis and Rishard Matthews under a lot of pressure to take massive steps forward this year. As a former first-round pick, Davis has a lot of potential. Matthews may be hard pressed to improve his performance from last season at the age of 28.
Throwing Jackson into the mix on offense could be just the thing to ignite the Titans attack. He’d give opposing defenses something to consider every time he stepped onto the field. The coaching staff doesn’t need to give him the ball every time he takes an offensive snap. Jackson could be just as effective as a decoy in most formations.
Of course, that only works if you give Jackson a few opportunities to touch the football every game. His speed makes that a wise decision from the coaching staff. He has the speed to take the football to the house every time he touches it. That isn’t something that can be said for many of Tennessee’s other offensive players.
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As with most things, using Jackson on offense would be most effective when done in moderation. He doesn’t need to be a factor on every series, but building a package or two for him would be a good move for the Titans. They need all the playmakers on offense they can get.