NASHVILLE - Tennessee Titans cornerback Caleb Farley has overcome a lot of adversity just to be on the practice field with his team during training camp.
From a torn ACL and back surgery to the tragic loss of loved ones off the field, Farley has been been through a lot. At times, it seemed like Farley was never going to make a return to football.
But here he is, resilient as ever. Farley is in Titans training camp, preparing for preseason games and fighting to make the 53-man roster. It's an endearing story, but does the 25-year-old have a legitimate path to making the team?
I think the Titans are likely to keep a total of six cornerbacks on their initial 53-man roster at the end of training camp. Provided they are all healthy, we know that L'Jarius Sneed, Chidobe Awuzie, and Roger McCreary will occupy three of those spots. Rookie Jarvis Brownlee Jr. also seems like a lock.
That leaves two rosters spots for players like Farley, Tre Avery, Eric Garror, Gabe Jeudy-Lally, and others to battle over.
On the unofficial depth chart that was released earlier this week , the Titans have Avery and Garror as the backup cornerbacks to Awuzie and McCreary. That would mean that Farley in on the outside looking in.
While it has been refreshing to see Farley back on the practice field for the Titans and taking reps during 1-on-1's against receivers, I must say...he has not seen much playing time in the full team periods of practice. Considering three different offensive and defensive units get on the field during that period, that's not a great sign for where Farley is at in the rotation right now.
Avery and Garror have a much better shot in my eyes to win those jobs at the back of the roster,
It also doesn't help Farley's case that he has already missed some time in camp with a hamstring injury. From what I know, that's not a serious problem, but it has at the very least kept Farley out of two practices up to this point.
If Farley is going to make the Titans' roster, he is going to have to shake up the status quo. He will not only need to be healthy, but he needs to make some plays in the Titans' preseason games to show that he still has upside worth gambling on. An injury to one of the players ahead of him on the depth chart would also help his chances, but nobody is rooting for that to happen.
"Obviously, in order to make this team, you have to be healthy, and you have to be there," said Titans GM Ran Carthon when asked about Farley at the start of training camp. "[I'm] really encouraged by Caleb (Farley) and his commitment to the process. He's had every reason, whether it's on the field, off the field, to step away and take breaks. But he's dealt with a ton of adversity. He's taken it head on, and every day he shows up to work ready to go. So you can't do anything but respect that and admire that. But just like everybody else on the team, he's going to have to stay healthy and show that he earned a spot on this team."
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