With NFL roster cuts looming, these Tennessee Titans are making their case to stick around

Tennessee Titans coach Brian Callahan isn't looking forward to next week.

"It’s probably the worst part of the job," Callahan said about NFL roster cut down day , looming just ahead on the calendar on Aug. 27. "Because you just appreciate what all these guys have done and the amount of work they’ve put in to try to earn a job, make a team, fulfill a dream. All those things. So that’s not lost on me. I take that responsibility pretty seriously and try to do it with as much dignity as you can."

By next Tuesday, the Titans will have to trim their active roster from 90 players to 53. Sunday's preseason finale against the New Orleans Saints (1 p.m., WKRN-2) will be the final showcase opportunity for several of the Titans on the roster bubble, but practices matter for players trying to make the team too. Wednesday was a perfect example of that.

Here are five Titans trying to survive NFL roster cut down day who helped their cases Wednesday.

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WR Bryce Oliver

The undrafted receiver from Youngstown State caught two touchdowns in team periods, one on a deep corner route from Mason Rudolph and the other on a 60-yard go ball from Malik Willis. He's the only Titans wideout taller than 6-foot who doesn't regularly get reps with the first team, making him a valuable insurance keep on the practice squad since he doesn't have many teammates who play his position. But it's tough to foresee a path for Oliver to make the roster unless the team carries seven or more receivers.

LB James Williams

The seventh-round pick got an extended look with the second team, the highest he's risen on the depth chart. Of course, he's benefitting from injuries to five linebackers who started camp ahead of him. But he continues to run to and through the ball and coaches have raved about his progress and raw talent. The Titans have a wealth of depth at inside linebacker, but Williams is making his push.

OT Leroy Watson IV

Watson pancaked a rusher to finish off a winning day for the O-line in individual drills and then snagged some second-team reps at left tackle behind JC Latham. A few weeks ago, the battle for the Titans' swing tackle job seemed to go through Jaelyn Duncan and John Ojukwu, but Watson and Geron Christian Sr. have squarely stuffed their names into the mix.

OLB Shane Ray

Ray's stock has fallen a little since signing with the Titans in the first week of training camp, owing mostly to the rise of rookie Jaylen Harrell. But Ray had a nice day, winning two of his three reps in individual 1-on-1s and logging a sack with the second-team defense in a full-team two-minute-drill period. The fight between Ray and Caleb Murphy for the No. 5 edge rusher spot could end up being a crucial 53rd-man battle.

DL Isaiah Iton

The most important thing for Iton is that he's winning a numbers game. Injuries to Marlon Davidson and TK McLendon leave the Titans thin on the interior defensive line, and Iton is stepping up as a viable fifth option. He followed a solid performance in the preseason win over Seattle with four wins in five individual reps Wednesday, blowing by blockers despite his smaller, 277-pound frame.

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Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com . Follow Nick on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @nicksuss.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: With NFL roster cuts looming, these Tennessee Titans are making their case to stick around