NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Wide receiver Tyler Boyd landed in Nashville and wasted no time joining his new teammates on the field.
Boyd, who signed with the Tennessee Titans on May 13, admitted it was “a little weird putting” a different uniform on after wearing the Cincinnati Bengals colors since being drafted by them in 2016, but nonetheless, he was out there the very next day.
The veteran said he’s excited about his new beginning thanks to some familiar faces, like cornerback Chidobe Awuzie — who Boyd got to line up against in his first practice like they did when they were teammates with the Bengals. Awuzie signed a free-agent deal with the Titans in March.
Boyd said his sights were always set on Tennessee despite going on visits with other teams, mainly because of the familiarity he had with new Titans coach Brian Callahan after their five seasons together in Cincinnati previously.
“Obviously Callahan is here and that’s my guy,” Boyd said of the former Cincinnati offensive coordinator. “He’s a heckuva coach, and I’ve been a part of his offense for a while now, so I just felt like it was a good fit. It just felt right.”
Quietly Boyd has carved out a role as one of the league’s most productive slot receivers over his career. According to Next Gen Stats, Boyd ranks first in receptions (390), receiving yards (4,813) and first downs (233) among wide receivers from the slot since he entered the league.
It’s the perfect match for Callahan who had hoped someone would emerge as the Titans’ slot receiver when asked about the position before the draft in April.
“He’s definitely got an advantage over any normal free agent because he’s been in quite a bit of the offense in terms of names, expectations, route details, and coaching points he’s heard over the last five years,” Callahan said.
As an OC, Callahan was able to rely on Boyd to be a steady presence in the slot — especially during the development of quarterback Joe Burrow. Now that same presence will be asked to help second-year quarterback Will Levis get command of the offense.
“It’s a huge benefit for a young quarterback,” said Callahan, who’s already seen Boyd go up to Levis and discuss route adjustments.
Levis said he texted Boyd as soon as he heard the Titans agreed to terms with him and told him he can’t wait to learn things about the offense from him.
“It’s cool to be able to watch all these cutups of him balling out, making all these plays and on the teach tape running these routes exactly like how we’re telling everyone else to,” Levis said. “That’s going to be some great insight to hear from a guy who’s been in the offense and knows what it’s like when the bolts are flying.”
Given Boyd’s experience, Levis can count on him to always read the coverage and make sure he’s in the right place. There will be times that call for Boyd to veer away from the dedicated route and settle into a better location according to how the defense plays.
“If I know he expects me to be 3 more yards from the hash then I’ll be there,” Boyd said. “It’s kind of a psychic thing based off of experience in the offense.”
Signing Boyd marks the completion of a positional turnaround that saw the Titans’ wide receiver group go from lackluster to appealing. Boyd joins fellow free agent addition Calvin Ridley and last season’s receiving leader DeAndre Hopkins for the Titans to create a formidable trio of pass catchers for Levis to throw to.
Having already played alongside Tee Higgins and All-Pro receiver Ja’Marr Chase, Boyd once again finds himself in a group of receivers that will compete for targets and look to push each other.
“I can learn from those guys, and they can learn from me,” Boyd said. “As long as we can all feed off of each other and complement each other, that will take us to the next level.”
Hopkins feels the same way.
“Anytime I get the chance to compete against anyone, I’m trying to outcompete them and outdo them,” Hopkins said. “That’s only going to make the team better.”
Now it’s up to Callahan to stir it all together and serve up a potent offense unlike the one that averaged less than 18 points per game over the last two seasons.