NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Titans made some major changes at linebacker this offseason. They held over some young pieces, but swapped out a number of veterans. One of the veterans they brought in was former-49er Azeez Al-Shaair and it looks like it may have been an excellent addition.
Al-Shaair is getting rave reviews from those observing his play in training camp. Whether it be media, his fellow players or his coaches. Al-Shaair was brought in after spending four years in San Francisco, alternating between a starter and a backup, but is expected to be the Titans' top player at the position.
Kevin Byard just drove on a Ryan Tannehill pass to Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and punched it in the air. Azeez Al-Shaair caught the deflection for the INT.
— TURRON DAVENPORT (@TDavenport_NFL) August 8, 2023
Al-Shaair was in the middle of all the action on Tuesday. He had an interception on the day according to ESPN's Turron Davenport and almost had a second on a quick throw to Kyle Philips. Al-Shaair has played with aggression and tenacity, fitting perfectly in the heart of the defense.
Ryan Tannehill and the starters for #Titans 11-on-11s.
— AtoZ Sports Nashville (@AtoZSports) August 8, 2023
- Henry runs left.
- Pass for Philips nearly picked, broken up by Azeez.
- Quick pass complete to Philips, who makes a good move after the catch.
- Screen deflected by Autry.
His teammates seem to be impressed. This was Titans' corner Kristian Fulton's answer when asked about who has stood out to him on defense.
"I'd definitely say Azeez," Fulton said. "He's definitely made some plays. I'm excited to see him go. Really the whole front seven, they've been going crazy this whole camp and I'm excited to see them go come the season cause that's only going to help us out on the backend."
Al-Shaair's new head coach and former NFL linebacker Mike Vrabel has also taken notice of his play. Vrabel talked about what has stood out to him.
"Just his intensity, his leadership," Vrabel explained. "He's been really good. Again, I've always enjoyed the conversations with him off the field. Sitting down and having lunch, having breakfast, getting to know him personally. I've enjoyed coaching him and again, he's playing with some speed out there. Not that it's perfect every snap, but I think he's understanding what we're trying to get done and I like the communication that he's playing with."
It is doubtful that we see the team's top linebacker in Saturday's opening preseason game against the Chicago Bears, but it looks like Al-Shaair has a great chance of showing up a lot in the regular season.
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