Make no mistake about it: Tennessee's decision to ship wideout Dorial Green-Beckham to the Eagles this week made a lasting impression on the Titans' locker room -- and especially Justin Hunter.
Tennessee's inconsistent wideout knows he could be the next to go if he fails to impress a front office eager to flush out the previous regime's mistakes.
"I feel like it sent a message out to everybody -- you better get your stuff right," Hunter said of the swap, per the Tennessean. "I don't think anyone in the locker room was expecting it.
"It is still going to be hard (to make the team) because we have a lot of talented receivers in the group. We are fighting for spots, and you have to keep up and progress at the same time."
Entering his fourth season, Hunter's enormous potential has yet to translate to the field. He caught 22 passes last season, bringing his paltry career total to just 68 catches and eight touchdowns.
In return for Green-Beckham, Robinson netted swing lineman Dennis Kelly. The blocker was far from a star in Philadelphia, but he fits Robinson's philosophy of building a deep front five to bolster a run-heavy offense. As we wrote Wednesday, though, the trade says much more about Robinson's refusal to put up with players who underperform.Â
"I feel like everybody is on the chopping block," Hunter said. "We have a new GM, and he didn't draft too many people in here. Anybody could go at this point, and we are all fighting for a spot."
Hunter has shown sparks -- even in training camp, catching a 45-yard bomb from quarterback Marcus Mariota this week -- but his trademark in the NFL has been the occasional "wow" grab mixed with periods of vanishing off the film.
"Justin just has to put a series of things together, games together," said coach Mike Mularkey, "and that's what we're looking for from all of them."
With Kendall Wright, Rishard Matthews and surging rookie Tajae Sharpe all vying for spots, Hunter needs to convince coaches he's more valuable than veterans Harry Douglas and Andre Johnson and a horde of young players fighting to earn a home.
With Robinson at the helm, Hunter's wiggle room in Tennessee has shriveled up.Â
