Jason Wolf

jwolf@tennessean.com

They stuffed their belongings in boxes Thursday, clearing out as locker room renovations began ratcheting into high gear.

The Titans have dispersed until the start of training camp in late July, having wrapped up their offseason program this past week. It began with a rookie minicamp last month and was followed by 10 days of organized team activities and three days of mandatory minicamp, all without pads.

All healthy players participated as Titans coach Mike Mularkey and first-year general manager Jon Robinson had their first chance to see the roster they’d built together on the field. Thanks to trades, free-agent signings, waiver claims and 10 draft picks, not to mention the competition those additions have engendered, it’s a much different group than the cast that went 3-13 last season, tying for the worst record in the NFL.

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“They came here to get work done,” Mularkey said after rewarding his players with a shortened final day of practice, “and they did, and I think we got a lot accomplished.”

Here are 10 things we’ve learned so far about the 2016 Titans:

1. Rookie Sharpe is reliable

Either the Titans’ receiving corps was really that bad or Tajae Sharpe will go down as one of the great steals of the draft. Probably a little from column A, a little from column B.

The fifth-round rookie wide receiver led the FBS with 111 catches at Massachusetts last season, but nobody expected him to step in and run with the starters so soon, including Mularkey, who’s praised Sharpe for his route-running and pass-catching abilities and called him the most consistent receiver on the team.

Sharpe has been lining up on the outside, opposite free-agent acquisition Rishard Matthews and with Kendall Wright in the slot. Veteran Harry Douglas has taken the youngster under his wing. As for uber-talented but struggling Dorial Green-Beckham and Justin Hunter, well, the sky’s the limit if they respond to the challenge.

2. Spain still starting

“Mr. Undrafted,” as he goes by on Twitter, remains the incumbent left guard after starting the final six games of his rookie season.

At 6-feet-4 and 330 pounds, Quinton Spain is the beefiest blocker on the line and has the inside track to retain what should be one of the few truly contested positions in training camp.

“He hasn’t done anything to lose it,” Mularkey said, in a less-than-ringing endorsement.

The second-year pro out of West Virginia is trying to hold off 2015 third-round pick Jeremiah Poutasi, who’s transitioning to guard after a failed experiment at right tackle, and rookie sixth-round pick Sebastian Tretola, who’s aggressive but extremely raw.

3. Henry has hands

He’s been here for a month, and Titans players and coaches still are talking about Derrick Henry’s size.

That’s no surprise. The bruising Heisman Trophy-winning running back stands 6-feet-3 and weighs 247 pounds.

He rushed for more than 2,000 yards on the way to Alabama’s latest national championship, but what’s shocking is how the discussion is shifting to an altogether different skill-set.

Henry has been excellent catching the ball out of the backfield, most recently turning a wheel route into a terrific grab on a deep pass from Marcus Mariota.

Henry had 17 receptions in three seasons with the Crimson Tide.

4. Mariota more vocal, comfortable

Speaking of Mariota, the even-tempered franchise quarterback is settling into his role heading into his second season in the league.

Mariota is becoming a more vocal leader, teammates say, and is admittedly more comfortable.

REXRODE:Mariota on his way, not there yet

“Going through it already for a year, seeing a lot of similar faces, understanding what’s expected of me,” Mariota said Wednesday, “from that standpoint, I will feel comfortable, and I think that’s going to allow me to feel a lot more confident coming back into camp and just ready to roll.”

5. Murray is ‘intense’

The Titans landed their prospective bell-cow running back in a mere swap of fourth-round draft picks with the Eagles.

And although DeMarco Murray is coming off a disappointing season, the man who led the league in rushing yards with the Cowboys in 2014 appears poised for a resurgence in Nashville. He’s doing everything in his power to ensure it happens.

“He’s a really intense guy,” said rookie right tackle Jack Conklin, the team’s first-round draft pick. “You can really see why he did so well in Dallas. He runs hard. Watching him even, just with helmets on in OTAs, he’s always, he’s hard, and if you’re not doing something right he’s going to get on you, and that’s exactly what you need.

“For a running back,” Conklin said, “that’s something that’s a little new to me. He’s really a vocal guy. And it’s good. It really keeps everybody on their toes and everyone clicking because they know if they’re not doing something right, DeMarco is going to get on you about it. It makes everyone want to be perfect, because, you know, if we give him some space he’s going to do something special.”

6. Lewan a changed man

Taylor Lewan was stripped of his captaincy as soon as Mularkey was named interim coach last season.

And the boisterous left tackle, the team’s first-round pick in 2014, was the talk of the offseason as the draft approached, as numerous experts speculated the Titans would select former Ole Miss left tackle Laremy Tunsil with the No. 1 overall pick.

REXRODE:Lewan may be most interesting man on Titans

But Lewan, who battled through a nerve issue that affected his left shoulder last season, rededicated himself, rehabbed and was adamantly against moving to the right side. His efforts have been noticed, Mularkey said, noting his quieter, more business-like demeanor and excellent conditioning.

7. Depth chart is shallow

Depth at offensive tackle and outside linebacker could remain a problem.

Versatile offensive lineman Byron Bell, who was projected as the team’s primary backup at both tackle positions, is out for the season after dislocating his left ankle on the first day of OTAs. The injury thrust Conklin, selected eighth overall, into the starting role on the right side and deprives the Titans of a player who started all 16 games last season — at three positions.

Additionally, second-round draft pick Kevin Dodd, who is transitioning from a 4-3 defensive end at Clemson to a 3-4 outside linebacker, has been sidelined for a bulk of the on-field work since undergoing “preventative” surgery to repair a stress fracture in his right foot. Starting outside linebacker Derrick Morgan (shoulder) and backup Deiontrez Mount (knee) also are coming off injuries.

8. There's competition at corner

Brice McCain was cut by the Dolphins after starting 10 games last season and in March signed a two-year deal with the Titans, his fourth team in four years.

McCain was expected to provide depth behind last year’s starters, Jason McCourty and Perrish Cox. But the eighth-year pro, who played with the Steelers under defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau in 2014, is instead challenging Cox for a starting job.

“We’re working them both in with the ones,” Mularkey said, “and giving them an opportunity to compete against each other.”

9. Defense has one voice

The legendary LeBeau was named defensive coordinator after his predecessor and longtime understudy, Ray Horton, bolted for the same job with the Browns. Of course, LeBeau had a strong hand in the Titans’ on-field product last season after the Hall of Famer joined the team as assistant head coach/defense.

But it’s become clear that the players appreciate hearing a single voice. Although the blitz-happy LeBeau supposedly deferred to Horton last season, many Titans have since said the setup was a bit awkward.

How will LeBeau’s defense differ from Horton’s?

“Modesty prevents me from elaborating too much on that,” LeBeau said.

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10. Focus is on fun

Mularkey has made it a point to keep the competition going off the field, challenging his players in a number of fun ways, from a rookie spelling bee to players quizzing one another on plays to a surprise relay race to close minicamp Thursday, when a quartet of 300-pounders in DaQuan Jones, Lewan, Angelo Blackson and Chance Warmack earned their teammates a day off by speeding around the field in less than a minute.

Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk addressed the team before the race, explaining that she’s enjoyed hearing about their various off-field competitions and wanted to see one in person.

“She was part of the plot,” Mularkey said afterward. “I told her ... if you come to practice and you walk out there, I’d tell them in the team meeting that you’re going to be here and that she wants to see the tempo of our practice. I think I saw them go, ‘Oh my gosh. We are practicing.’ … I think what we missed today we can make up in training camp.”

Reach Jason Wolf on Twitter @JasonWolf and on Instagram and Snapchat at TitansBeat.