Last season, JC Latham was playing left tackle for the Tennessee Titans. The Titans finished last season 3-14, and Latham did not have the type of season he was hoping for. So, going into Year 2, he not only is trying to be better and learn from the lessons on the field, but he has also decided to take his physical conditioning even more seriously.
Latham came back this offseason, having dropped some weight. So, instead of weighing in at around 360, he is now weighing in at 337 pounds. As for why he felt he needed to drop the weight, he stated when talking to Titans media that he did not take advice on how weight can sneak up on you, and how it caught up to him, and he wanted to be in better shape going into this season.
Now that Latham has lost weight, the biggest concern some will have is how it will affect his performance. In speaking with former NFL offensive lineman George Foster, he gave his thoughts on the weight loss and how it could or could not come into play.
"You want to make sure you are as strong as possible. ... As long as he maintains his strength while losing weight, it could be beneficial," Foster said on the Touring the AFC South podcast. "It will help him move easier. It is defintely be easier to move when you get that weight off of you. It is paramount at tackle to be able to move."
Foster would go on to point to the speed of edge rushers as to how the loss of weight will help Latham as the season goes on. If the strength is still there with the size, then Latham will be just fine. So, hopefully, the only focus Latham needs to have is adjusting back to a position he is accustomed to playing: right tackle.
