Now that the Tennessee Titans’ 2023 season is in the books, it’s time to reflect on a campaign that, while disappointing, certainly had at least a few positives come from it.
The Titans ended their frustrating 6-11 season on a high note, with Tennessee knocking off the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 18, a result that also prevented their division rivals from making the playoffs.
The Titans have a lot of questions to answer this upcoming offseason, and that begins with what the team will do at head coach and general manager after countless rumors have made it clear Mike Vrabel’s return isn’t a definite.
Hopefully, questions about the future of Vrabel and general manager Ran Carthon will be answered sooner rather than later, but for now let’s take a look at the biggest takeaways from the Titans’ 2023 season.
A foundation on offense
Will Levis showed enough during his rookie season that the Titans don’t need to draft a quarterback and can focus on building around him moving forward.
On top of moving to a more pass-centric offense, The Titans desperately need to beef up things around him, and that starts with the offensive line, which was atrocious in 2023. In addition, the Titans need to surround Levis with better pass-catchers beyond DeAndre Hopkins, assuming he returns.
As bad as the offensive line was, rookie left guard Peter Skoronski was a bright spot, despite a rough patch near the end of the season that was quickly forgotten after the Northwestern product was a beast in the season finale.
There are several things that could be at play when it comes to his struggles later in the season. Skoronski had to overcome an appendectomy that sapped his strength and caused him to lose weight.
Adding to that, Skoronski was playing next to the worst left tackle situation in the NFL, and a center in Aaron Brewer who was subpar, at best, in pass protection.
At the end of the day, I think Skoronski will be just fine and he’s the only lineman whose name is written in pen as a starter for 2024.
Last but certainly not least, the Titans saw a sensational rookie campaign from running back Tyjae Spears, who should be in line for a bigger role in 2024.
Granted, the Titans still need a back to complement him because I don’t think he has the body to handle a Henry-like role, but Spears showed enough to enter next season as the No. 1.
Another offensive line overhaul needed
I didn’t think things could get any worse for the Titans’ offensive line after a terrible showing in 2022, but that’s exactly what happened.
Tennessee’s offensive line surrendered 64 sacks, tied for the fourth-most in the NFL. That total was also a whopping 15 more than the team allowed in 2022.
Left tackle was by far the biggest issue, as Tennessee failed to find a long-term solution at the position thanks to the disaster that was Andre Dillard.
Ideally, the Titans address that need with a selection of either Joe Alt or Olu Fashanu in the 2024 NFL draft, but one way or the other, they have to do better.
Left tackle isn’t the only position the Titans need to improve. In fact, it’s very realistic to think Tennessee could have four new starters next season, with Skoronski being the only definite.
However they go about it, the Titans cannot fail at beefing up the offensive line once again. It is easily their top priority.
DeAndre Hopkins was a success
The Titans have a long history of bringing in aging wide receiver and not having them pan out, but Hopkins broke the mold this past season and was one of the few true bright spots on offense.
The veteran wideout broke the 1,000-yard mark in his first season with the Titans while also playing a key role in the development of Levis. One can only imagine how much better Hopkins would’ve been if the Titans didn’t have such a miserable season on offense overall.
Hopkins is under contract in 2024, so he figures to be back. But there’s also a chance he wants to move on to a team that gives him a better chance to win a Super Bowl.
If that’s the case, the Titans will likely oblige his request, but they must do everything necessary to keep him in the two-tone blue for another year.
Secondary needs help
I actually think the Titans have two players they can lock in for 2023 in cornerbacks Roger McCreary, who did a great job as the slot corner, and Sean Murphy-Bunting, although the latter has to be re-signed first.
Sure, SMB showed his warts, but I think he’s a sufficient enough that the Titans don’t have to change things at CB2.
What Tennessee desperately needs aside from depth is a No. 1 cornerback after the Kristian Fulton experiment failed miserably. The Titans will also need a running mate for Amani Hooker, although Elijah Molden and K’Von Wallace played well enough down the stretch to be considered for that job.
If the Titans can adequately fill the No. 1 cornerback role and add some more help beyond that, this defense has the potential to be better, assuming the Titans can fill their holes upfront and keep the pass-rush together.
Holes to fill upfront
The Titans may need to add at least a few impact players along the defensive line. One position that will definitely need help is nose tackle, where the Titans lost Teair Tart during the season.
Tart was not a plus as a pass-rusher, but his impact as a run defender can’t be downplayed. In a perfect world, the Titans find an interior defender who can match Tart’s run-game prowess and provide more in the pass-rush.
Another spot Tennessee might need to fill upfront comes at defensive end, as Denico Autry is set to become a free agent. If the Titans can’t re-sign Autry (they should), they’ll have massive shoes to fill after the veteran was awesome during his three years in Nashville.
Tennessee also needs to figure out the linebacker situation. Azeez Al-Shaair was good and should be brought back, but the Titans can’t go with Jack Gibbens as a starter again.
If he’s re-signed, Al-Shaair needs a running mate, and ideally someone who is also a plus in coverage. If they don’t retain him for whatever reason, the Titans will have two linebacker spots to fill in 2024.
Don't mess with the specialists
Another bright spot for Tennessee was their specialists, as both kicker Nick Folk and punter Ryan Stonehouse were sensational.
Of course, Stonehouse is under contract for 2024, although a serious knee injury suffered in Week 13 might force the Titans to find a temporary solution to start next season.
Thankfully, the Titans may already have that solution in Ty Zentner, who, outside of a botched punt in Week 18, proved to be a viable replacement.
Folk will become a free agent, so his return is not guaranteed. However, there’s no question the Titans should make bringing him back a priority after he stabilized the position in 2023.
If you want to include him in the specialists, long snapper Morgan Cox, who is also going to be a free agent, is another player Tennessee should reunite with to keep this impressive trio together.
This might be it for Derrick Henry
While Henry’s future with the Titans remains up in the air, he is saying and doing all the things a player who doesn’t expect to be back would.
It would make sense to bring Henry back.
Despite being 30, he showed he has plenty left in the tank after torching the Jags in Week 18 and tallying another 1,000-yard season despite putrid blocking upfront. He’s also a perfect complement to Spears.
However, the Titans’ desire to bring him back will depend on the cost, and Henry may not even want to return after making it clear winning a Super Bowl is paramount at this late stage in his career.
It would be painful to see Henry not finish his career in Tennessee, but I would understand it if both sides are keen on a reunion in 2024.
Titans should move forward with Mike Vrabel
I don’t think there’s any doubt that the Titans want to keep Vrabel, but it takes two to tango and there’s been enough smoke around the Titans head coach possibly wanting to leave to not completely rule it out.
There are a lot of fans out there who want to see Vrabel gone after the Titans have lost 18 of their last 24 games.
Vrabel certainly isn’t blameless for the rough patch the Titans have hit the last two years, but it’s impossible not to point out how bad these teams have been from a talent standpoint after former general manager Jon Robinson completely ruined this roster over his final two years.
Even with that talent deficiency, the Titans managed to stay competitive more often than not, with seven of their 11 losses coming by one score.
He deserves another chance to right the ship with a better roster, something the Titans figure to have after spending their ample resources this offseason.
Ran Carthon had a solid first season
Considering what he was up against in terms of limited cap space, it’s hard to be upset with what Carthon did in free agency.
Of course, Andre Dillard was an absolute disaster and one of the worst free-agent signings in franchise history, but Carthon also inked guys like outside linebacker Arden Key, linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, all of whom made a significant impact.
His trade of safety Kevin Byard proved to be the right move, and his trading for kicker Nick Folk was wildly successful.
Adding to that, Carthon’s first draft class was a success. Levis appears to be the long-term solution under center, and Spears and Skoronski are two more building blocks for the offense.
Tight end Josh Whyle and offensive tackle Jaelyn Duncan both showed some flashes, although the jury is still very much out on both. Whyle figures to be Tennessee’s No. 2 tight end in 2024, and Duncan should factor into the backup situation in his second season.
Wide receiver Colton Dowell did nothing on offense, but he’s also a seventh-round pick and nothing is ever expected from players drafted in that spot.
It remains to be seen how true rumors of a rift between Vrabel and Carthon are and if that will lead to a change, but when you take into consideration the moves Carthon made and the resources he had to make them, it certainly wasn’t a bad first season for the rookie GM.
I’m excited to see what he can do with a high draft pick and about $76 million in cap space this offseason.
