The Tennessee Titans are set to wade the waters of NFL free agency this offseason, but first they have to make some decisions about their own players.
Tennessee has a grand total of 34 pending free agents (not counting the guys the team cut recently) they have to make decisions on, but some are no doubt more important than others.
Before we get to the list ranking the six most-important pending free agents, here’s a look back at some of our other content pertaining to the Titans’ free agents:
Predicting the fate of offensive FAs
Predicting the fate of defensive FAs
Free agents Titans should re-sign
Now, what you came for: a list of the Titans’ most important free agents, ranked.
6. DL DeMarcus Walker
While Walker had a career year in Nashville with seven sacks, he’s still just a backup along a defensive line that is among the team’s biggest strengths. If brought back on a reasonable deal, great. If not, the Titans will be fine.
5. LS Morgan Cox
When you think about important positions in the NFL, long snapper certainly doesn’t immediately come to mind, unless you were in the position the Titans were in a few years ago when they saw struggles at the position.
Since signing Cox in 2021, we haven’t heard a peep out of the long snapper spot, which is a good thing. The veteran long snapper is also one of the best in the business, as evidenced by his Pro Bowl nod in 2022.
Cox is good and cheap, so this one is a no-brainer.
4. TE Austin Hooper
Hooper settled into a consistent role and was one of the more reliable pass-catchers for the Titans after being largely ignored over the first half of the season, turning what looked like a lackluster signing into a good one.
The Titans should be transitioning to Chig Okonkwo as the No. 1 tight end in 2023, but Hooper would be a great option to pair with the promising young tight end as a No. 2.
The question is: will the Titans run as much 12 personnel under new OC Tim Kelly as they have in recent years to make it worth it?
If not, re-signing Hooper becomes less important, but he’d be great to have around nonetheless as a mentor to Chig, blocker and, perhaps most importantly, a much-needed option in the passing game.
3. LB David Long
There’s no doubt the Titans are a better team with Long on the field, but he simply hasn’t been able to stay on it the last few years, with the 2019 sixth-round pick missing a total of 12 games over the past two seasons.
If not for his injury issues, Long would probably be looking at a fairly significant payday, but I actually think that gives him a better chance to stick in Nashville, as his price will be more tenable for the cash-strapped Titans.
Long is no doubt an important free agent and it would be less than ideal to not bring him back considering the Titans already let fellow starter, Zach Cunningham, go.
But the Titans do have Monty Rice, who is a similar player, waiting in the wings, and pairing him with Long might leave Tennessee weak in the coverage department at the position.
I would love to see Long back, but with the negatives about him, it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see the Titans let him walk, especially if his price is driven up on the open market.
2. DL Teair Tart (restricted)
Unlike some of the other important free agents on this list, Tart’s availability hasn’t been a problem, with the 2020 UDFA playing in 16 of 17 games last season. The one game he missed was for the birth of his child.
But availability isn’t Tart’s only strength. The 26-year-old has become a force up the middle for Tennessee’s defense and has played a major role in the Titans sporting an elite run defense in each of the past two seasons.
The good news for the Titans is that Tart is a restricted free agent, which gives the team ample control. The Florida International product will get a raise, but it shouldn’t be anything crazy.
While the Titans will at least retool at multiple positions, defensive line, which has been the defense’s greatest strength, should not be one of them.
1. RG Nate Davis
The Titans’ biggest area of need this offseason comes along the offensive line, where the team will have at least two starters to replace, and as many as four depending on what happens with a few others.
If Ben Jones retires and Davis leaves in free agency, 2022 third-round pick Nicholas Petit-Frere will be the last man standing, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing considering the overall woes the group saw last season.
But Davis and Jones are, at worst, quality starters (I think Jones is one of the most underrated centers) and would provide some much-needed stability upfront during an offseason that will see plenty of change on offense.
However, it doesn’t look like a Davis reunion is in the cards, as Titans beat writer Jim Wyatt said he would be “surprised” if Davis is brought back.
The reason behind that might have something to do with Davis’ injury woes. The Charlotte product has only played a full season once in four years, and he’s missed 10 games the past two.
Even still, Davis was a quality starter at a position group that is a top priority to address this offseason. If for no other reason, he’s an important free agent based on Tennessee’s current situation, even if the team might not see it that way.
