As we turn the calendar from February to March, we are now less than two weeks away from the start of free agency, where the Tennessee Titans will have ample cap space to improve their roster.
Free agents can begin negotiating with teams on March 11, the start of the legal tampering period, and players available on the open market can begin signing on the dotted line on March 13.
According to Over the Cap, the Titans have a whopping $75.6 million in cap space entering free agency, the fourth-most in the NFL.
While many would assume a lot of cap space means the Titans will go on a spending spree, general manager Ran Carthon has made it clear the team won’t spend big just because it has the money and instead will exercise patience and be smart with its money.
“It’s a lot of cap space,” Carthon said, per Jim Wyatt. “But we have to spend wisely. We don’t want to just load up and spend money.
“Again, we are trying to build a long-term, consistent thing, and you can’t do that spending all $90 million out front. We have to be patient, and we have to position ourselves, (knowing) there are going to be guys that come free in June and July, like when we got D-Hop, that we have to have the space for and be able to afford it.”
“We plan to be active,” Carthon added, “but we are going to be patient and let everything come to us.”
The Titans have a slew of needs up and down their roster and have multiple avenues to address them.
One of them is, of course, free agency, which will come before the 2024 NFL draft. And, what the Titans do in free agency may alter their plans in the draft, so things could change drastically between now and then.
With free agency less than two weeks away, here’s a look at the Titans’ biggest needs at each position group on offense.
Quarterback
Biggest need: Veteran backup
The Titans need some competition for current backup, Malik Willis, after the Liberty product has failed to show anything over his first two years in the league.
General manager Ran Carthon has already acknowledged the team will add a third signal-caller, and I would expect that to be one with experience via free agency.
Some potential options that would be a good fit include Tyrod Taylor, Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew, Sam Darnold and Joe Flacco, although I think Flacco and Minshew return to Cleveland and Indy, respectively.
Running back
Biggest need: Complementary No. 2 back
After a standout rookie campaign, Tyjae Spears is expected to lead the Titans’ backfield next season, but the team needs to bring in a back to complement and spell the Tulane product.
Derrick Henry would be perfect for this role, obviously, but it remains to be seen if the Titans want to spend what it would cost to bring him back. And, it remains to be seen if Henry would take such a role, and he’s made it clear he wants a chance at a Super Bowl, something the Titans won’t offer in 2024.
Ultimately, I don’t think Henry comes back and the Titans go with a cheaper option, like Gus Edwards, Zack Moss or D’Onta Foreman, for example.
Wide receiver
Biggest need: No. 2 WR
The Titans need to bring in at least two wide receivers this offseason, as they simply can’t depend on Treylon Burks for a key role. Securing a No. 2 option behind top wideout DeAndre Hopkins is paramount.
Ideally, the Titans land one veteran in free agency and one rookie in the 2024 NFL draft to fill their needs, and at least one of those guys needs to be able to stretch the field.
Unfortunately, the free-agent crop isn’t great this year. Tee Higgins has been franchise-tagged and Mike Evans and Michael Pittman Jr. look likely to stay where they are.
Higgins is a possibility in a trade, though, but the Cincinnati Bengals will likely ask for a lot since it doesn’t seem like they’re keen on letting him go.
Keep an eye on a guy like Calvin Ridley, who is a potential cut candidate for the Jacksonville Jaguars. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of the two top wide receivers in Denver, Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy, become available through a trade.
As far as strictly free agents go, I could see the Titans coming away with one of Marquise Brown, Tyler Boyd, Gabriel Davis or Curtis Samuel. Sure, none of those names are exactly exciting, but Tennessee has to come away with someone and those are the best options left.
While I expect at least one veteran in free agency, Callahan has said he’d like to find two wideouts in the draft, so don’t be surprised to see Tennessee double-dip there.
Tight end
Biggest need: Veteran blocker
The jury is still very much out on Josh Whyle, who is expected to be the No. 2 tight end behind Chig Okonkwo. We saw flashes of Whyle being able to hold up as a blocker and pass-catcher, but not enough to give a final ruling.
The Titans could use a veteran option behind their two young tight ends as an insurance policy of sorts, and preferably someone who can block.
Granted, I don’t think the Titans will use two tight-end sets as much as they did in the Mike Vrabel era, but it’s nice to have a third tight end to block, regardless.
Tennessee could simply bring back someone like Trevon Wesco, although he wasn’t as good as originally advertised when the Titans signed him last offseason.
If the Titans aren’t confident in Whyle, reuniting with Jonnu Smith, who has been released by the Atlanta Falcons, wouldn’t be a bad idea, assuming the price is right.
Offensive line
Biggest needs: Left tackle, center
Left tackle and center are easily the team’s biggest needs upfront, as the Titans may have in-house solutions for the other three spots.
We already know Peter Skoronski is locked-in at left guard, and I could see either Dillon Radunz or Daniel Brunskill playing right guard.
At right tackle, the Titans could deploy either Radunz, who finished last year very strong, or Nicholas Petit-Frere, who had an up-and-down rookie year before struggling in his sophomore campaign prior to a season-ending injury.
My preference there would be Radunz after what we saw out of him over the final five games of 2023, and it’s possible the Titans think he could be even better under the tutelage of Bill Callahan.
What we can say for sure is that the Titans desperately need to upgrade both the left tackle and center spots.
Andre Dillard was an absolute disaster and I really hope the team isn’t going to try and run it back with him just because they have a great offensive line coach.
Aaron Brewer was a solid run-blocker but his pass-blocking was not good enough for me to want to bring him back — and that’s especially true knowing there are better options out there in free agency, like Lloyd Cushenberry, for example.
I was fairly confident the Titans would grab their left tackle at No. 7 overall, but after hearing Carthon and Callahan emphasizing the need for playmakers at wide receiver, Tennessee may lean that way, even if Joe Alt is there.
Now, that doesn’t mean the Titans would ignore left tackle altogether, but the longer they wait to grab one, the more likely it is that prospect will need time to develop and may not be a Day 1 contributor. The good news is, this draft class is considered deep at tackle.
With the draft not being a certainty, the Titans have to at least grab a free agent who can fill the void on the left side if they somehow don’t land their left tackle of the future, or if they draft one that needs a year to develop — that is, assuming Tennessee doesn’t plan on keeping Dillard.
I wouldn’t mind a veteran option like Tyron Smith to give the Titans a one-year solution at left tackle just in case they don’t draft their guy. Smith can also move to right tackle if the Titans do draft a left tackle who can start on Day 1.
Some experts believe Jonah Williams could be an option for Tennessee with his ability to play either tackle spot. I wouldn’t trust him as a starter at left tackle and I’d rather roll with Radunz at right tackle.
I’ve already mentioned Cushenberry as my top choice at center, and the Titans could bring in Mike Onwenu as a solution at right tackle if Radunz or NPF are not in the plans at that spot.
