The Tennessee Titans have a massive offseason ahead of themselves.
On top of needing to hire a new general manager, offensive coordinator, offensive line coach, and secondary coach, the Titans have a plethora of decisions they have to make with their roster personnel as well.
The Titans are currently projected to be over the expected salary cap for the upcoming season, per Over the Cap.
Fortunately for Tennessee, the team has several moves it can make to get itself back in good standing prior to the free agency frenzy that starts in March.
There’s no telling how this offseason will play out, especially when we don’t even know who the general manager will be as of right now.
Nevertheless, it’s going to be a crucial and exciting offseason that will tell us a lot about the direction of the franchise.
With all that said, let’s take a closer look at some of the most notable cut candidates the team has going into the 2023 offseason (all figures are courtesy of Over the Cap).
K Randy Bullock
Savings: 2.13M
Randy Bullock has been a stabilizer and consistent leg for the team since his arrival. Therefore, if they decide to keep him it wouldn’t shock me.
However, I personally feel like it’s time to go younger and cheaper at the kicker position in hopes of finding someone with a stronger and more accurate leg.
LB Zach Cunningham
Savings: 9.25M
In 2021, the talented linebacker was claimed off waivers by a Titans team that desperately needed help at the position. Cunningham instantly provided a positive impact on the defense, ultimately earning himself another stint in Tennessee this past season.
Unfortunately, things didn’t work out nearly as well this time around, so this decision to move on should be a relatively easy one to make.
OLB Bud Dupree
Pre-June 1 savings: 9.35M
Post-June 1 savings: $15.75M
There’s no denying the impact Bud Dupree makes on the defense when he’s out there healthy and with the entire starting unit.
With that said, it’s also fair to say that impact isn’t worth anything close to the $20 million he’s slated to count towards the cap for in 2023, especially when you consider the fact that he’s spent a large chunk of his tenure injured.
The Titans could get nearly half of that back if they release Dupree before June 1st, and nearly $14 million can be saved if they schedule his release with a post-June 1 designation. The problem with the latter approach is Tennessee can’t use the money until June, well after free agency starts.
I’d expect this will be another easy decision for the team’s next general manager. The only question is, do the Titans do pre- or post-June 1?
OL Jamarco Jones
Savings: 1.35M
Considering I don’t have a single memory of Jamarco Jones, there shouldn’t be any hesitation with this choice. The team should save their $1.35 million and be done with the Ohio State product, who spent the entire year on IR.
LT Taylor Lewan
Savings: $14.84M
This is a complicated one because we saw last year just how vital Taylor Lewan truly is to the team after his unfortunate absence for much the year.
However, going into next season and being reliant on a lineman that’s suffered two ACL injuries in three years is a massive risk the Titans can’t afford to take. The Michigan product has also mentioned the idea of retiring.
Truthfully, unless both sides are willing to reach some sort of fair deal that lowers his cap hit significantly, it’s probably time to just move on since Lewan has no guarantees left in his contract going forward.
WR Robert Woods
Savings: 12.01M
This should be another relatively easy decision. It’s safe to say that Robert Woods didn’t exactly live up to expectations in Tennessee after being acquired last offseason.
To be fair, Woods was coming off a torn ACL and was part of a passing offense that had much bigger problems than him, but it’s clear that he’s not the type of wide receiver that’s going to elevate this offense.
Therefore, the Titans should just move on at this point and use that money to get someone who can potentially provide a more consistent and positive impact on the team.
What about Ryan Tannehill?
Pre-June 1 Savings: $17.8M
Post-June 1 Savings: $27M
Ryan Tannehill is a complicated one to figure out for a variety of reasons.
The really confusing part in all this is not even knowing what route the team is heading when we don’t know who the general manager will be.
If the Titans decide to go into full rebuild mode, it might be time to just rip the band-aid off and go their separate ways from Tannehill. On the contrary, if Tennessee is committed to doing whatever it takes to fix things quickly, the likeliest outcome at quarterback is going to be Tannehill returning.
Needing to free up money, one of the avenues the Titans will take if Tannehill stays is restructuring his contract to lower his cap hit for the upcoming season.
Another option would be to do a short extension with the veteran signal-caller, while also creating a manageable out in the next year or two.
Whatever the case may be, it’s far too early to truly know which way the team is leaning. But if I had to guess, I’d say there’s probably a better chance than not that No. 17 remains in Tennessee for at least one more season.
