Aside from maybe quarterback should the Tennessee Titans decide to make a change, the biggest position of need going into this offseason is no doubt the offensive line.
Tennessee’s group upfront was putrid in 2022, partly because of injuries that left an already lackluster group even shorter on talent.
After Taylor Lewan tore his ACL, the Titans deployed Dennis Daley at left tackle and the results were disastrous. Things weren’t much better next to him, as Aaron Brewer struggled at left guard, also.
Rookie Nicholas Petit-Frere wasn’t very good at right tackle, either, and the two best players upfront, Ben Jones and Nate Davis, missed a handful of contests each due to injury.
Looking ahead to 2023, the Titans might have to replace up to four starters upfront depending on what happens. We’ll take a look at that and more in our latest offseason preview for the offensive line.
Who's under contract?
LT Taylor Lewan: $14.4 million cap hit
C Ben Jones: $8.2 million cap hit
RT Nicholas Petit-Frere: $1.2 million cap hit
OL Dillon Radunz: $1.7 million cap hit
OL Jamarco Jones: $2.4 million cap hit
G Jordan Roos: $1.01 million cap hit
OL Xavier Newman: $870,000 cap hit
OT Andrew Rupcich (futures): $750,000 cap hit
OL Zach Johnson (futures): $750,000 cap hit
OL John Leglue (futures): $750,000 cap hit
The two biggest question marks on this list are Lewan and Jones, although it’s pretty much a foregone conclusion that the former will be cut, it’s just a matter of if Tennessee brings him back on a cheaper deal.
Jones could potentially retire after suffering multiple concussions last season. However, assuming he is better and not feeling any long-term effects, I just can’t see Jones going leaving the sport after an injury-shortened campaign.
As for Lewan, I don’t think the Titans bring him back, even on a cheaper deal. After all, the Titans simply can’t depend on Lewan, who has missed a boatload of games since 2019 and has suffered two torn ACLs.
Chalk Jones up as another cut after he missed all of last season with an injury.
Radunz will be back in 2023 but there’s no telling what he’ll bring to the table coming off a torn ACL. He’ll likely fill in as a backup upon his return.
As for the rest of the group, they’ll all be competing for a roster spot.
Who's a pending free agent?
RG Nate Davis: $3.02 million cap hit in 2022
LG Aaron Brewer: $898,000 cap hit in 2022
OL Corey Levin: $895,000 cap hit in 2022
OT Dennis Daley: $965,000 cap hit in 2022
OT Le’Raven Clark: $745,000 cap hit in 2022
Davis is by far the biggest name on this list, and per Spotrac his estimated market value isn’t anything crazy, coming in at a deal worth $7.4 million annually over three years.
Despite being a solid starter at right guard and not figuring to cost much, it doesn’t look like the Titans will bring Davis back, at least according to Jim Wyatt of Titans Online, who wrote this about the 2019 third-round pick in response to a mailbag question.
Joe Levickis from Joelton, Tennessee
Question: Hey Jim! What are your thoughts on the status of the interior offensive line this offseason? I thought Corey Levin did a pretty good job when he was asked to step in, and I hope he’s back at least for depth. I’d like to see us bring back Nate Davis but from everything I’ve read, it seems as those most in the know feel he’s as good as gone.
Jim: Hey Joe. Always good to hear from you. Hope you enjoyed the road trips I saw you on this season. I like Corey Levin as well, and I agree it would be good to get him back in the mix for depth. As for Davis, I’d be surprised if he’s back in 2023.
I was fairly optimistic the Titans and Davis would reunite, but now I’m in the opposite camp.
As far as Daley is concerned, here’s what I wrote about him possibly returning to the team in 2023 back earlier this month:
Just… no.
Enough said.
Tennessee has some control over Brewer, who is a restricted free agent. I’m fine with him coming back to Nashville in 2023, but only as a backup guard and center.
Levin is another player the Titans should be interested in bringing back as depth after he played well while filling in for Jones late in the season. I don’t expect Clark to be back, though.
What the Titans will do
The only 2022 starters who will return to their spots are Jones and Petit-Frere, although I’m not sure the latter is exactly locked-in to a starting job following a lackluster rookie campaign.
Tennessee will part ways with Daley, Lewan, Davis and Jones, but the team will bring back Brewer and Levin as interior depth. Radunz will serve as depth at tackle and guard once healthy.
Ideally, the Titans land an established, elite left tackle to replace Lewan, but the only player in free agency who fits that bill is Orlando Brown.
Unfortunately, he’s unlikely to hit the open market, as the Kansas City Chiefs will almost certainly franchise tag him if an extension can’t be reached.
In that scenario, it’s possible he’s traded, but it’s doubtful the Chiefs would be keen on dealing him to Nashville. If they are, the Titans should be all over it.
The next best option in free agency in my mind is Philadelphia Eagles tackle Andre Dillard, who is almost certainly done in Philly. Dillard has no doubt shown plenty of promise during his career, he’s also had a very limited sample size with only nine starts during his career, and zero in 2022.
The most realistic scenario is the Titans finding their next franchise left tackle at No. 11 overall in the 2023 NFL draft, where there should be some good options.
In all, I think the Titans draft at least one guard and one tackle, and we might see a center in there, also, with Tennessee possibly looking to the future with Jones’ uncertain beyond 2023 if he comes back.
Before then, look for the Titans to bring in some veterans via free agency and/or trade, both at tackle and guard.
Not only would such additions give Tennessee potential solutions upfront, they’d also serve as insurance policies for the younger players who, as the Titans have discovered in recent years, are no locks to work out.
While Tennessee’s current draft strategy upfront is pretty clear, things can change drastically depending on what happens in free agency.
