In the very last of our offseason previews for the Tennessee Titans ahead of the start of free agency, we take a look at the special teams unit.
Tennessee went the young route at punter in 2022, with the team opting to keep undrafted free agent Ryan Stonehouse over franchise great and long-time punter, Brett Kern.
The move paid dividends, as Stonehouse posted a historic rookie season thanks to a monster leg that averaged an NFL record 53.1 gross yards per punt, smashing an 82-year-old mark.
At kicker, Randy Bullock provided stability once again, but his lack of elite leg strength prevented Tennessee from attempting longer field goals, which was likely at least part of the motivation to cut him recently.
With Bullock gone, the Titans are now in uncertain waters at the position, with the only kicker on the roster being 2022 UDFA, Caleb Shudak. That’s especially ominous for a team that had kicker issues in recent years.
As far as the return units were concerned, there was nothing much to write home about, whether it was returning kicks and punts, or defending them.
With all that in mind, here’s a look at what the team might do on special teams in 2023.
Who's under contract?
K Caleb Shudak: $750,000 cap hit in 2023
P Ryan Stonehouse: $873,333 cap hit in 2023
After spending pretty significant money on Kern and Bullock over the last few years, the Titans are in a position where they may not have to spend much at either punter or kicker.
Stonehouse is locked-in to his role for 2023, but the jury is still very much out on Shudak, a fellow 2022 UDFA.
Shudak was hurt most of the year but was called into action once Bullock had his own injury. The Iowa product appeared in one game, making his lone extra point and three of his four field goals.
However, Shudak didn’t attempt a field goal over 38 yards, giving us even less of a sample size to go off of.
The Titans like Shudak and he has a bigger leg than Bullock, which would allow Tennessee to go for longer field goals, but his lack of experience overall makes him a major question mark and risk.
Who's a free agent?
K Randy Bullock
After getting cut, Bullock won’t be back in 2023. His lack of leg strength to make longer kicks no doubt played a part in that, but he was also set to make $2.6 million, a significant amount, especially for a cash-strapped team.
What the Titans will do
Shudak is too much of a wild card, thus making it vital the Titans bring in some form of competition for him, whether that be via free agency, the draft, or with an undrafted free-agent signing.
But Tennessee’s approach at the position will depend upon if the team retools or rebuilds.
Signing a veteran like Robbie Gould or Matt Gay, both of whom would be top options in free agency and an upgrade over Bullock, is more likely if Tennessee only retools.
Should the Titans do a full rebuild, taking a kicker during the draft or signing an undrafted one is far more likely than a veteran signing. I could also see Tennessee going this route if they take the retool road.
With the return game, look for Hassan Haskins to have the inside track on kickoffs after finding some success there, but neither the kick nor punt returner jobs are locked in.
Head coach Mike Vrabel has stressed the team adding more speed in 2023, so there’s a good chance both jobs could be taken by a player who isn’t currently on the roster.
Check out our other offseason previews
