The Tennessee Titans continue to free up more cap space as the start of free agency approaches, with their latest move coming in the form of releasing center Ben Jones.
While the team hasn’t confirmed it yet, AtoZ Sports Nashville’s Buck Reising is reporting the move is happening, and it appears it’ll come pre-June 1, which means Tennessee will save $3.7 million.
According to Over the Cap, the Titans currently sit with $13.2 million in cap space, but that figure doesn’t include the money saved from cutting both Jones and outside linebacker Bud Dupree.
When you include the $3.7 million from Jones and the $9.35 million from Dupree, Tennessee is now sitting with around $26 million in cap space, the 10th-most in the NFL.
Of course, the move to release Jones now opens up a massive hole at center, as the veteran was by far the team’s best player upfront in 2022, and really for most of his time in Nashville.
It’s possible Tennessee goes the cheap route, which would make this move make more sense. It would make no sense for the Titans to let go of a sure thing in Jones and then pay a different veteran free-agent center on top of having to shell out the $4.5 million for Jones’ dead-cap hit.
One candidate who fits the bill for that approach is Aaron Brewer, who the Titans like. Granted, he was not good at left guard in 2022, but perhaps the team thinks he can be better at center and without Dennis Daley next to him.
Brewer is set to hit free agency next week, but he’s a restricted free agent, which means the Titans have control in bringing him back.
As far as Jones is concerned, he immediately becomes one of the best center options on the open market and he should have no shortage of suitors, enabling him to pick where he wants to go in 2023.
