The Tennessee Titans made many moves last offseason to try and compete in the AFC South. None of it mattered because of the play at the quarterback position. Will Levis could not stop making backbreaking mistakes, and Mason Rudolph ultimately replaced him late in the year. Because of all the chaos in the past two weeks, the Titans ended up with the first pick in the NFL Draft. Every team near the top has many questions heading into the offseason. Here are the three most important ones for Tennessee.
1. Who Do They Draft At No. 1 Overall?
In all likelihood, the Tennessee Titans are looking for a quarterback. The team got great value when Levis fell to the second round, but he never panned out. Unfortunately for the Titans, this quarterback class isn’t as strong as past classes. Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders are at the top of the class, with Jalen Milroe as an intriguing prospect. However, reports indicate some teams don’t have first-round grades on any of the prospects. This shouldn’t scare the Titans away from taking one.
Sanders has the skill set that is perfect for the offense the Titans run. Ward has a strong arm and is dangerous with his legs. Tony Pollard had a strong season, and the offensive line is improving behind past first-round picks JC Latham and Peter Skoronski. Calvin Ridley was a solid signing from last year and will help any young quarterback. It’s easy to forget the Titans were competitive in games because of how many they lost. If a quarterback prospect can come in and not make the critical errors Levis did, this team will improve drastically.
2. What’s Going On In The Front Office?
The past few seasons in the Tennessee Titans front office have been wild. GM Jon Robinson was fired after an apparent power struggle. Caught up in all of that was head coach Mike Vrabel, who was fired last year. Ran Carthon took over as the architect of the team, and the team hired Brian Callahan as the coach. Very soon after securing the first overall pick, Carthon was shockingly let go. On top of that, Vrabel is the hottest coaching candidate in this cycle. Only time will tell, but it seems like the organization got rid of a potential top-five head coach in the league.
It doesn’t matter how good your players are, the front office matters. Look around the league. The teams who are doing well have stability in the front office. Any time a GM is fired, it is very difficult to be good right away. Each person has their own vision for the team. It often takes a few years to weed out the players who are not a part of the future. Getting rid of Carthon seemed like a snap decision. Two years ago, he was praised and welcomed. Now he is out of a job. More reports will continue to trickle out, but there is some dysfunction in the organization right now.
3. Can The Tennessee Titans Land An Offensive Lineman In Free Agency?
There’s good news for the Tennessee Titans. They have nailed the last two first round picks. Offensive linemen are not exciting. It’s way more fun to take a player like Malik Nabers and watch him dominate games. However, Latham and Skoronski have solidified the left side of the line. Priority number one for the offseason should be landing an offensive lineman in free agency to solidify the other side. No matter what they decide to do at the quarterback position, they need to improve their protection.
There’s more good news! They have some flexibility on the offensive line. Latham played right tackle in college at Alabama. The Tennessee Titans should target Cam Robinson or Ronnie Staley in free agency. (Robinson seems more likely, as Staley is a little older and may not want to be a part of a rebuild.) Whoever they get could then take over at left tackle, allowing last year’s first-round pick to move to right tackle.
Final Thoughts
The Tennessee Titans have another piece of good news heading into next season. Their division is very winnable. Houston took a step back this year. Indianapolis has a quarterback who can’t complete 40% of his passes. Jacksonville is looking for a new coach and has plenty of holes on the roster. If the Titans can field a solid roster, they could easily compete for the division next year. The team is on the clock and has to make a decision on what to do with the first overall pick.
