State of Offense as Offseason Starts

Taylor Lewan, Ryan Tannehill and Robert Woods are among the players who could be cut for salary cap relief. Many questions must be answered on the offensive line.

John Glennon | Jan 8, 2023

George Walker IV / Tennessean.com / USA Today Network

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Tennessee Titans

NASHVILLE – A seven-game losing streak to end the season and the first losing record (7-10) since 2015 mean big changes are likely in store for the Tennessee Titans.

Here is a look at where things stand for the offense as the offseason commences.

QUARTERBACK

• On the roster: Ryan Tannehill (IR), Josh Dobbs, Malik Willis, Kevin Hogan (PS)

• What lies ahead: The biggest question is whether Tannehill – who is under contract for two more seasons – returns or is released for cap savings. As matters stand now, Tannehill has a whopping $36.6 million cap hit in 2023. If the Titans chose to make him a post-June 1 cut, he would cost the Titans $9.6 million in dead-cap money, but would also save the team $27 million against the cap. Tannehill certainly seems to be the best option at present, so the Titans may well look into restructuring his deal. Dobbs had a decent two-game cameo at the end of the season, especially considering he wasn’t signed until Dec. 21. He seems worth a longer look. Willis struggled for the most part in three starts and was leap-frogged by newcomer Dobbs for the final two games. In addition, the man who drafted Willis last year – former GM Jon Robinson – is no longer with the organization. Those two factors might cloud the future for Willis. On the other hand, the team did use a third-round pick to select him, so it would seem the Titans would want to give another shot at developing him.

RUNNING BACK

• On the roster now: Derrick Henry, Dontrell Hilliard (IR), Hassan Haskins, Jonathan Ward, Julius Chestnut, Trenton Cannon (IR)

• What lies ahead: The assumption is that Henry will be back for the last year of his contract, after rushing 349 times for 1,538 yards and adding a career-high 33 receptions for 398 yards. He will count $16.4 million against the cap. But should the Titans build their offense around him again? If they really wanted to blow things up this offseason, they could look to trade the 29-year-old back or make him a post-June 1 cut, which would cost $5.4 million in dead money while saving $10.5 million under the cap. Outrageous? Probably so. But keep in mind that Henry’s 4.4-yard average per carry this season tied for 20th among running backs this season and his 4.3-yard average tied for 19th among running backs in 2021. Hilliard, a pending unrestricted free agent, needs to be re-signed if possible, after totaling 43 touches (runs and receptions) for 322 yards (7.5 yards per touch) and four touchdowns. Haskins needs to show more than he did in limited time as a rookie, when he carried 25 times for 93 yards and caught 11 passes for 57 yards.

WIDE RECEIVER

• On the roster now: Treylon Burks, Robert Woods, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Racey McMath, Chris Conley, Kyle Philips (IR), Cody Hollister (IR), C.J. Board (IR), Mason Kinsey (PS), Dez Fitzpatrick (PS), Reggie Roberson (PS).

• What lies ahead: The 30-year-old Woods provided leadership and was a reliable short-range target, catching 53 passes for 527 yards (9.9-yard average). But with a cap hit of $14.6 million for next year, Woods appears to be a prime cap-cut candidate. The Titans would have to eat just $2.6 million of dead cap money, while saving $12.1 million against the cap. Westbrook-Ikhine saw his catch total drop to 25 this year (from 38 in 2021), though his average reception jumped from 12.5 to 15.9 yards. He’s a pending restricted free agent and will likely get a new deal with the hope that he is a fourth or fifth option in next year’s wide-receiver corps. Burks, the team’s first-round pick last April, flashed potential at times when healthy, catching 33 passes for 444 yards and a touchdown. But he needs a full, healthy offseason and training camp to unlock more of his talent. It’s hard to make much of a forecast for Philips, who caught six passes for 66 yards in his first NFL game but was limited to 33 more snaps the rest of the year because of injury.

TIGHT END

• On the roster now: Chig Okonkwo, Austin Hooper, Geoff Swaim, Kevin Rader, Thomas Odukoya (PS)

• What lies ahead: Okonkwo looked like more and more of a fourth-round gem as the season progressed. In the first 10 games of his rookie season, Okonkwo caught 10 passes for 172 yards and a touchdown. In his last seven games, he caught 24 passes for 278 yards and two touchdowns. He’ll be a big part of the offense moving forward. Hooper and Swaim are both pending unrestricted free agents. Hooper might be worth another look – as he proved a good third-down target and also averaged 10.8 yards on 41 catches, his best average since 2016. He dropped just one pass this season, after dropping six with Cleveland in 2021. It’s reasonable to think we’ve seen the last of Swaim, though he’s a serviceable blocker in the run game – and there just aren’t that many tight ends in the league who are solid in that department.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Tennessee Titans center Ben Jones (60) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. — Eric Hartline / USA Today Sports

• On the roster now: Aaron Brewer, Nick Petit-Frere, Dennis Daley, Corey Levin, Xavier Newman, Jordan Roos, Le’Raven Clark, Daniel Munyer, Taylor Lewan (IR), Ben Jones (IR), Nate Davis (IR), Dillon Radunz (IR), Jamarco Jones (IR), Andrew Rupcich (PS), Zack Johnson (PS), Danny Isidora (PS).

• What lies ahead: So, so, so many questions here on a line that desperately needs to be much better in 2023. The 31-year-old Lewan, a three-time Pro Bowler, is a lock to be released because he has a cap hit of $14.8 million next season (Titans would suffer no penalty for cutting him) and has suffered two ACL tears in the last three seasons. Would the Titans consider re-signing him for a far lower deal, given the state of the other options available? Possibly, but the medical history would seem to be a serious deterrent. Speaking of medical history, one has to wonder about the future of Jones. He has a year left on his contract, but the 33-year-old missed five games this season due to concussions. Petit-Frere was average in his rookie season at right tackle but presumably should improve with experience. Brewer is a restricted free agent who’s likely to return but might wind up at center – a better fit, given his size – if Jones doesn’t come back. Davis is a pending unrestricted free agent, and he’s coming off a solid season. This looks like a priority re-sign for the Titans, but what’s his market value after missing a combined eight games in the last two years – and finishing this year on IR? Then there’s Radunz, whose position and value are still in question after two years. He’ll be trying to return from ACL surgery. Daley? It seems fair to say we’ve seen the last of him. Overall, this group needs an influx of talent, and it’s likely to come through both free agency and the draft.

Published Jan 8, 2023

JOHN GLENNON