Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports
Dream Scenario: A Titans Offense With Derrick Henry, And Lamar Jackson
NASHVILLE - Ryan Tannehill is still the presumed starting quarterback for the Tennessee Titans until he's not anymore.
That's often the case this time of year around the NFL when coaches and general managers give a player what is perceived as a vote of confidence, only then to see that player shipped off or released to make room for the new guy.
While there has been no indication of interest from the Titans to the arguably second-best free agent quarterback on the market, Lamar Jackson, perhaps the Titans brass, should at least kick the tires on a deal.
Jackson is just 26 and still has a lot of tread left on his body. He's won an MVP, first-team All-Pro, and led the league in touchdown passes in 2019. According to the oddsmakers at Fanduel, Jackson ranks No. 6 in the MVP voting for 2023, even though there is still so much doubt about which team he will play for.
Granted, Baltimore can match any offer Jackson might receive on the open market. Still, it's a shot worth taking to potentially grab one of the best, already-established quarterbacks in the league and one of the most dynamic playmakers at his position.
Yes, the cost of two first-round picks is steep, but aren't the benefits at least worth a conversation?
If the Titans were to make an offer and the Ravens declined to match it, then there could be another potential benefit to the move. How many future free agents might want to play with Jackson in Nashville?
If the rebuilt offensive line comes together with Jackson, the Titans would have Derrick Henry, Treylon Burkes, Kyle Phillips, Chig Okonkwo, and a potential rookie receiver from the draft as their starting offense.
At least on paper, that doesn't seem like the worst offense in the league. And opposing defensive coordinators would likely have sleepless nights thinking about defending the running game with Henry and Jackson able to touch defenses on any given play.
Jackson would vault the Titans quarterback rankings from mid-pack at best to top-tier and immediately put them back atop the AFC South as favorites to battle Jacksonville.
Dan Graziano of ESPN mentioned this scenario on a recent network broadcast. It's not a move the Titans usually make. Still, perhaps with a new general manager, it's time the old-world Titans turn into the go-for-it Titans and makes a move that would flip the narrative and, more importantly, the immediate future of this franchise.
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