Grading The Graders, A Look Into Titans Free Agency

As the NFL has grown into a billion dollar business, so too have other connected businesses, such as the explosion of "draft analysts" and media sites who grade every move the teams make. Today, we grade the graders.

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

NASHVILLE - Since the invention and introduction of the internet, our world has changed, mainly for the better; though there are some arguments against it, I digress. Today we have instant information on anything we want at our fingertips. We even carry it in our pockets everywhere we go. 

One of the biggest beneficiaries of this technology that has grown from the internet explosion is sports sites, where "analysts" and fans alike can build a site and track every aspect of a team or team's activities to provide to the awaiting public.   

Football Outsiders is one such site I found while rummaging around the internet. Last week this site graded all 32 NFL team's activities in free agency. 

Make no mistake; this is not a shot at this or any other site. That said, today, we will flip the script and grade the graders based only on their evaluation of the Tennessee Titans. 

Their Grades 

Improved Roster: D

Used Resources Well: C-

Coherent Plan: B

Overall Grade: C-

Wait till next year! Tennessee does seem to have a coherent plan in place, and that plan appears to be waving the white flag in 2023 and gearing up for 2024. It's hard to explain any other plan that saw four different offensive linemen walk out the door, releasing Taylor Lewan and Ben Jones, watching Nate Davis sign with Chicago, and leaving Dennis Daley unsigned. Robert Woods and Bud Dupree were salary cap casualties. DeMarcus Walker was let go. David Long signed elsewhere. These are not the moves of a team that looks to be making huge splashes immediately. In addition, it's not like Tennessee used that money to immediately make a huge splash—they haven't been huge spenders, instead nibbling on the margins of free agency and making low-risk moves, more or less just keeping the lights on. Titans fever; catch it! Tennessee did make some moves to replace the lost linemen. Andre Dillard has a first-round pedigree but has been stuck behind the Eagles' stellar offensive line since 2019. Three years and $29 million is a lot to pay for someone with fewer than 100 snaps last season, though Dillard has been solid when we have seen him. New general manager Ran Carthon also raided his old 49ers team for players, bringing in Azeez Al-Shaair, Daniel Brunskill, and Arden Key. But these contracts are confusing—Al-Shaair has four void years on the back end of his deal, meaning he'll cost the Titans more cap money in 2024 off the team than he will in 2023 on it. Overall, however, it feels like the Titans are gearing up for 2023 to be a transitional year and are avoiding making any huge splashes because of it. We can't give them a D because there is a coherent plan in place, but there's very little to be excited about here.

Our Thoughts 

I agree with almost everything they've written about the Titans free agency. There has been a coherent plan, and general manager Ran Carthon has stuck to it, adding some solid, yet to this point, unspectacular pieces to the roster. 

However, if Carthon's talent evaluation skills are correct, some of these new additions could be stars in waiting, having been on talented teams and stuck behind other great players.  

As for using their resources well, I'd give the Titans a higher grade. Remember that they have not had a ton of cash to throw around, and the six players they have signed totaled just over $13 million combined in 2023. 

Did the Titans improve their roster? That one will have to wait for the season for me to be able to address, but I am good with their grade at this point since this league and many people around it are all about the splash.  

Objections

There's only one real objection I find with their evaluation: the part about allowing Dennis Daly to walk in free agency. Anyone who even glanced at the protection stats for the league last season Daley's name at the top in sacks and pressures allowed.  

With all due respect to Daley, the person, but adding him to their list of players, the Titans did not resign as if he were Joe Thomas is just wrong. 

Our Grade

Overall, their work here was very solid and on target; however, as mentioned above, the Daley miss was bad, really bad, and thus brought down their high mark to a slightly lower one. 

Final Grade: A- 

Titans Related Stories

Wide Receiver 40 Times Don't Always Translate: Everyone wants speed at receiver, but most times, the guys who turn the fastest 40 times don't translate into top-tier receivers. CLICK HERE 

Titans Looking Deeper Into Talen Pool: Ran Carthon, Mike Vrabel, and the Titans scouting department have been making the rounds, looking beyond the top guys to try to find some hidden gems. CLICK HERE  

Around The AFC South: Our weekly look around the South finds three of the four teams could potentially draft a quarterback come April. CLICK HERE