Role Players the Titans Should Bring Back in 2023

The Tennessee Titans are in the process of building out their 2023 roster and while the big name additions will come from the NFL draft, the Titans need to considering bringing back some role players from the 2022 team as well.

NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Titans would love to have a roster full of superstar players. However, that is simply not how rosters are built. Every championship team has its fair share of role players who aren’t household names. No, these players aren’t expecting to make pro bowls, but they fill an important role and provide depth throughout the year.

With the injuries the Titans sustained in 2022, more of these types of players got an opportunity than normal and with that comes the chance to evaluate them more. While the increased opportunity often asked too much, these players still showed that can fill a role admirably when not asked to go outside of their ability. The Titans should consider bringing them back.

Dontrell Hilliard

Despite the Derrick Henry trade rumors, it appears the King will be back for another season in Nashville and with that being the case, the Titans need to have a complementary back in place that can do the things Henry can’t. First and foremost, catching the ball out of the backfield. Yes, Henry set career highs in catches and receiving yards in 2022, but no one thinks Henry has become Christian McCaffery.

Hilliard led the team in receiving touchdowns last year and proved he can be that scat back out of the backfield on passing downs that pairs well with Henry. Hilliard shouldn’t break the bank and can probably be brought back on a veteran minimum deal. The Titans could choose to add this type of player in the draft, but with so many other needs, bringing back Hilliard and saving their picks for other positions could make the most sense.

Joshua Kalu

The Titans currently only have two safeties on the roster they can feel comfortable having on the field and to put it simply, they will need more than that. The Titans typically will carry four to five safeties on the roster with the third safety being someone who plays in their dime packages on passing downs and their fourth and fifth safety being a special teams player. Whether the Titans see Kalu in the third or fourth spot, he warrants a return to Nashville.

Kalu got his most snaps on defense of his career in 2022. Kalu played 494 defensive snaps after playing 130 in his career prior to that. No, Kalu should not be an every down player, but he showed he can be that third safety in a pinch and fits even better as a special teams player. Again, the role I’m describing as a fourth safety isn’t flashy, but it is necessary to build out a football team.

Randy Bullock

The Titans cut Bullock earlier this offseason to save $2 million in salary cap space. That was the right move, but it doesn’t mean Bullock shouldn’t get a chance to return. Bringing Bullock back on a veteran minimum deal would give the Titans a little more security at kicker. No, Bullock isn’t ideal, but right now the Titans only have Caleb Shudak on the roster at the spot. Shudak was a rookie last year and never got the chance to play in a game due to injury. Shudak should be healthy now, but having Bullock around as a security blanket would make sense even if the plan is to go with Shudak in 2023.

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