It has been tough to gauge what the plan for the Tennessee Titans was this offseason. Their front office was reshaped with Ran Carthon coming over from the San Francisco 49ers to take over as general manager.
He wasted very little time purging the roster of high-priced veterans, releasing several players to get the salary cap situation in place. More moves could be on the horizon, as trade rumors have circled quarterback Ryan Tannehill, running back Derrick Henry and safety Kevin Byard.
The Titans approached Byard about taking a pay cut earlier this offseason but that was something he balked at and declined. But, they were able to work out a monster extension for defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons, who cashed in on the booming market at the position.
With players like that locked in for at least one more season, the Titans could certainly compete again in the AFC South. The Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts are in the early stages of a rebuild and the Jacksonville Jaguars won the division with a victory over the Titans in Week 18.
Only one year removed from being the No. 1 seed in the AFC, Tennessee can certainly compete for a playoff spot in 2023. If that is the team’s goal, the one move that ESPN NFL insider Field Yates believes they should pursue this offseason makes even more sense. Yates believes that the Titans should sign wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.
“I know we had the same move suggestion for the Patriots, and only one team is going to get it done. But the Titans were the first team to host Hopkins on a visit, and the veteran receiver would fill a glaring need right now. The Titans have one of the league’s thinnest wide receiver depth charts, and Hopkins would immediately assert himself as the top pass-catcher in this offense. Tennessee’s roster is in an interesting space, where it feels like it is straddling the desire to get younger while also holding onto key veterans like Derrick Henry and Ryan Tannehill. But a Mike Vrabel-led team will yield a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. D-Hop would help a lot.”
The getting younger argument has been solidified by the Titans selecting quarterback Malik Willis in the third round in 2022 and Will Levis in the second round in 2023. One of those two is the future of the franchise at the position.
Having a bonafide star such as Hopkins atop the wide receiver depth chart would certainly make things easier for them, but Tannehill as well. The Titans made a bold decision to trade A.J. Brown during the 2022 NFL Draft but have yet to find a capable replacement for him.
Treylon Burks was selected with the first-round pick they acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles but has a way to go in his development. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and Kyle Phillips are currently behind Burks, giving the Titans arguably the least accomplished wide receiver group in the NFL.
Adding Hopkins would instantly add credibility to the group as the former All-Pro still has something left in the tank. His presence would also take pressure off of Henry and the running game, who face loaded boxes with regularity as the Titans haven’t been able to show they can beat opponents consistently through the air.
