Tuesday marked the deadline for each NFL team to cut their roster down to 53 players.
That means every team had difficult decisions to make, including the Tennessee Titans. The Titans’ final roster includes surprises and omits a few players that many fans and analysts have predicted to be on it.
For example, the team’s initial 53-man roster includes five tight ends, a whopping seven inside linebackers, and just four corners and three running backs.
Of course, this roster will change again before the regular season kicks off. With every team cutting 30+ players, the Titans will see if any of those players fit on their roster.
Now, let’s identify seven players who were released or waived who could fit on this Titans’ roster.
D’Onta Foreman, RB
D”Onta Foreman was released by the Cleveland Browns, and the veteran should interest the Titans. Foreman impressed as a member of the Titans in 2021, taking 133 carries for 566 yards.
Since that time, Foreman has spent a season with the Carolina Panthers and a season with the Chicago Bears. The veteran had hoped to latch on with the Browns but was unable to secure a spot on the final roster.
The Titans only kept three RBs on the roster after Hassan Haskins and Jabari Small failed to impress. With Julius Chestnut as the lone backup option, the team should consider bringing in Foreman to bolster the depth.
Carl Lawson, EDGE
Carl Lawson could not crack the Dallas Cowboys’ roster, and the veteran will once again hit the open market. Lawson once signed a three-year, $45 million deal with the New York Jets, but injuries have prevented the defender from being consistent.
In 2023, Lawson was limited to six games and accumulated just five tackles. However, he had a productive pass-rushing season as recently as 2022, when he racked up seven sacks.
The Titans only kept four edge rushers on the final roster, so Lawson would provide a solid depth addition. Shane Ray was not one of the edge rushers kept around, so a veteran presence would be nice.
CJ Henderson, CB
The Titans gave up on one former first-round cornerback, so why not take a gamble on another? The Jacksonville Jaguars drafted CJ Henderson in the top ten of the 2020 NFL draft, and his career has not gone according to plan thus far.
Henderson was traded to the Carolina Panthers after just one season in Jacksonville, and the corner’s play never lived up to his draft pedigree. However, the Titans only kept four corners, and a young corner like Henderson may fit in perfectly behind L’Jarius Sneed and Chidobe Awuzie.
Jackson Carman, OL
Jackson Carman is another highly-drafted player who has disappointed to this point in the NFL. Carman was a second-round selection by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2021 NFL Draft but has only started in six games.
The Bengals cut bait on Carman, but the Titans could be interested. On the initial roster, the team kept John Ojukwu and Jaelyn Duncan as backup tackles, which shouldn’t inspire much confidence.
Perhaps Brian Callahan saw enough during his time with Carman to take a chance.
Travis Bell, DT
Travis Bell is another former Bengal who should interest the Titans. The defensive lineman was a seventh-round draft pick of the Chicago Bears last year but has already played on three different rosters.
However, Bell is still an intriguing prospect. The 6’0″, 310-pound DT was the first player to be drafted out of Kennesaw State and flashed preseason ability as a run-stuffer and pass-rusher.
The Titans do not have much depth on the defensive line. Keondre Coburn is the only reserve on the roster right now, so high-upside additions would be smart.
Royce Newman, G
As mentioned above, the Titans’ backup offensive linemen don’t inspire much confidence. The team kept Daniel Brunskill and Andrew Rupcich to back up on the interior after Saahdiq Charles’s retirement threw a wrench in the team’s plans.
Currently, Dillon Radunz is slated to start at right guard, with Brunskill and Rupcich as backup options. Adding Royce Newman would give the team a capable option who could fill in at a moment’s notice.
Newman has delivered acceptable results in 24 career starts. The lineman would greatly improve the Titans’ depth.
Zach Evans, RB
Zach Evans was a surprise cut by the Los Angeles Rams. The 2023 sixth-round pick impressed in the preseason, scoring two TDs in the finale.
Evans will now hit the waiver wire after just one season in LA. As mentioned previously, the Titans could use reinforcements at RB. Even though Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears will get the bulk of the carries, having just one depth option probably isn’t wise.
Evans would be a high-upside claim by the Titans, providing insurance in case Pollard or Spears get injured.
