The Tennessee Titans have been in the midst of a franchise-altering past few months after a season that saw a seven-game losing streak that ultimately caused the team to choke away a third-straight division championship.
Since then, the team has hired a new general manager, parted ways with several notable players, re-signed the pillar of the defense, selected its heir apparent at quarterback, and announced a new billion-dollar playpen that will open by 2027, if everything goes according to plan.
Despite all this, it’s fair to say the Titans have had a polarizing offseason thanks to the moves (or lack thereof) they have made, and that has left a lot of people feeling underwhelmed about the 2023 group.
Former NFL Executive and Titans president, Jeff Diamond, certainly feels that way, as he listed Tennessee as one of the four teams who “failed” the offseason in his latest article on The 33rd Team.
Diamond believes there “wasn’t enough progress” made after the team came off a season in which it finished with the 30th-ranked passing offense.
These feelings only got amplified after the team released the likes of Taylor Lewan, Ben Jones, and Robert Woods, while replacing them with mostly questionable and/or inexperienced talent.
Diamond did go on to praise the selection of Kentucky quarterback Will Levis in Round 2, calling him an “intriguing prospect with a major chip on his shoulder after his draft fall.”
The former Vikings general manager also goes on to point out how Levis’ development could be a game-changer for the franchise due to the money it would free up to inevitably stack the team around the young quarterback.
Diamond’s lengthy statement can be seen in its entirety below.
The Tennessee Titans’ finish in 2022 was even more disastrous than the Chargers, who at least made the playoffs. Tennessee was sitting at 7-3 with a four-game lead on Jacksonville, Then, injuries to quarterback Ryan Tannehill and several other starters, along with poor play, caused the team to lose its last seven games, including getting swept by the Jaguars.
Not enough progress occurred this offseason to believe this team will rebound to when it was the AFC’s top-seeded team two years ago. The Titans released several past starters for cap relief — due to being less productive and often injured in some cases — including edge Bud Dupree, tackle Taylor Lewan, center Ben Jones and receiver Robert Woods.
The passing game fell to 30th in the league as the team could not replace A.J. Brown after he was traded to Philadelphia in a move that contributed to the firing of GM Jon Robinson. Derrick Henry is still an elite back, but his yards per carry have fallen the past two seasons, and he turns 30 in January.
Perhaps first-round pick Peter Skoronski can lead a resurgence of a once-strong offensive line after the team decides if it will play him at guard or tackle. He worked at both positions in Titans camp. The Titans also lost perhaps their most effective offensive lineman from last season in free agency when guard Nate Davis left for Chicago.
Second-round QB Will Levis is an intriguing prospect with a major chip on his shoulder after his draft fall. Coach Mike Vrabel says Levis is the No. 3 quarterback. If Levis can move up quickly and become the starter this season or by next year, it will help the team cap-wise once Tannehill is off the books.
Other talented players arrived via the draft, such as third-round back Tyjae Spears, but free agency appears to have brought no impact additions.
Leading the signees were Andre Dillard, who was often injured and considered a bust in Philadelphia as a first-round tackle, and cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting, who missed 13 games in Tampa Bay during the past two seasons.
The Titans gave a $7 million per year deal to Arden Key, who is now with his fourth team in a six-year career and has never been a full-time starter.
The good news was the Titans’ extension of Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, who is expected to lead the defense that fell from No. 12 in 2021 (when Tennessee was a 12-5 team) to No. 23 in 2022 (and last against the pass).
