The Tennessee Titans will have multiple spots to address along the offensive line in 2023, with one of them being at left tackle with the team expected to cut Taylor Lewan following another injury-shortened season.
Tennessee will no doubt fill some of their offensive line holes in the 2023 NFL draft, but before that they’ll try their hand in free agency in March.
In an article by Pro Football Focus’ Brad Spielberger, he suggested the Titans sign New York Jets pending free agent and offensive tackle, George Fant. Here’s his take:
If Taylor Lewan returns, Tennessee can slot Fant in at right tackle. And as Fant showed during his time with the New York Jets, he could play left tackle while Lewan is on the mend and then kick back over, adding to his value with this particular fit. Fant dealt with injuries throughout 2022, and his poor grades reflected his health, but he earned a career-high 75.1 pass-blocking grade in 2021 playing almost exclusively on the blindside.
Guard Nate Davis is a good run blocker and a rare bright spot for this Titans offensive line in 2022, and with veteran center Ben Jones battling through injuries in his age-33 season, perhaps he plans to retire before 2023 and it becomes more of a priority for the Titans to maintain some continuity along the interior of their offensive line.
There is almost no chance Lewan returns to Nashville. He simply hasn’t been able to stay healthy and the Titans can no longer depend on him to be their left tackle. Adding to that, he’ll account for a $14.8 million cap charge that can be totally washed out away if he’s let go.
Addressing another point Spielberger made, I don’t think the Titans give up on Nicholas Petit-Frere this quickly. If Tennessee brings in a tackle, it’ll be for the left side.
Fant played 309 snaps at right tackle and 207 at left tackle in 2022, so he can play both spots. However, he also gave up five sacks over the eight games (seven starts) he played and tallied PFF grades of 46.7 and 56.3 in pass-blocking and run-blocking, respectively.
To compare, Dennis Daley posted a 45.5 and 46.5 in those two categories.
As Spielberger notes, Fant was dealing with injury last season, so that might have impacted his numbers. In 2021, Fant posted a solid 75.1 pass-blocking grade and 59.9 run-blocking grade in 15 starts, while also allowing one sack.
That would definitely be an upgrade over the disaster the Titans had last year, but so would just about anything else.
If the Titans are going to go for a left tackle in free agency, it should be a big splash signing, like for Kansas City Chiefs left tackle Orlando Brown. That would prove very costly, but it’s the kind of impact move Tennessee needs.
If that isn’t in the cards, the Titans are better off trying their hand with a top tackle from this year’s draft as opposed to a middling veteran in free agency. This team needs an elite, long-term solution, not a band-aid.
