The Tennessee Titans are in the midst of their bye week at 3-2. This week likely brought upon a ton of internal reflection as to where the team is at through five weeks.
One of the more concerning areas on the team right now is Tennessee’s lackluster pass defense.
The cornerback spot in particular has been a position that could use another veteran presence in the room, especially one that possesses legitimate experience as a starter.
Naturally, Titans fans immediately became intrigued when reports began to circulate that Washington Commanders cornerback William Jackson III was seeking a fresh start on a new team.
William Jackson sees himself as a man-to-man corner. Per @PFF, the #Commanders have played zone coverage on 62.3% of their coverage snaps this season. https://t.co/Ti3sTGc0LV
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 13, 2022
The real question is, does this move make sense for either the Titans or Commanders?
This article is going to present an argument for and against the acquisition of the seventh-year cornerback. With all that said, let’s dive right into the two arguments and see what we come up with.
The argument for acquiring William Jackson
The obvious argument for acquiring the veteran cornerback is the Titans could use all the secondary help they can get.
As we hinted at earlier, Tennessee has one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL, currently tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the third-most passing yards allowed per game (287.6).
Another argument that can certainly be made is that the Titans’ defense may be better suited for Jackson’s skill set.
The main reason why the Commanders cornerback wants out of Washington is that he feels he’s a better fit in a man-dominant scheme like the one the Titans have, as opposed to the zone-heavy scheme he’s currently in.
So long William Jackson. 👋 pic.twitter.com/L0g039Nwf9
— Zac (@DCzWall) October 13, 2022
During his time in Cincinnati, he primarily played in a man-heavy scheme, earning an overall grade of at least 71 in three of his last four seasons as a Bengal, according to Pro Football Focus (2017, 2018, 2020).
In total, the former Bengal finished his Cincinnati tenure with 150 tackles, 41 passes defended, and three interceptions in 59 games.
Any team that acquires Jackson is undoubtedly taking a gamble in the hopes that he will immediately revert to the success he had back in Cincinnati.
Should the Titans be that team to make this type of move, they would only be on the hook for approximately $3.8 million against their salary cap for the remainder of the 2022 season, per Spotrac.
The Houston native also has a contract out after this year in case the team that trades for him wants to move on in 2023. Jackson has a base salary of $9.25 million next year, but it is not guaranteed.
You’d also have to imagine that the eventual trade compensation to acquire Jackson’s talents will be relatively reasonable, partly because of his price tag. He can probably be had for something equivalent to a mid-round pick
The veteran cornerback’s addition would also allow the Titans to move the likes of Caleb Farley and Terrance Mitchell — both of whom are struggling and becoming a liability on the backend — down the depth chart.
This move would give the Titans some much-needed boundary depth, and it would allow them to move Roger McCreary inside on sub-packages more often as long as Elijah Molden is out.
If Tennessee gets the idea that Molden will continue to be out for an extended period of time, it becomes especially important to get another capable body in the room.
Such a scenario would create a formidable trio consisting of Fulton and Jackson on the outside, while McCreary holds down the nickel spot.
If the Titans feel strongly about being able to get Jackson back to producing like his Bengals years, then by all means they should be on board with this type of move.
The argument against acquiring William Jackson
For starters, it’s impossible to completely ignore Jackson’s recent struggles. It’s also unfair to solely blame his lapses on a scheme fit.
William Jackson III 🤣🗑️ pic.twitter.com/IO9YJMfOCp
— Faux Joey Brrr (@FauxJeaux) October 2, 2022
There’s no denying that the Commanders are zone-heavy, but the veteran cornerback has played his fair share of man coverage in Washington, also.
Since Jackson joined the Commanders, his overall PFF grades have failed to eclipse 60.
The Houston product finished his 2021 campaign with an overall grade of 59.3, while his current PFF grade sits at a measly 49.6.
This season, Jackson has allowed 16 receptions on 19 targets for 219 yards, two touchdowns, and he has zero interceptions. Jackson has also allowed an opposing passer rating of 149.8.
Another concerning fact about the Commanders corner is that he’s recently been dealing with a bulging disc in his back, something he revealed after being pulled from the Week 5 contest.
Also, should the Titans trade for the soon-to-be 30-year-old defender and keep him beyond 2022, he has a base salary of $9.25 million, plus a roster bonus of $3.25 million (per Spotrac) that Tennessee would likely be on the hook for.
It’s possible the Commanders would be willing to pick up some of that in a trade, although that would likely require better draft pick compensation.
It also can’t be ignored that the Houston legend will be asked to play plenty of zone coverage in Tennessee. Shane Bowen’s defense does a good job of mixing up his coverages rather than being heavily reliant on one specific look.
According to the Sports Info Solutions, the Titans frequently mix up between man and zone. Their most frequently-used coverages are Covers 1-4, each look accounting for somewhere in between 27-38 coverage snaps this season.
If Jackson were to join Tennessee, they’re essentially banking on him being able to immediately adapt to their man schemes while hoping he’s better suited for their zone looks.
In reality, hoping for a midseason resurgence may be a bit of wishful thinking for a cornerback approaching the wrong side of 30.
But like I said earlier, if the Titans strongly feel otherwise, then you can’t blame them for trying to strike a fair deal with the Commanders prior to the Nov. 1 trade deadline.
