The Tennessee Titans have reportedly made an addition to their offensive line, as the team has agreed to terms with offensive tackle Andre Dillard.
The news comes from NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, who revealed it’s for three years and $29 million, which is a bit surprising considering Dillard’s lack of starting experience.
However, it’s important to remember we don’t have the figures on guaranteed money and the rest of the specifics just yet, so the breakdown could make this look like a very different deal. If it works out, it’ll be a steal, though.
The signing marks the first outside player the Titans have brought in during the early stage of free agency. Tennessee had been completely quiet up until this point, much to my chagrin.
Nevertheless, Dillard joins a Titans team in desperate need of offensive line help, and more specifically at left tackle, where he figures to slot in. In all, Tennessee needs to replace up to four 2022 starters in 2023.
Dillard was a 2019 first-round pick of the Eagles and has appeared in 43 games over three seasons, and he also missed an entire season in 2020 because of a torn biceps.
The 26-year-old returned in 2021 and competed for the starting left tackle job with Jordan Mailata, but Mailata won the competition, which is no knock on Dillard because Mailata is very good.
Of course, right tackle wasn’t there to be had for Dillard, either, with Lane Johnson manning the position.
In 2022, Dillard missed five games due to a fractured forearm, but he was relegated to backup duty when healthy, making zero starts.
While certainly not perfect, Dillard has shown flashes of being a very good pass protector when on the field, and he’s young enough to be a long-term solution at the position, although the jury is still very much out on that.
With Dillard on board, it’s possible this changes Tennessee’s approach at No. 11 overall in the 2023 NFL draft, but I still think left tackle will be on the table for the Titans in that spot depending on who is there.
