The Tennessee Titans had a tough year in coverage in 2023, leading to their sporting the No. 18 pass defense in the NFL.
The biggest problem? The play from the cornerbacks.
While slot cornerback Roger McCreary was consistently good, the rest of the cornerbacks room was not.
Kristian Fulton managed to stay healthy before landing on season-ending injured reserve but his play was riddled with poor coverage and terrible penalties.
Sean Murphy-Bunting was better than Fulton, for sure, but was not immune to boneheaded penalties and lapses in coverage. He did do enough, however, to be considered a candidate to be re-signed.
As far as the backups were concerned, Tre Avery was exposed when out there for extended periods of time, and UDFA Eric Garror was quietly oosted impressive numbers in coverage.
So, what do the Titans need to do at cornerback this offseason? We take a look at that and much more in our latest offseason preview.
All contract statuses are courtesy of Over the Cap.
Under contract
Under contract: Roger McCreary, Tre Avery, Tay Gowan, Eric Garror, Anthony Kendall, Caleb Farley
Barring injury, the only one out of this group who will be a starter in 2024 is McCreary, who successfully made the transition to the slot in his second season.
Farley has had a brutal start to his career thanks to injuries and ineffective play. As a result, the Titans will decline his fifth-year option in May and he’ll be playing out the final year of his rookie deal in 2024.
Despite his issues, Farley figures to stick on the team, as the Titans would incur a dead-cap hit of $4.2 million and save no money if he’s cut. No, we should not expect anything from the former first-round pick, but count me among the people who are rooting for him to right the ship.
Avery served as a backup once again last season but left a lot to be desired when called into action for long stints. Still, he’s a decent backup in spurts and will compete for a roster spot and similar role in 2024.
Garror made a disastrous decision as a punt returner, but he was quietly very good in coverage. The rookie surrendered a 46.2 percent completion rate, a passer rating of 68.4 and just one touchdown in 32 targets thrown his way.
He’s certainly a candidate for a backup/special teams role this year but isn’t a lock to make the cut by any means. The worst-case scenario for him will likely be the practice squad.
Kendall played in 16 games last season, but all but three of his snaps were on special teams. He’ll be fighting for a roster spot this Summer and has a decent shot thanks to his special teams value.
Gowan played just three special teams snaps for Tennessee in his first year with the team and was signed to a futures deal earlier this offseason. He is the long shot of the group to make the cut out of training camp.
Pending free agents
Pending free agents: Sean Murphy-Bunting, Kristian Fulton
With a change at head coach, Fulton’s chances of returning after a woefully disappointing season are now more than 0.0 percent. However, I’d still be shocked to see him in the two-tone blue in 2024.
SMB is on the opposite side of the spectrum.
He definitely had his issues with penalties and lapses in coverage but was better than Fulton and solid overall. I wouldn’t have an issue with SMB returning as a bridge CB2 in 2024.
Biggest needs
Biggest needs: Two starting perimeter CBs
With McCreary likely to man the slot once again in 2024, the Titans need a pair of cornerbacks to start on the boundary.
As previously stated, the Titans can fill their need for a No. 2 cornerback by bringing SMB back, but I certainly wouldn’t rely on him as a No. 1. If he doesn’t come back, the Titans will explore free agency for solutions.
Give me Chicago Bears pending free agent Jaylon Johnson, who represents the top of the market, for CB1. He may very well get franchise-tagged, but if not the Titans can definitely afford him with their significant cap space.
Also keep an eye on Chidobe Awuzie, who has a connection with Titans head coach Brian Callahan from their days together in Cincinnati. Awuzie is better suited as a No. 2 but isn’t a terrible option as a bridge guy at CB1.
The Titans could look to address one of their needs at cornerback in the 2024 NFL draft, but that will depend on what happens in free agency.
If Tennessee doesn’t do anything major in the month-plus leading up to the draft, it wouldn’t shock me to see them grab a corner in the second round after they take a blue-chip offensive prospect in the first.
However, my preference has and will continue to be some combination of a left tackle and wide receiver in the first two rounds. Perhaps Tennessee can find a way to grab a third-round pick, but if not they’d have to wait until the fourth round to take a cornerback if the team goes my desired route in the top 40.
Bear in mind, the Titans won’t be able to rebuild every position in one offseason, so I wouldn’t hate bridge guys to get them through 2024 as long as significant resources are spent on improving things around Will Levis.
That said, the Titans have the funds to make a big addition and bring SMB back to solidify their needs, and my guess is that’s what they do, assuming the top options like Johnson and L’Jarius Sneed make it to free agency.
Check out our other offseason previews
