Like most positions, the Tennessee Titans were riddled with injuries at the inside linebacker spot in 2022, and the position has become arguably the biggest question mark for Tennessee’s defense going into 2023.
The team’s two starters at the beginning of the season, David Long and Zach Cunningham, missed five and 11 games, respectively, leaving Tennessee extremely thin at the position for most of the season.
The injuries did give the Titans an opportunity to get a look at two of their young linebackers in 2021 third-round pick, Monty Rice, and 2022 UDFA Jack “Dr. Gibby” Gibbens. Dylan Cole also got plenty of run, also.
Tennessee is guaranteed to have at least one new starter at the position now that the team has cut Cunningham, but there’s a possibility Tennessee will have two holes to fill with Long set to hit free agency this month.
In our latest offseason preview, we’ll go over who is and isn’t under contract at linebacker, and then we’ll discuss what the team might do this offseason.
Who's under contract?
Monty Rice: $1.32 million cap hit in 2023
Jack Gibbens: $870,000 cap hit in 2023
Chance Campbell: $783, 004
As things stand now, the Titans have just three inside linebackers under contract and, while all of them are cheap, the jury is still very much out on each going into 2023, leaving Tennessee with no sure starters if Long leaves.
Rice stands the best chance to grab a starting spot given what the Titans have invested in him, but we just haven’t seen enough of him to know if he’s a starting-caliber player in this league.
Gibbens also saw significant time late in the season after spending the majority of it on the practice squad, and as was the case with Rice, he showed flashes but we still need to see more.
Campbell missed the entirety of his rookie season after being drafted in the sixth round, so we know even less about him than we do the other two.
All three have a great shot at a roster spot given how thin the Titans are at the moment, but none are guaranteed to start.
Who's a pending free agent?
David Long: $1 million cap hit in 2022
Dylan Cole: $1 million cap hit in 2022
Spotrac estimates that Long will receive a deal that pays him $4.9 million per. Unfortunately for the 2019 sixth-round pick, his ceiling for a payday is limited for a few reasons.
On top of not being great in coverage, Long’s issues with soft-tissue injuries have led to him missing 12 games the past two seasons. He was even called out by head coach Mike Vrabel as one of the team’s repeat offenders.
Mike Vrabel mentioned Kristian Fulton and David Long Jr as soft tissue injury repeat offenders when he was asked how the #Titans have had injuries pile up. Said he wants them to find ways to avoid those soft tissue injuries.
— TURRON DAVENPORT (@TDavenport_NFL) January 9, 2023
As a result, the Titans might be able to re-sign him for cheaper than they otherwise would’ve, and I think a cheaper deal is the only way he stays in Nashville.
Tennessee certainly won’t be keen on investing big money in a player who has been part of the team’s injury woes the last few years, especially with the Titans being strapped for cash.
There’s definitely a chance Cole is brought back, but only in a special teams role, where he thrives. Cole did his best to fill in on defense with all the injuries, but it’s clear that’s not the job he was meant for.
What the Titans will do
I think Long and the Titans find a comfortable middle ground that keeps him in Nashville for another year or two, and the Titans will mainly pair him with Rice as the other starter in 2023. Guys like Gibbens, Campbell and Cole will return, with each competing for a roster spot as backups and special teamers.
However, the Titans can’t simply stop there. They desperately need to bring in another linebacker who excels in coverage, which is something I think they’ll ultimately do.
Long is OK in that area but certainly not great, and as much as he doesn’t like to hear it, Rice hasn’t proven himself in coverage yet.
Thanks to Long’s injury history and the uncertainty surrounding Rice, the Titans will look to the future and add a linebacker in the 2023 NFL draft, whether he can cover or not.
If Long leaves, drafting a linebacker will become an even bigger priority and could lead to Tennessee taking one earlier than some might expect. Also, the Titans will have to add a veteran to the group even more, as the aforementioned players under contract all lack experience.
