The Tennessee Titans’ offseason went from “meh” to through-the-roof levels of excitement in one fell swoop when news broke that the team had agreed to terms with star wide receiver, DeAndre Hopkins.
It goes without saying, but Hopkins is a massive addition for a Titans team that previously sported one of the worst receiver groups in the NFL going into 2023, and one that was even worse than the horrid 2022 version.
We seen some truly awful takes in the wake of the signing, but let the haters hate because, on paper, none of what they are saying adds up. Instead, all the numbers point to Hopkins still being the elite receiver he has always been.
As is the case with every move of this magnitude, it produced winners and losers among those already on the roster. Let’s see which Titans fall in which category in the wake of DHop coming to the Music City.
Winners: Ran Carthon and Mike Vrabel
Vrabel and Carthon were rightly shredded for not adequately addressing the wide receiver position all offseason long, instead preaching patience that more help would become available to them, which was a risky approach.
But that’s exactly what happened.
The patience paid off, as Hopkins became available and the Titans were able to nab him, with their only real competition being the Patriots, as both the Chiefs and Bills weren’t major players after pre-draft trades didn’t work out.
As if all that wasn’t enough, Carthon inked Hopkins to a really good deal.
His $13 million annual average before incentives is $2 million less than the injury-prone Odell Beckham Jr. got from the Baltimore Ravens, and just $2 million more than unproven guys like Allen Lazard and Jakobi Meyers received in free agency.
There are some out there who believe we owe Vrabel and Carthon an apology, but until it’s proven they knew Hopkins was coming here months before he did (and before he was even a free agent), credit for ultimately him is all I’m giving.
Losers: Roster bubble receivers
With Hopkins now in the fold, everyone moves one spot down on the wide receiver depth chart, which is terrible news for guys who were already on Tennessee’s roster bubble.
I still think Chris Moore and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine are safe behind a trio of Hopkins, Treylon Burks and Kyle Philips.
However, players like Colton Dowell, Racey McMath, Reggie Roberson, and Mason Kinsey, as well as UDFAs Kearis Jackson, Jacob Copeland, Gavin Holmes and Tre’Shaun Harrison all have a steeper hill to climb, if there is even a hill to climb, as it’s possible the Titans only carry five receivers.
Winner: Treylon Burks
Barring an injury to Hopkins, we don’t really know how Burks would’ve responded with so much weight on his shoulders as the No. 1 receiver in a passing attack that was sorely lacking weapons.
Personally, I think he would’ve been just fine after seeing the added dedication and confidence he’s shown this offseason.
Whatever the case may be, his life just got a lot easier with the addition of Hopkins, as now Burks won’t be the focal point of defenses unless he can prove he’s a more dangerous weapon than Hopkins.
That means more one-on-ones and less coverage from top cornerbacks, two things that will likely head more in Hopkins’ direction, which greatly benefits the second-year pro out of Arkansas.
If Burks does start going off, he in turn will also take pressure off Hopkins, as defenses won’t be able to focus on him as much. That would be a vicious cycle for opponents, but a beautiful thing for the Titans.
In between: Kyle Philips
There’s two ways to look at the addition of Hopkins from Philips’ perspective, one that is definitive and one that is speculative.
On the definitive side, having Hopkins on the outside opposite Burks will no doubt open things up over the middle for a slot receiver like Philips, who showed promise in Week 1 of last season before being hampered by injury.
On the speculative side, there’s a chance Hopkins sees a good amount of time in the slot in 2023, a place he lined up often under offensive coordinator Tim Kelly when they were in Houston together.
I like the Hopkins/Burks/Chig trio for TEN.
When Tim Kelly became OC in Houston in 2019, Hopkins played inside at a higher rate. Wouldn't be surprised if we see a lot of him in the slot this year. https://t.co/CsNaF9eO3Z
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) July 16, 2023
More snaps for Hopkins in the slot means less snaps for Philips, which will limit his playing time. On the bright side, Philips will also have a front-row seat to learn from one of the best to do it in this generation.
Winner: Chigoziem Okonkwo
This falls in line with the positive outcome we discussed with Philips, which is Hopkins helping to open things up over the middle when he’s on the outside with Burks.
Granted, Chig moves one spot down in the pass-catcher pecking order to either No. 2 or No. 3 after he figured to be No. 1 or No. 2 prior to Hopkins’ arrival, but now he’ll garner less attention over the middle with that added asset, which should prove to be beneficial.
Winner: OC Tim Kelly
When he first took the job, Kelly was taking the reins of an offense that was not only coming off a terrible season, but the unit’s weapons through the air, which were awful a year ago, actually looked worse.
I don’t know what Kelly knew back in late April, but it wouldn’t shock me at all if he was shaking his head with the rest of us as he was watching his GM and head coach be negligent at the wide receiver position.
Fast foward a few months and things are vastly different, as Kelly now has the much-needed upgrade at the position in DHop and, in turn, has an impressive trio of weapons along with Chig and Burks.
Adding to that, the possibilities are endless for Kelly’s offense, with Hopkins and Burks having inside/outside versatility and Chig being able to line up in the slot, also.
Long story short, Kelly has everything he needs weapons-wise to make the most out of his first season in Nashville. Now all he has to worry about is Tennessee’s offensive line being up to snuff, which is no guarantee.
Winner: Derrick Henry
Despite having zero help to take pressure off him and an awful offensive line last season, Henry still managed to rush for over 1,500 yards, which was somehow lost on the jackwagons who voted in the ESPN survey where Henry was ranked fifth among running backs.
Looking ahead to 2023, at least one of those issues should be solved now that Hopkins is in the mix and creates a much more formidable passing attack.
Sure, teams are still going to stack the box on Henry, but that won’t come as often now that teams have to account for Hopkins, Burks and Chig down the field, assuming they do their thing.
That will obviously make life easier for The King and should lead to more space to get going and the big runs we didn’t get to see enough of in 2022, along with even greater production.
Winner: Ryan Tannehill
Last but certainly not least, we have our quarterback who, perhaps more than anyone else, has been dragged through the mud in the wake of the Hopkins signing as the uninformed continue to consider him a bad quarterback.
But those of us who follow the team regularly know that is not the case.
Granted, there’s no denying Tannehill’s issues in the playoffs and some of the lackluster decisions he’s made that have led to come crucial turnovers over the years.
But anyone who has watched this team closely knows Tannehill is capable of helping to take this offense to elite heights when he has the necessary pieces around him, something that was absolutely not the case in 2022.
It’s tough to stomach what Tannehill had to endure last season, with a wide receivers group that couldn’t get open, an offensive line that couldn’t block and an offensive coordinator who shouldn’t have been calling plays for a Pop Warner offense, let alone an NFL one.
Bottom line: Tannehill deserved better.
There’s nothing I would love to see more than the return of “Tannethrill” in what could be his final season in Nashville — and I think that’s exactly what we’ll see if things work out overall with the changes made this offseason, including those along the offensive line.
More DHop coverage!
