Sports

Why Titans are AFC South’s wild card ahead of draft, free agency

news7g03/07/2023

3 4 minutes read

Why Titans are AFC South's wild card ahead of draft, free agency

Ben Arthur

AFC South reporter

In the AFC South, the direction of three of the four teams was clear.

Have Jaguarreigning champions, relying on continuity and advancement Trevor Lawrence to assert himself as a longtime AFC candidate. there are some Texans And ponyBoth are welcoming new coaches and hope to outline their back four in the future, looking forward to a return to action as quickly as possible after the 2022 campaign fizzled out.

But then there are giant, whose direction is not clear. Fourteen months ago, they had consecutive championships and were the number 1 seed of the AFC reaching the knockout stages of 2021. Last season, they lost seven consecutive games to end a disastrous campaign with 7-10, the first loss since 2015. They have a new general manager combined with a powerful coach back. And they have limited draft capital and financial constraints to improve a squad rife with injuries and holes. What happens next in Tennessee is anyone’s guess.

It makes the Titans the AFC South’s biggest wild card as it heads into the draft and free agency season, which begins next week.

With an 11th overall pick in the 2023 draft, Tennessee has its highest pick since 2017, which would make trading for at least one quarterback a consideration – even if coach Mike Vrabel and General Manager Ran Carthon continue to go public again Ryan Tannehill.

Tannehill’s value to teams in need of midfield only increases when Derek Carr towards St And Geno Smith re-sign with Eagle. It will continue to increase if lamar Jackson and/or Aaron Rodgers stay with Ravens And packercorresponding.

The Titans can explore that market. Dealing with Tannehill with a designation by June 1 will not only free up $17.8 million in the 2023 salary cap, but it will also give Tennessee more draft options — options that could be makes trading from 11th place more visible. The Titans currently only have six picks for 2023.

“We’re always open to business,” Carthon said last week when trading in 11th. “We’re always open to trying to add value. So we’ll listen and act. every call and see what comes from there.”

Carthon, a former 49ers the player’s HR executive, then gives an example of why knowing the annual quarterback draft class is essential.

“Given the nature of the position, I think you’ll be joining each year to make sure you know that class from top to bottom,” he says. “Who knows Brock Purdy Will Brock Purdy be the final pick of the draft? You just got Trey [Lance] last year. You have Jimmy [Garoppolo]. Who thought of taking a quarterback in the seventh inning? You just know the class and that’s something that happened.”

Entering the new league year, here’s what worries the Titans: whether to rebuild or retool.

Tennessee has churned out several veterans: left-hander Taylor Lewan, wide-ball receiver Robert Woods, line-back Zach Cunningham and positional kicker Randy Bullock, with outside full-back Bud Dupree expected to join them. Surname. Those are anticipated moves to achieve pay cap compliance, in order to provide the financial flexibility needed to improve the roster.

Decisions about Tannehill and the superstar running backwards Derrick Henry will be the main domino. Tannehill’s Nashville future at best remains uncertain, and Tennessee is said to have “shopped” Henry at the combination. Resuming from one or both players will signal the need for a complete rebuild; keeping them at least one more season suggests the squad has been retooled around them for 2023.

“I’m ready to add great players to our roster, whether it’s the winger, whether it’s running back, whether it’s the defense, whether it’s the corner,” Vrabel said last week. before. “We had some needs and some holes. … I asked for players with the element of speed, violence and flexibility. That’s what I was looking for – and attacking midfielders who could be. protect the midfielder, whether it’s Ryan, is it Malik [Willis]whether it is Josh DobbsWho is it after all?”

Vrabel’s decision to lift Tim Kelly from game coordinator to offensive coordinator appears to be his offensive approach doubling down, but the Titans coach isn’t ruling out major changes. Carthon pointed out at the confluence of the role the plan plays in the type of player pursued.

Given the Titans’ attack direction is unknown, that adds at least some unpredictability to what exactly they’re looking for.

Vrabel said of the offense: “I’m not saying there won’t be a radical change of plans. “That’s still under construction. There will be other things. It’s part of [offensive coordinator] interview process. There are going to be some things that I really like and Tim really like and the offensive staff like that we do well. And there will be some things we do differently and we’ll have to do better.”

Ben Arthur is an AFC South correspondent for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was a beat writer for Titans for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) before moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.

Top stories from FOX Sports:

ACCORDING TO Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience