By Bill Murphy
The Tennessee Titans finished the season with a 12-5 record, winning the AFC South for the second consecutive year. Unfortunately, after securing the number one seed and a first round bye, they lost to the eventual AFC Champion, Cincinnati Bengals in the Divisional round. Head Coach Mike Vrabel was voted AP’s Coach Of The Year .
Ryan Tannehill this year threw for 3,954 yards , 22 touchdowns and rushed for 270 yards and seven touchdowns with a QBR of 67.0%, threw 14 ints and ranked at #12. Compared to last year Tannehill ranked 8th and threw for 3819 yards , 33 tds 7 int . Tannehill’s numbers were not as impressive from previous seasons. This season Tannehill was inconsistent because there were many injuries on this offense and Tannehill himself contracted Covid during training camp .
Running Back Derrick Henry was coming off of a 2020 season in which he rushed for 2,027 yards ,17 touchdowns , 3.78 yards per carry which resulted in him winning the 2020 AFC offensive player of the year . Unfortunately , this year was not the same for Henry , he was looking sharp in the first seven weeks of the season winning two offensive players of the week, and then in week eight he suffered a Jones fracture . When he was injured he was leading the league in rushing yards , touchdowns , carries and was front runner for MVP . Henry was activated during the AFC Divisional Game in which he had 20 carries for 62 yards and scored one touchdown .
The Wide receiver corps on this team was talked about a lot when this season started and that was the team of Julio Jones and AJ Brown. Julio Jones was traded to the Titans from the Falcons for a second round draft pick . Jones who is usually all pro was riddled with injuries this year Jones had 31 catches for 434 yards and a touchdown, the trade didn’t pan out in year one, let’s see what year two brings. Aj Brown battled through injuries all season. He caught 35 passes for 509 yards and three touchdowns.
The defense was a major improvement. In 2020 they ranked 25th in defense in points allowed , 4,439 passing yards ,1,933 rushing yards . This season they ranked 11th in points allowed, 4,169 passing yards , 1,438 rushing yards .
Cap Space
The Titans cap space is $ 214.5 million dollars which is 6.3 million dollars over the NFL cap space . The Titans could Make the following contract changes to help them get under the cap space
– Taylor Lewan, OT – Cap savings: $12.9 million ($1.79 million in dead money)
– Zach Cunningham, LB – Cap savings: $10.5 million ($0 in dead money)
– Rodger Saffold, G – Cap savings: $10.5 million ($2.37 million in dead money) – Saffold was released and signed with the Bills
– Jackrabbit Jenkins, CB – Cap savings: $7 million ($3.2 million in dead money) – Jenkins was released on Tuesday
– Kendall Lamm, OT – Cap savings: $3.3 million ($850,000 in dead money)
– Brett Kern, P – Cap savings: $3.2 million ($550,000 in dead money)
– Nate Davis, G – Cap savings: $2.68 million ($233,670 in dead money)
– Julio Jones, WR – Post-June 1 cap savings: $9.5 million ($4.8 million in dead money); Pre-June 1 cap savings: $1 million Who I believe needs to be cut because his age is showing and he is frequently injured because of his age.
Note: Titans can also restructure any of these contracts if they want to.
Additions that need to be made
Needs CB , TE ,WR
Tight Ends
Free Agents
OJ Howard TB Bucs 2021 Stats : 14 receptions 135 receiving yards
Tyler Kroft New York Jets : 16 receptions 173 receiving yards 1 yards
Both would be low cost options for the Titans.
Draft Picks
Trey McBride Colorado State : 158 catches 2,015 yards
Isiah likely Coastal Caorlina : 59 receptions, 912 yards, 12 TDs
Cade Otton Washington : 28 receptions, 250 yards, 1 TD
Cornerback
Draft pick : Andrew Booth JR Clemson : 37 tackles, 5 passes defensed, 3 interceptions
Free Agents : Sidney Jones . Seattle Seahawks : 45 tackles
Wide receivers
Free agents
Will Fuller : Miami Dolphins 4 Receptions 26 yards
Draft picks
Jameson Williams / John Metchie : Alabama
Christian Watson North Dakota state
Offensive Line
Draft Picks
Trevor Penning OT northern Iowa
IOL Dylan Parham Memphis
Free Agents
Tom Compton OT SF
Linebacker
Free Agent
Kamu Gruiger Hill LB Houston Texans
Jacob Martin Edge Houston
Draft
LB Channing Tindall Georgia
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