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Tennessee Titans should extend Taylor Lewan now

By Will Lomas

Sep 1, 2016; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Tennessee Titans tackle Taylor Lewan (77) laughs at Miami Dolphins defensive end Andre Branch (50) during the first half against the at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 1, 2016; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Tennessee Titans tackle Taylor Lewan (77) laughs at Miami Dolphins defensive end Andre Branch (50) during the first half against the at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /
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One more move the Tennessee Titans should make.

It is no secret that the Tennessee Titans offensive line took a huge step forward last year. I would attribute that to a few thing, but first and foremost is Taylor Lewan.

Think about exactly what happened last offseason. All Tennessee Titans fans heard was that they should stick at number one and take the no-brainer best left tackle in Laremy Tunsil. Even days leading up to draft day, many outlets had the Titans taking Tunsil at 1.

According to rumors though, Jon Robinson did a lot of work on Taylor Lewan to figure out if he could be the Titans left tackle of the future. After watching film and talking to Lewan himself, it became obvious that Lewan could be very good at left tackle.

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This was essentially the first domino that fell in Jon Robinson’s storied rookie offseason. Sure moves like adding Ben Jones and even DeMarco Murray were made first, but this move set the rest in motion.

Because of this, the Tennessee Titans were able to trade down with the L.A. Rams and grab a two second round picks in 2017, a third round pick in 2017, a first round pick in 2018, and a third round pick in 2018.

In addition to the draft currency they landed, they also got to draft All-Pro right tackle Jack Conklin to turn this offensive line from good to great.

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    • After those moves were made it turns out that Lewan was right, he was a stellar left tackle in the NFL even earning a Pro Bowl nod.

    So, now that everything is set up and the Tennessee Titans have a young, talented offensive line it is time to start protecting the future of that unit. That means they should sign Taylor Lewan to an extension.

    On his rookie contract, Taylor Lewan is getting the 26th largest salary per year, of any left tackles in the league. That is clearly not enough.

    Make no mistake, if he was a free agent tomorrow he would be the highest paid left tackle in football. Matt Kalil was a problem on a bad Minnesota Vikings offensive line and ended up with the 11th highest yearly salary among left tackles.

    Left tackles get paid in the NFL and they end up making contracts much closer to top cornerbacks than top guards. So, what is a fair offer.

    To me I would sign him to a 6-year deal worth $72.6 million, $31.8 GTD.

    Let’s start with the length of the contract. 6-years because he will be 26 this year heading into the season and that makes him a Tennessee Titans player until he is 32.

    A lot of great tackles are still playing well in their early 30s, so it wouldn’t be crazy to see him get a 3rd contract with the Titans if they want to sign him to another long deal in three or four years.

    The total contract money would make him the 6th highest paid left tackle in the league, right in front of Eric Fisher who has not been nearly as good as Lewan.

    The guaranteed money puts him at 43% guaranteed, which is less than guys make on the open market now but more than most long term contracts before him. It also puts him in the top-10 in that category too.

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    This makes sense for Lewan because he has found an offensive system and offensive line coach that fit his temperament perfectly. It is a gritty, aggressive, mauling type of offense where the run is king and bulldozers are front and center.

    On the other hand, his ability as a pass protector is also top notch so if the offense evolves into a more pass oriented offense neither he or the team need to worry.

    This scenario would give him long term stability, a great paycheck, a winning quarterback, a system he knows and thrives in, and the chance to really take center stage on one of the most talked about offensive lines in the NFL. Why not?

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