The Tennessee Titans made a great move adding a player in a role they desperately needed to fill.
Remember how the Tennessee Titans were supposed to draft a tight end in the 2019 NFL Draft? Well, the people that said that clearly weren’t paying close attention.
Everyone was quick to suggest names to be the “next Delanie Walker” but there are a few problems with that. Firstly, there are only so many Delanie Walkers in the world so you can’t just go out and get one.
Secondly, the Titans already have the Delanie Walker so trying to find another is superfluous and a waste of resources.
The biggest problem though, is that we are in the year 2019. While some teams are using multiple tight end sets, they aren’t doing that because they spent first round picks on those guys. Mostly you see these formations because opposing defenses usually don’t have the linebackers and safeties who are versatile enough to play the run and the pass against that personnel grouping.
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For the Titans specifically, the future needs to be about finding mismatches and making defenses uncomfortable. The less predictable you are, the harder you are to defend and you become less predictable by having quality play calling and the weapons to threaten teams in different ways.
With Jonnu Smith, MyCole Pruitt and the aforementioned Delanie Walker already on the roster (and the underrated Anthony “flypaper hands” Firkser behind them) the Titans already had their tight ends.
That is why this move ranks as the Titans 4th best of the offseason, it gave them a dimension they desperately needed but didn’t have.
Signed SWR Adam Humphries to a 4 year, $36 million deal with $19 million guaranteed.
The Titans were desperate for someone to step up and be more than just a guy in the slot.
It has been noted so often before, but Humphries was dominant in the slot ranking 5th in the NFL in receiving yards from the slot behind Tyreek Hill, Juju Smith-Schuster, Tyler Boyd, and Adam Thielen. A quick Google search will tell you that 3/4ths of that list either made the Pro Bowl last year or was an All-Pro.
For the Tennessee Titans, it was Corey Davis who led them in receiving yards from the slot. Aside from this just being more proof that Davis can line up anywhere and that he is brimming with potential, it also shows the lack of a proven slot on the roster.
If you were curious, the next closest player was Taywan Taylor who managed just 103 yards from the slot.
In 2019, the Titans now have the opportunity to use more 3WR sets without misusing talent at receiver. Corey Davis now only has to worry about lining up outside for the majority of his snaps while Taywan Taylor can really focus in on trying to win the job as the Titans boundary deep threat.
Between Humphries and rookie A.J. Brown the Titans have basically added an entire position that they didn’t have last year. Those two investments should open things up for Derrick Henry in the run game and move this offense into the 21st century.