Tom Brady is hitting unrestricted free agency this spring. If he does leave the New England Patriots, why shouldn’t he consider the Tennessee Titans?
The Tennessee Titans came up a game short of reaching Super Bowl 54 last year. They found the special sauce late in the year, thanks to an incredible stretch by running back Derrick Henry. Tennessee also got help from veteran quarterback Ryan Tannehill, but both guys are free agents. What happens if Tannehill is replaced by someone like Tom Brady? Is that even possible?
On this week’s episode of Stacking the Box, FanSided‘s Matt Verderame and Mark Carman, along with former NFL offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz, assess the potential free agency market for Brady. We should expect Brady to return to the Patriots, but if he leaves, what are the chances he ends up signing with Tennessee (10:40)?
“Tennessee is the one team that kind of lurking in the shadows,” said Verderame. “I’ll be honest, I just can’t see him in Tennessee, but maybe the Titans say, ‘Look, we’ve got Vrabel, we’ve got good weapons, we’ve got a really good offensive line. Come here and win. We don’t believe in Tannehill long-term.'”
Admittedly, it is a bit of a long shot for Brady to play anywhere next season outside of the Patriots. However, the Titans present several interesting factors that could be appealing for a future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback in the twilight of his illustrious career. Brady would play for his former teammate in Mike Vrabel and could thrive in Arthur Smith’s innovative offensive attack.
Assuming the Titans bring back Henry, whether that’s on a long-term deal or on the franchise tag, Brady would have better weapons than he’s had in years in New England. When was the last time he had a bell-cow he could lean on? Corey Dillon? Who was the last wide receiver who could consistently stretch the field for him in the passing game? Randy Moss? The Titans have players!
Most importantly, the Titans play in a winnable division. If Brady were to go to the AFC West, he’d have to compete with Patrick Mahomes for divisional supremacy. Should Brady end up in the AFC South, he could hang with Deshaun Watson. Plus, the Titans have a superior coaching staff to whatever the Houston Texans have going on. Brady to Nashville makes some sense, but not a ton.
Here are a few other topics discussed on this week’s episode of Stacking the Box:
- Geoff walks us through an Andy Reid play call (33:10)
- Have we heard last of Rudolph-Garrett feud (34:40)
- What to watch for at NFL Combine? (47:15)
- Geoff talks stretching, yoga in his old age (50:30)
All this and more!
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