Devil’s Advocate: Tennessee Titans made a mistake with Ryan Tannehill
By Ravi Konjeti
The Tennessee Titans came to terms with Ryan Tannehill for a four year deal that looks to keep him for the long future.
The Tennessee Titans came to terms with pending free agent Ryan Tannehill immediately after the new CBA was approved, handing out a four-year, $118 million contract.
The team feels it finally found its franchise quarterback after years of turmoil since the post Steve McNair years. While promising players like Vince Young, Jake Locker, and Mariota all donned the Titans jersey, none of them were as successful at Tannehill.
The deal has an average value of $29.5 million per year with $62 million fully guaranteed and $91 million in total guarantees. At the time of signing, Tannehill became one of the top ten highest paid quarterback in the league (based on AAV) and the Titans have locked down their quarterback for the near future.
Tannehill proved himself to be a franchise worthy quarterback last season after taking over for incumbent starter Marcus Mariota after a lackluster start. You can’t deny his success after taking the Titans on an improbable run to the AFC Championship game with Tannehill under center.
However, I think the Titans made the incorrect move here for the long-term future of the team.
The Titans are entering an offseason with many questions to key players on the team. With Derrick Henry, Jack Conklin, and Logan Ryan all hitting the market, the Titans didn’t have the cap to bring them all back which led to Conklin signing with the Browns and Logan Ryan’s future still up in the air.
On top of all that, the Titans had to release Delanie Walker, Dion Lewis, Cameron Wake, and Ryan Succop while trading Jurrell Casey.
With the new CBA being passed, the team lost its transition tag that would have been crucial in retaining Tannehill on a team friendly one year deal. However, it’s surprising that the Titans didn’t at least see what could pan out on the open market.
This was maybe one of the deepest classes of free agent quarterbacks in the last decade, including Tom Brady, Jameis Winston and Philip Rivers. Despite the rumors of Brady being interested in the team, the Titans went ahead and quickly signed Tannehill.
Whether or not Tennessee would have landed Brady, or even if he is a right fit, is secondary to the fact that the team is now paying top dollar to a quarterback without even letting him test the open waters.
Brady has a proven track record and could potentially have changed the fortunes of the team for the long haul.
When Peyton Manning signed with the Broncos after leaving the Colts, he immediately made the team relevant and an attractive free agent destination. The Titans need to start drawing the interest of big name players if they want to hold up against the elite teams in the conference. Brady would have brought the team into the national spotlight in a way that fans have never seen before.
Furthermore, it will be tough to replicate what Tannehill did last season.
His career numbers put him among the league’s best but the team narrowly entered into the playoffs. Opposing teams have a year of tape to adjust to the Titans game plan and formula and history has shown that teams catch up to players quickly.
The Titans are handing the keys to a quarterback with one season of success despite years of mediocrity with the Dolphins. We have seen this time and time again in the league. The Titans may have made a grave mistake and cost the team their future with this move. Let’s hope that Tannehill continues to improve and take the team to the Super Bowl.