3 cheap free agent tackles the Tennessee Titans should sign

Crucial depth for the Titans

Free agency starts in less than two weeks and the Tennessee Titans may be shopping for offensive line help.

Regardless of what happens, the starting five shouldn’t change. Go ahead and write this down in pen:

LT: Taylor Lewan

LG: Rodger Saffold

C: Ben Jones

RG: Nate Davis

RT: Dennis Kelly

Lewan is a 3-time Pro Bowl tackle and he is the only player that didn’t start for the majority of the season on an offensive line that dominated in 2020. Not only did the line pave the way for Derrick Henry’s record-breaking season, but they also held up well in pass protection for one of the best passing offenses in the NFL.

Going even deeper, the Titans have a great interior offensive line prospect in Aaron Brewer who looked like a great fit in limited action last year. At tackle, I believe they still have David Quessenberry who was good, not great, as the team’s starting tackle at the end of the year.

Still, despite all that depth, the Titans are losing Ty Sambrailo and (probably) Isaiah Wilson. While people have been quick to say that the Titans need a tackle in the draft this year, they should probably be more interested in signing a tackle in free agency and using those draft picks on more important positions.

With that in mind, which cheap tackles fit the bill?

3. Ty Sambrailo

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it right?

Last year the Titans signed Sambrailo to a 1-year/$1.5 million deal and in return, they got a tackle that played in 9 games and who played more than 50% of the snaps in 8 of those games.

During that 8-game stretch, the Titans played 4 playoff teams and went 5-3. The offense was exceptional during that time averaging nearly 29 points which is even more impressive when you factor in that A.J. Brown, Corey Davis, Jonnu Smith, and Adam Humphries all missed time in that window.

This is a great opportunity for both the Titans and Sambrailo. Tennessee gets a cheap backup who has chemistry with the rest of the offensive linemen and who the coaches know how to use correctly.

Meanwhile, Sambrailo gets to get another deal (potentially a multi-year deal to lower the immediate cap hit) in a state whose tax laws are really beneficial to athletes. Maybe he spends two more years rotating in and out of the lineup when necessary and lands a starting job with the next offensive coordinator that leaves Tennessee to become a head coach.

2. Julie’n Davenport

Never forget that in free agency, the most important thing in the world for this coaching staff is familiarity. Davenport was originally drafted by the Houston Texans back in 2017 when Mike Vrabel was the DC.

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Now, that obviously isn’t enough to get him a starting job, but remember we are just talking about a backup offensive tackle job. With that in mind, there are two things that Davenport has that make him a unique and intriguing backup candidate.

First, he is nearly 6’7 and the Titans are built around having big bodies at the tackle position. Over the last few years, the Titans have really only had four players that they identified as starters or eventual starters and they are Taylor Lewan, Jack Conklin, Dennis Kelly, and Isaiah Wilson.

All of those players are 6’6 or taller and it is obviously something that this coaching staff and front office values.

The other intriguing thing about Davenport is that he is a natural left tackle with 44 starts in college at the left tackle position. Most “swing tackles” are usually right tackles who don’t embarrass themselves at left tackle, but Davenport seems more likely to be a player that does his best work on the blindside.

1. Jason Spriggs

Jason Spriggs is really interesting because he is a freak athlete and he is still very young.

It is rare to find big, athletic tackles for cheap on the open market, but it looks like that is what is going to happen here. And not only is Spriggs athletic, but he is versatile and has played guard and both tackle spots in his five-year stint in the NFL.

In a zone blocking scheme like the one the Titans have used so effectively over the last few years, being able to have your tackle hook the EDGE without help from a tight end, or having your tackle go up to the second level and seal linebackers on the backside are things that turn 3-yard runs into 15-yard runs.

I remember being concerned about his weight coming out of college, but if he has managed to stick around in the NFL this long then he is either finding ways to win as a skinny tackle, or he has added what he needs to add.

Out of this entire group, I think that Spriggs is the guy who could come in on a one-year deal and either compete to be the eventual starter like Dennis Kelly, or who could just be one of the best swing tackles in the NFL.

Either way, this is the guy who the Titans should be watching closely at the right price.