Firkser is key for Titans.
The Tennessee Titans decided that their free agency money was better spent elsewhere and they let tight end Jonnu Smith set the market for tight ends when he signed with the New England Patriots.
A lot of Titans fans were upset by this, and I get it. Smith was impressive at times and flashed the ability to make key plays when they mattered. But don’t forget, that was the finished version of Jonnu Smith, not what the Titans got from day 1.
Two years ago, Jonnu Smith was supposed to be the heir-apparent for Delanie Walker. But when Despite Walker missed all but one of the regular season games in 2018, Smith finished the season with just 258 yards and 3 touchdowns which was disappointing and cast doubt on if he really was the guy.
Fans weren’t optimistic about life after Walker who had just shown how good a tight end could look in that offense posting his 4th straight 800+ yard season and his 3rd straight Pro Bowl season.
In his third year in the NFL, Smith finally started to show signs of development and looked much more consistent and well-rounded, and the rest is history.
The reason I bring all of this up is because it was always a leap of faith that Jonnu Smith would become the versatile weapon that he eventually became and it took time and patience to get there.
So keep an open mind when I say that there is a legitimate reason to suspect that Anthony Firkser might be a key part of this offense going forward, not only in his current role (primarily a slot receiver) but as the team’s top tight end.