The Tennessee Titans’ present and future are both bright.
Wide receiver Julio Jones is almost a lock for the Hall of Fame after a stellar career with the Atlanta Falcons, but now the superstar is going to be taking his talent to the Music City as the newest member of the Tennessee Titans.
Titans fans should be overjoyed because this is the missing piece to this already talented roster. For months now, the goals of this offseason have been clear:
1. Completely overhaul that embarrassment of a defense from 2020
2. Find a way to sustain elite offensive production despite the lack of resources
The first goal was seemingly achieved after the draft. Throughout the offseason, the Titans added three new starters at cornerback, two high-level pass rushers, and added several role players and backups.
While the Titans added two very competent receivers in Josh Reynolds and Dez Fitzpatrick, fans weren’t confident that the second goal on that list would be achieved. The majority of the fanbase wasn’t sold that those two would be able to replace the production of Jonnu Smith and Corey Davis.
The Julio Jones trade should completely alleviate that fear because he will jump and fill that WR2 role. Not only will he replace Corey Davis’s production, but he should be an improvement at the position, which is huge.
Despite the obvious reasons for optimism, there are some fans and pundits who insist on being wet blankets. Since there is almost nothing to complain about in the short-term with this move, those people quickly turn their eyes to the future to explain why they think this signals the beginning of the end for the Titans’ window for success.
Ultimately it all devolves into an argument about future resources, so let’s talk about why those people are completely wrong. Here are two reasons the Titans haven’t mortgaged the future by trading for Julio Jones.
The Tennessee Titans are stocked with future draft resources.
The first thing that has to be discussed with this trade is the draft picks that it took to get him to Tennessee.
Atlanta and Tennessee finalized a deal that looks like this:
Tennessee Titans receive: Julio Jones, 2023 6th round pick
Atlanta Falcons receive: 2022 2nd round pick, 2023 4th round pick
Doing some projecting with compensatory picks, that means that this is what the Tennessee Titans 2022 draft class will look like:
-Six original picks (1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th)
-3rd or 4th as a compensatory pick for Corey Davis
-6th or 7th as a compensatory pick for DaQuan Jones
Tennessee Titans
At worst, that is going to end up being a draft class with average resources and those compensatory picks should help provide ample opportunities to add depth to this roster.
Depth shouldn’t be a concern at all, but what about starters? The question shifts to which starters the Tennessee Titans might need to replace after the 2021 season. The biggest names to watch are Ben Jones, Harold Landry, Rashaan Evans, Anthony Firkser, and Jayon Brown.
In all likelihood, either Monty Rice and David Long will earn one of those starting linebacker spots. There is a small (but real) chance that Rice and Long replace Evans and Brown outright given their style of play and their cheap contracts.
That leaves Ben Jones, Harold Landry, and Anthony Firkser. EDGE is a premium position and the Titans might be forced to spend a 1st round pick on the position if they have to replace Landry, but historically it is fairly easy to find centers and tight ends outside of the top-50.
So, they have the draft resources to replace these players, but it might not come to that because the Tennessee Titans’ finances are in a pretty good place.
The Tennessee Titans can make adjustments to create future cap space.
The NFL’s ceiling for cap space in 2022 is $208.2 million and when you add in the $11.5 million that Julio Jones is scheduled to make next year, the Tennessee Titans are 20th in cap space next year.
That is fine, but it isn’t great. However, there are a few cuts that the Tennessee Titans could make to create massive amounts of cap room if some young players step up this year.
For example, if Dillon Radunz takes over the right tackle position and looks like a capable starter, the Titans could cut Kendall Lamm and save $3.3 million.
It is going to be a big year for Kristian Fulton and if he can unseat Triple J (Janoris Jackrabbit Jenkins) as one of the starting corner spots opposite Caleb Farley, then the Titans could cut Jenkins and save $7 million.
Those two moves would pay for Julio Jones on their own, and that doesn’t even factor in potential extensions for A.J. Brown, Jeffery Simmons, Taylor Lewan, and Rodger Saffold, where the Titans could lock up great players while reducing their immediate cap hit.
The point is people who are complaining that the Titans don’t have the money to keep their star players after they have traded for Julio, don’t know what they are talking about. Now historically the Titans have been stingy with handing out second contracts, but that has more to deal with how this front office evaluates re-signings vs collecting compensatory picks.