Tennessee Titans are following their recipe for success again
By Will Lomas
What is left for the Tennessee Titans?
Looking over the 2021 snap count, Marcus Johnson is the only player who hasn’t been replaced and who doesn’t have an obvious replacement on the roster. In fact, you can lump Johnson and Josh Reynolds together as the “WR3” and it becomes a real question of what the Titans’ plans are at that position.
Last year the Titans got an unexpected boost from Dane Cruikshank who had been on the roster for years but who finally found his role in the defense and really excelled at taking away tight ends in Tennessee’s dime package on defense.
The coaching staff loves Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, and there is a possibility that he is in line for a promotion from WR4 to WR3. I don’t think that is the best decision, but it is the option that makes the most sense when you look at how the roster is composed today.
Based on talent and previous production, my guess is that the Titans starting 11 on offense will mostly look like this:
QB: Ryan Tannehill
RB: Derrick Henry
WR: Robert Woods
TE: Austin Hooper
TE: Geoff Swaim
LT: Taylor Lewan
LG: Aaron Brewer
C: Ben Jones
RG: Nate Davis
RT: Dillon Radunz
Kyle Philips should get playing time but as a rookie, he should be a slot starter only. If the Titans want a more versatile WR3 that can move inside and outside, then Nick Westbrook-Ikhine is the most logical option on the roster (unless they want to target one of these free-agent receivers who could start on the boundary).
Other than that small issue, the Titans have followed their 2021 recipe perfectly. Remember that this was about the time last year when GM Jon Robinson made the move to trade for Julio Jones and that move really put the offensive rebuild into focus. So there is still a chance that another move could be made even if it isn’t a move as big as the Julio trade.
If not, then that is still an “A-” level job following their own blueprint and if it works twice, then the Titans will be in a position to land the top seed in the AFC South again with a younger and more complete team than they had in 2021.