The Tennessee Titans have repeatedly said that they want to get faster this offseason, but fast players don’t come cheap.
As the draft process continues it seems less and less likely that the Tennessee Titans are going to be able to draft the Tennessee Volunteers WR Jalin Hyatt in the second round (the best vertical threat in the draft), but it is probably too early to look at him with the 11th pick.
There are other people in the class that can add that element to an offense, but those returns diminish quickly. However, finding consistent deep threats is harder to find in free agency than it is in the draft because they are in high demand.
At first glance, there isn’t a player in free agency that seems to fit what the Tennessee Titans need most at wide receiver, but it is important to remember that we don’t know who is getting cut yet.
One player that has publicly come out and said that they want to be released this offseason, is Houston Texans receiver, Brandin Cooks and he would be the perfect fit in Tennessee.
Brandin Cooks should be a top priority for the Tennessee Titans
When the Tennessee Titans wanted to go all-in on the ZBS scheme that would eventually turn around Derrick Henry’s career and produce one of the best offenses in franchise history, they wanted to find an experienced player to help them install it.
The offense that the Titans were using was an extension of what Matt LaFleur was teaching based on his time with the L.A. Rams. So, Jon Robinson went out and signed Rodger Saffold away from the Rams and he quickly became one of the best linemen on one of the best lines in the NFL at the time.
The Tennessee Titans should try to do something similar here, but this time they need someone to help install the passing game. Luckily, new OC Tim Kelly spent two years with Cooks in Houston when he was their OC.
In 2020 the Houston Texans, Kelly piloted an offense that led the NFL in net yards per attempt and Cooks’ had his best season in terms of yards per game. Reuniting Kelly and Cooks, and putting them in an offense that has Derrick Henry, Ryan Tannehill, Treylon Burks, and Chig Okonkwo would make sense for everyone.
There are more pieces that need to be added other than just a speed receiver like Cooks, but there are also players that could develop to fill those roles. Due to injuries, we missed out on seeing Kyle Philips as a dynamic slot receiver this season and a better coach should be able to get more out of Nicholas Petit-Frere this year at one of the tackle spots.
Staying healthy and developing players is crucial to the success of any team, and if the Titans can finally do that this season then this team could have a surprisingly fun offense. However, those are big ifs and if they want to go from a potential surprise to an expected success, they need to get guys like Cooks in the building.