Tennessee Titans can boost the offense with a third-wave free agent
By Will Lomas
If you include retaining restricted free agents, the Tennessee Titans have already signed three offensive linemen who are likely to start for the team in 2023.
Andre Dillard is going to either be the left tackle or left guard, and fans should be excited about that. The Tennessee Titans didn’t break the bank to get him, but that doesn’t mean that he won’t be a good player.
Despite not seeing a lot of it in Philadelphia, Dillard has all the athleticism to thrive in a ZBS offense and he will be a massive upgrade over the likes of Dennis Daley, Bobby Hart, Ty Sambrailo, and Kendall Lamm.
Moving over to center, I regret to inform you that it looks like Aaron Brewer is going to be the starter this season after getting a second-round tender from the team. The one saving grace here is that he did look solid as the center in the game against the Green Bay Packers, and maybe that is a position where he can mask his size and win with quickness.
On the other side, they have added Daniel Brunskill who has started at every offensive line position over the last four years. He has spent the most time at right guard and center, so for now the most obvious fit is to pencil him in as the right guard.
Those are unspectacular, but solid decisions. While Tennessee Titans fans probably want to see movement at wide receiver and tight end (which Ran Carthon will also do) the player that can improve the offense the most is another offensive lineman.
Tennessee Titans should keep bolstering the offensive line
Whether they want to tank for a quarterback or whether they want to win now, Mike Vrabel and Ran Carthon came into this offseason knowing that the offensive line needed a lot of attention. They could go into the season with an offensive line that consists of the three players mentioned above, Nicholas Petit-Frere, and a rookie, but there is a better way.
Isaac Seumalo is a guard that wasn’t supposed to be available for as long as he has been. Nearly everyone had him listed as a top-25 free agent regardless of position, and while he missed time in 2020 and 2021, it wasn’t because of soft tissue injuries which are the Tennessee Titans’ primary concerns.
In terms of versatility, Seumalo was the Philadelphia Eagles’ starting left guard from 2018-2021 and then he slid over and started at right guard in 2022. Since versatility is a buzzword for the Titans this season, I’ll also mention that he has stepped in and played center and tackle with the Eagles as well (but in much smaller doses).
The easiest way he fits into the offense is to start him at left guard and then you have your offensive line set.
LT: Andre Dillard (who spent his entire career with Seumalo)
LG: Isaac Seumalo
C: Aaron Brewer
RG: Daniel Brunskill
RT: Nicholas Petit-Frere
That isn’t the only way this offensive line could shake out though. Let’s say that the Tennessee Titans are on the clock with the 11th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and every offensive lineman is available.
Because of the flexibility in this offensive line, you can draft Paris Johnson and your offensive line can easily morph into this:
LT: Paris Johnson
LG: Andre Dillard
C: Daniel Brunskill
RG: Isaac Seumalo
RT: Nicholas Petit-Frere
Depth: Dillon Radunz (T/G), Aaron Brewer (C), Jamarco Jones (T/G)
At this point in free agency you would expect to be able to sign Seumalo without breaking the bank, which is another crucial factor in this decision.
Whether this team wins in 2023 is irrelevant honestly, because this is a signing that should age well regardless of the short-term goals. If there is a rookie quarterback coming in 2024, then having an offensive line like the one above would really help him get started on the right foot.