Barring a major surprise, Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward will be in Nashville next month and the Tennessee Titans' coaching staff and front office will do everything they can to ensure he is the future of this franchise.
To their credit, Mike Borgonzi and Chad Brinker brought in Dan Moore to secure the left tackle position and boosted the interior of their offensive line by signing Kevin Zeitler to a one-year deal. With those moves, the Titans' offensive line should be significantly improved in 2025, and Brian Callahan and Bill Callahan can be trusted to ensure they maximize their potential.
With the offensive line assembled and the quarterback on the way, the Titans need to prepare for Ward's arrival by acquiring more talent at the pass-catching positions.
Calvin Ridley is a nice piece to have, but if you throw a rookie quarterback directly into the fire, you can't telegraph where his passes will go by limiting his receiving options. There are still some free-agent options out there, but if they are going to go that route, they need to get going quickly.
If all those avenues dry up, Pro Football Focus recently posted a list of each team's best (realistic) trade asset, and 25% of that list was made up of pass-catchers (five receivers and three receiving tight ends). These are the five receivers that PFF mentions, analyzing whether the Titans should consider making a move.
1. Romeo Doubs (Green Bay Packers)
The Titans lack depth behind Ridley. Instead of surefire starters, they have a bunch of backup-caliber receivers who shouldn't start, but will have to if instant contributors aren't acquired. Romeo Doubs would represent an upgrade in Callahan's offense as an ascending talent.
2. Alec Pierce (Indianapolis Colts)
In-division trades aren't as rare as they used to be and Alec Pierce is heading for a contract year. When you look at the depth chart there, Pierce appears to be the odd man out, and if they don't see a future with him, the Titans could consider offering a Day 3 pick to test out how a cheap, young deep threat would work in their offense.
3. Tyreek Hill (Miami Dolphins)
Tyreek Hill is still a good receiver, but his production drop last year was staggering and that was despite playing an extra game in 2024. Borgonzi spent time with Hill in Kansas City, but the Titans aren't position to make a realistic run at the aging, speedy playmaker.
4. George Pickens (Pittsburgh Steelers)
George Pickens makes PFF's list, but it's difficult to envision the Pittsburgh Steelers actually trading him. They just acquired DK Metcalf to finally pair Pickens with an appropriate running mate. There's also some off-field attitude issues to consider.
5. Brandon Aiyuk (San Francisco 49ers)
Few players have lost trade value as quickly as Brandon Aiyuk. After back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, Aiyuk held out for a new contract with the 49ers as the team tried to decide what was best for them. Eventually, they signed him to a four-year extension worth $120 million, but there was instant buyer's remorse as he struggled to get going in the first half of the season before tearing an ACL in Week 7.