For the Tennessee Titans, the 2025 season needs to be about improvement and clarity. This team isn't a quarterback away from the playoffs, but they could put themselves in that position next year if they eat their vegetables this offseason.
In the 2025 NFL Draft, the Titans have to stay composed and focus on getting value from each pick because these are the players that will define the Mike Borgonzi era. Borgonzi must place emphasis on getting terrific value via a trade down, or ending up with the best player in this class at No. 1 overall, regardless of position.
Free agency is different. In free agency, the Titans need to understand the goal of this season and divide free agents into two clear piles. The first pile is long-term solutions, players the Titans should be willing to overpay because they are operating under the assumption those players will still be contributing when they fully turn it around and commit to a franchise QB.
The second pile consists of players who are mid-tier contributors, but also play a crucial role in setting the tone and establishing the right culture in the locker room.
Borgonzi and company will have to do a lot of research to make sure that they acquire players with the correct mental makeup, while making leadership a key reason why they are willing to sign outside free agents. Age should play a large role in that overall evaluation, specifically targeting players under 30.
Borgonzi previously specified two under-the-radar free-agent signings that helped the Kansas City Chiefs go from 2-14 in 2012 to 11-5 in 2013. Those two players were Anthony Fasano and Mike DeVito, and both were 29 years old when they signed with the Chiefs.
The Titans should take some big swings on young guys who will hit the market like Trey Smith and Jevon Holland, while also looking hard at players who could be long-term answers at positions of need like Talanoa Hufanga, Will Fries, and Alaric Jackson.
However, older guys like Kevin Zeitler, Bobby Wagner, Justin Reid, B.J. Hill, and Morgan Moses could be the type of bridge guys that the Titans bring in to help turn this thing around, particularly from a culture and leadership standpoint. If they do that, fans need to understand that signing aging veterans is part of the plan and that they aren't meant to be long-term answers.