For those who began watching coverage and checking phones at (or before) noon on Monday, free agency got off to a pretty disappointing start from a Tennessee Titans perspective. Shortly after the first hour of the negotiation window had passed, Tennessee finally made their first signing...backup quarterback, Mitchell Trubisky.
Following this somewhat inauspicious start, things began to pick up quickly. On the first day of the negotiating period, the Titans added two top-ten players from ESPN's free agent rankings, a versatile and skilled slot receiver, and a do-it-all tight end, among others. Over the next few days, the team would continue to upgrade the secondary and add depth on both the offensive and defensive fronts.
But even with flashy additions such as John Franklin-Myers, Alontae Taylor, and Wan'Dale Robinson, the roster-building strategy and shared vision between the coaching staff and front office may have been the most meaningful takeaways from the first milestone of the new league year.
A Trend Emerges
Beginning with the trade that brought Jermaine Johnson II to Nashville, through the majority of free agent acquisitions, and up to a seventh-round pick swap for a former third overall pick, a trend became clear very quickly. Both head coach Robert Saleh and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll were bringing "their guys" to Tennessee. In fact, nearly all of the Titans' acquisitions had played for one of the two in the past.
Given how bad both New York teams have been in recent years, we were a little wary of adding so many former pieces of those rosters. However, once the big picture approach started to materialize, we became more encouraged than in quite some time with the direction of the Titans.
The Big Picture
Over the past several years, the Titans earned the reputation as one of the more dysfunctional organizations in the NFL. Power struggles led to annual firings, which led to self-preservation tactics for execs and coaches, which contibuted to a lack of communication and cooperation between the most important decision-makers in the organization. Unsurprisingly, the turmoil behind the scenes did not create a winning culture or lead to positive results on the field.
Judging by the roster moves over the past few days, the drama and dysfunction may finally be behind the Titans. Whether you believe players like Cor'Dale Flott and Jordan Elliott represent major upgrades in talent, what these (and many other) signings represent is a clear level of cooperation between the coaching staff and the front office. General manager Mike Borgonzi has obviously been relying on the experience, expertise, and input of the coaching staff to build a roster that is more than just a collection of talented individuals; it could actually be the beginnings of a winning team.