The Tennessee Titans have the money to solve a lot of their problems this offseason, but if Mike Borgonzi's history is any indication, that doesn't mean that they are going to bring in multiple high-priced free agents.
Last offseason, Borgonzi and the Titans' front office indicated they want to build this team by drafting and developing players. It's a better approach than what Ran Carthon tried to do by solving all of his problems with quick, expensive fixes.
However, some people have misconstrued that idea and think the Titans are going to sit on their hands in free agency. The truth is, the front office should use its vast reserves of money to focus on raising the floor of the team while relying on the draft to raise the ceiling.
The one free-agent signing the Titans must avoid in 2026
The Titans should sign free agents they are either familiar with. Maybe that includes a Pro Bowl-caliber player, but they won't be chasing players simply because they have accumulated accolades in the past.
Another thing the Titans shouldn't do is bring in someone at a position where they already have a serviceable starter. That is precisely why the Titans shouldn't pursue Baltimore Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum if he hits free agency this offseason.
Linderbaum is a big name free-agent, but the first question that fans need to ask themselves is why the Ravens would let their high-profile offensive lineman go when the interior is a weakness for their offense?
Linderbaum will be the highest-paid center in the NFL this offseason, and he will probably make twice as much as current Titans starter Lloyd Cushenberry. However, money rarely stops teams from re-signing their own players if they believe they are key pieces of the franchise, which is why it is probably a good time to mention that Linderbaum (26) was nearly identical to Cushenberry (25) when it came to pressures allowed in 2025. This was despite the fact that Cushenberry actually played 70+ more pass-blocking snaps than Linderbaum.
The reality is that Linderbaum is a good center, but he isn't a transcendent player who is going to make the entire offensive line better. What he is going to do is demand a massive paycheck that resets the center market, and the odds of him being so much better than Cushenberry that it justifies the cost of a potential signing is close to zero.
It would also disrupt the development that the Titans saw from their offensive line at the end of last season. Any offensive lineman will tell you that chemistry is a massive part of what they do. All of that development and chemistry would be lost instead of being amplified by replacing Cushenberry with Linderbaum.
Adding a three-time Pro Bowl center sounds fantastic, and it would excite the fan base, but keep in mind how fraudulent the Pro Bowl has become. More importantly, that money would be better spent elsewhere, specifically by bringing in EDGEs and cornerbacks who would be good starters at a position where the Titans' cupboard is bare.