The Tennessee Titans are one of the final teams to finish their offseason program, with their mandatory activities taking place this week. With so much work already finished, no one expected them to make a move before the summer break, but then Mike Borgonzi decided to add a starting-caliber veteran to his roster.
That signing was none other than center Andre James. James might sound familiar to fans who have been locked into free agency since March. The Titans also signed defensive end Jalyn Holmes and waived/injured defensive lineman C.J. Ravenell and released center Trey Hill, the team confirmed.
James was a starting center for four years in the NFL, and his best stretch came with the Las Vegas Raiders during the 2022 and 2023 seasons. That stretch culminated in him being PFF's 8th-highest graded center.
Titans sign veteran center Andre James; Will James reignite a key position battle?
James' tenure with the Raiders should ring a bell for Titans fans who are familiar with the new coaching staff. That is the two-year stretch that new Titans offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo spent in the same role with the Raiders.
Earlier this offseason, James was mentioned as a potential affordable option for the Titans if they wanted to bring in a center to compete for the starting gig. However, it quickly became apparent that Austin Schlottmann was going to be the guy that the Titans targeted to fill that job.
Schlottmann has reportedly been doing well and looks to possess the inside track to start at center this year, but signing James is an intriguing update to the depth chart that raises questions. Both centers have played for Bricillo before, but one was a two-year starter while the other was a backup that he believes is ready for a bigger role.
Time will tell whether James was brought in to compete with Schlottmann for the starting job or with rookie Pat Coogan for the backup role, but either way, you have to be glad that the Titans are doing everything they can to bolster the offensive line.
Since the draft, this has been talked about as the weakest position group on the Titans roster. Adding a starter with four years of solid experience (including two with the new offensive line coach) drastically improves their chances of finding league-average or better options at that position.
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