5 significant questions for the Tennessee Titans offensive line in 2023
- Did the Titans improve at offensive line this offseason?
- Andre Dillard looks to be a smart acquisition via free agency
- Can the Titans finally avoid offensive line injury bug?
2. What's going on with Titans OL Nicholas Petit-Frere and his suspension?
Former general manager Jon Robinson was responsible for assembling the team that reached the AFC Championship in 2019. On the other hand, his fixation with building for the future also left the roster devoid of talent in recent years. Seriously, who trades their No. 1 receiver because they prefer picks rather than giving him a market deal? Robinson, that is.
Receiver A.J. Brown deserved a new contract after hauling in a combined 185 receptions for 2,995 yards with 24 touchdowns from 2019-2021. Robinson rewarded him by trading him to the Philadelphia Eagles, where he caught 88 passes for 1,494 yards with five touchdowns.
The point here is that Robinson's successor, Ran Carthon had his work cut out to replenish the roster when he got hired and there was only so much he could do in 2023. One of the areas he couldn't address in the offseason and might require further attention in the not-to-distant future is right tackle.
Heading into 2023, the Titans were rolling with sophomore Nicholas Petit-Frere at right tackle, or at least that was the plan before he got a six-game suspension for violating the league's gambling policy. Rookie Jaylen Duncan is probably the first in line to replace Petit-Frere and the team is reportedly hosting free agent George Fant for a workout on July 22, per insider Jordan Schultz.
Sources: The #Titans are bringing in former #Jets OT George Fant for a workout Saturday. There's a good chance he signs, assuming all goes well. Starting RT Nicholas Petit-Frere is suspended for the first six games this season. pic.twitter.com/NzlvH73xsp
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) July 19, 2023
However, there's a good chance Petit-Frere be given a chance to get his job back once he returns if he makes a strong impression in training camp.
A third-round pick in last year's draft, Petit-Frere made 15 starts at right tackle and gave up five sacks and 35 total pressures on 504 pass-blocking snaps. On top of that, he scored a Pro Football Focus overall of 52.3. He'll have to do better than that if he wants to be part of the Titans' long-term future.