One of the biggest concerns in free agency is how well a big-ticket player will fit into a new system, and the Tennessee Titans made several big-ticket additions this offseason.
In terms of money spent, the biggest acquisition for the Tennessee Titans was wide receiver Calvin Ridley.
The Titans filled their need at wide receiver by snatching Ridley from the Jacksonville Jaguars. While fans are excited about Ridley, some of them have some apprehension because the Tennessee Titans have just never been a team that could figure out how to use a highly-paid wide receiver.
Those fans can put their minds at ease because it only takes 15 seconds of listening to Brian Callahan talk before you realize that he isn't someone who has his head stuck in the sand like former Tennessee Titans head coaches.
Kevin Clark interviewed the Tennessee Titans new head coach on Tuesday morning and got a lot of interesting information out of him.
I asked Brian Callahan about Calvin Ridley.
— Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) March 26, 2024
"You're looking at a very similar role to what Ja'Marr played."
That got us into a great discussion on QB-WR chemistry, Joe Burrow, Peyton Manning and the communicaiton that makes an offense great. *Awesome* This Is Football today. pic.twitter.com/RsjyFjMW5Q
One of the best bits of information happens immediately when Clark asks about Ridley's role with the Titans. Callahan responds saying, "You are looking at a very similar role to what Ja'Marr played in terms of his ability to move, move around the formation, use him in motion. He's got such a unique skill set, he's got great quickness, he's got great speed, he can run all the routes...he can win inside, he can win outside, he's got a lot of different things he can do well.
He later reiterated that if you look at how they used Ja'Marr Chase, you are going to see a similar role from Ridley.
It is so important to take that in because that is what Ridley does best, but it isn't necessarily how the Jacksonville Jaguars used him last year. With the Jags, there were too many examples of Ridley being static and not moving around to put the defense in a bind. Based on Callahan's comments and how Chase was used in Cincinnati, Ridley will be a moving target that puts stress on the defense before the ball is even snapped.
That will help make Will Levis's job easier and Ridley and DeAndre Hopkins will be able to take advantage of defenses that have to declare their coverage early.
Every signing the Tennessee Titans have made this offseason seems to have a clear purpose and a role on this football team. Time will tell just how good they can be, but on paper, this team continues to look better and better.