Costco options for the Tennessee Titans in free agency
By Will Lomas
The Tennessee Titans are going to be sitting on more money than nearly anyone else in the NFL once they cut Andre Dillard this offseason, but they are going to be measured in where they spend their money.
That doesn't mean that they are just going to sit on their hands, but they aren't going to try to be the "winners" of free agency like other teams have been in the past. When newly-minted President of Football Operations, Chad Brinker, was on the OTP, he explained the Tennessee Titans player acquisition process.
He separated unrestricted free agents, draft picks, and cap casualties into three different categories. He compared UFAs to Apple products or high-end watches, pointing out that you know are overpaying for a player but that it is worth it for something that is high quality and dependable.
When it comes to draft picks, he compared that to buying something wholesale. In this analogy, draft picks are the best way to get the most bang for your buck and to really make a profit. You have a real chance to find value at premium positions because you trust your scouting staff to identify the right guys and expect your coaches to develop those guys.
Then he talked about cap casualties which are a subsection of free agency. Brinker said, "Cap casualties [are] like going to Costco. You are going to get a really good product at a good value."
Cap casualties are sort of a wildcard in the whole process because teams don't know which players could hit the open market and you don't know when exactly they will hit the market.
NFL Trade Rumors is a great site that does a good job compiling news and rumors, and they recently went team-by-team and broke down potential cap cuts for each team and why they could be cut. I took those breakdowns and sifted through them to find players that fit big needs for the Titans (OL, WR, CB) and noteworthy players at other positions to come up with some players that Tennessee could target from this list.
Potential cap cuts the Tennessee Titans should sign in free agency
This is not a ranking, these players are listed alphabetically by their team name, and asterisks (*) indicate players with connections to the Tennessee Titans coaching staff or Ran Carthon.
Offensive linemen:
1. Colton McKivitz*, RT (San Francisco 49ers)
2. Mitch Morse, C (Buffalo Bills)
3. Garrett Bolles, LT (Denver Broncos)
4. Ryan Kelly, C (Indianapolis Colts)
5. Braden Smith, RT (Indianapolis Colts)
6. Brandon Scherff*, RG (Jacksonville Jaguars)
7. Kolton Miller*, LT (Las Vegas Raiders)
8. Ronnie Stanley*, LT (Baltimore Ravens)
Cornerbacks:
1. Isaiah Oliver* (San Francisco 49ers)
2. Rasul Douglas (Buffalo Bills)
3. Xavien Howard (Miami Dolphins)
Wide receivers:
1. Courtland Sutton (Denver Broncos)
2. Tim Patrick (Denver Broncos)
3. Keenan Allen (L.A. Chargers)
4. Mike Williams (L.A. Chargers)
5. Brandin Cooks (Dallas Cowboys)
6. Darius Slayton* (New York Giants)
7. Zay Jones*(Jacksonville Jaguars)
8. Tyler Lockett (Seattle Seahawks)
Other noteworthy candidates:
1. Samaje Perine*, RB (Denver Broncos)
2. David Long Jr., LB (Miami Dolphins)
3. C.J. Uzomah*, TE (New York Jets)
I am not saying that all of these players will be cut, in fact, none of these players could be cut and that is what makes this part of free agency so difficult. But, those are the names on that list that fill a need for the Tennessee Titans and who could come in and start for this team.
Whether that means they could be a bridge guy until a rookie is ready like in the case of Ryan Kelly or Brandin Cooks, or if they could be multi-year starters Courtland Sutton, Zay Jones, or Kolton Miller, there are spots for all of these players on the Titans roster if they hit the open market.