Forget the age, forget the money, forget similar moves that the Tennessee Titans have made in the past, the DeAndre Hopkins signing was crucial for this team and it changes everything.
For most of the national media or people who don't really pay close attention to the Tennessee Titans, the Hopkins signing is a good move for the Titans that gives them a proven number one receiver.
While they are quick to point out any flaws he might have and why he might not be as dominant as he was in the past, they don't tell the whole story. See, the move wasn't made because the Tennessee Titans believe that he is going to come in and be their WR1 who is a clear All-Pro.
What they don't seem to understand is that, the Tennessee Titans don't need him to be that guy. That isn't the role they want him to fill. In fact, this signing is as much about the domino effect that adding a player of his caliber will do to the rest of this organization, as it is about Hopkins himself.
The best way to show why his addition is so important is to go step-by-step through what it means for the people that his addition affects. That starts before we even talk about what will happen on the field, with the Tennessee Titans' brain trust of GM Ran Carthon and HC Mike Vrabel.
Ran Carthon and Mike Vrabel, the Titans brain trust
By now the dynamic between the Tennessee Titans decision makers is pretty clear. Mike Vrabel has final say on any free agent signing, draft pick, trade, extension, etc.
It is Ran Carthon's job to basically evaluate the market and make pitches for different players that he believes are fit for what Mike Vrabel wants. Whether that market is a draft class, the free agent market, the trade block, the waiver wire, or something else, Carthon's job is essentially to consolidate that information and make judgment calls on which players will fit best in Tennessee.
Carthon isn't doing this alone. Currently, the structure underneath the GM is Chad Brinker who handles contract structures and free agency, Anthony Robinson who specializes in prospect evaluation in the NFL Draft, and analytics expert Sarah Bailey.
For everyone involved, the DeAndre Hopkins move changes expectations. This is no longer a team that can pivot and start focusing on the future if they struggle to start the season. Now the Titans have shown that they are fully committed to winning now and they will be judged on the team that they put together this season.
This is a team that was shaped in Mike Vrabel's image, and it is one that he has had a hand in building for a few years. Adding Hopkins to this roster means that Mike Vrabel is confident that he and his team have done a good enough job turning this roster into one that will compete for the AFC South title and more in 2023.
Tim Kelly, OC
One of the reasons that has been cited over and over as a driving factor in Nuk's decision to join the Tennessee Titans is his familiarity with Mike Vrabel. However, the most important connection was his connection with Tim Kelly who was his OC in 2019.
Hopkins obviously felt comfortable with where he would fit in Tim Kelly's offense this season, and his presence might fundamentally change how the Tennessee Titans play football.
While the Titans are never going to shift to a pass-first team, Tim Kelly's offense in 2019 was balanced enough that it is reasonable to think that the team could look similar to that offense this year.
In Kelly's three years as the OC in Houston, here is how often he passed the ball:
2019: 55.2%
2020: 61.3%
2021: 56.5% (Rookie QB Davis Mills)
Average passing rate: 57.7%
Compare that to two years under Todd Downing where the Tennessee Titans passed the ball 49.3% of the time in 2021 without Derrick Henry for more than half of the season, and 48.4% in 2022.
If this signing is the catalyst for the Tennessee Titans offense to move into the 21st century, that would be massive for this team.
Ryan Tannehill, QB
There was never a question of which quarterback was going to start this season, just like there was never a question about which quarterback would start last season. Malik Willis and Will Levis will work on developing into starting-caliber NFL quarterbacks and while they are growing in that role, Ryan Tannehill will continue to start for the Titans and help them win games.
Like everything with this team, health is going to be crucial to the points I am making here. Having said that, if the Titans starting pass catchers can stay healthy, then this will be the most talented collection of weapons that Ryan Tannehill has had since 2020.
Treylon Burks and Hopkins will predominantly be on the boundary as the team's WR1 and WR2, but both can move around if that helps create mismatches. Inside defenses will have to decide how to attack Derrick Henry while also dealing with the playmaking ability of Chig Okonkwo. Throw in wild cards like Kyle Philips and Tyjae Spears, and suddenly defenses don't get quite as excited when they see the Titans on the schedule.
If the weapons stay healthy and if the offensive line can manage to avoid being the worst unit in the NFL, then this move might be the move that brings back the 2019 and 2020 versions of Ryan Tannehill.
Derrick Henry, RB
For half of a decade, the Tennessee Titans' offense has been defined by what Derrick Henry could do. Even if there have been other playmakers in the past, when you force-feed a player the way that Mike Vrabel and company have force-fed Henry, that is the face of your offense.
For the first time since 2018, Derrick Henry might not average 20 rush attempts per game.
Between a group of receivers and tight ends that can suddenly hold their own against defenses, and the potential emergence of Tyjae Spears as a backup running back/slot receiver, there just might be too many other players with better matchups.
While that might sound good for Henry, I'm not sure it is. Sure, he will have fresher legs than he normally does heading into January, but that has never been something that bothered Henry. In fact, history shows that really doesn't start going until he has had 15 or 20 touches in a game.
Will fewer loaded boxes lead to more efficient plays early in the game from Derrick Henry, or will a less smashmouth style of offense lead to fresher defenses in the fourth quarter? It is hard to say, but that feels like a question we will have answered by the end of the season.
Treylon Burks, Kyle Philips, and Chig Okonkwo, young pass catchers
I still believe that Burks is going to be the WR1 (the X) in this offense with Hopkins as the WR2. However, that isn't reflective of what I think their stats will look like, it is reflective of what I believe Burks can do as a weapon in all three levels of the defense.
Still, both will live on the boundary and both players should be enough of a threat for defenses to stay honest with their coverage. That means that both of those big receivers who are aggressive in their routes and physical at the catch-point, won't have to worry about extra attention.
Since the safeties will have to spend more time in the deep halves of the field instead of spending extra time in the box as they have in the past, that means that there should be more room in the middle of the field for guys like Kyle Philips and Chig Okonkwo to take advantage of.
Not only will the Titans young pass catchers hopefully get a chance to watch one of the best receivers of his generation work, but they will also benefit from easier coverage across the board.
These three all get the benefit of having a full season under their belts and an understanding of what it is like to play in the NFL. Combine that with lighter coverage and an offense that has even more reason to be committed to the passing game this season, and we could be in for a very exciting season of growth from these young players.