Identifying the Tennessee Titans core players on offense after free agency
By Will Lomas
The 2024 NFL Draft is going to be one of the most important drafts in the last decade for the Tennessee Titans.
After upgrading the coaching staff this offseason, the Titans followed that up with a robust free agency that has fundamentally changed this roster. Former faces of the franchise like Derrick Henry and (like it or not) Ryan Tannehill are gone, and the foundation of this offense is different.
While short-term success is obviously important to GM Ran Carthon and HC Brian Callahan, this team isn't going to be judged until we see what they look like in 2025. With that in mind, I wanted to highlight which players on this roster are going to be the backbone of that 2025 team and beyond.
These "core players" have to be under contract in 2025 and should still be real contributors on offense in a year. I came up with 4 players that fit that description on offense.
Who just missed the cut: Tyjae Spears, RB
When the Tennessee Titans drafted a backup running back instead of addressing immediate needs like receiver, cornerback, or offensive line, nearly everyone was upset that Ran Carthon made that call.
Throughout the 2023 season, it was clear that the Titans should have addressed those other positions, but Tyjae Spears did everything he could to convince fans that he was the right selection.
Whether Spears was running between the tackles or catching passes, he looked like an explosive play waiting to happen and it didn't take long for some fans to start calling for Spears to get more action.
Going back to Week 13 (vs Indianapolis Colts) and Week 14 (@ Miami Dolphins), Tyjae Spears combined for 104 rushing yards and 102 receiving yards despite having fewer touches than Derrick Henry. That was the stretch where he really showed that he could be a real weapon for the Titans offense going forward.
The reason why Spears missed this list is because he is going to split time with Tony Pollard this year at running back, and we don't know what his role in this new offense will be. It seems like a 1A/1B situation, but splitting a role like that isn't quite enough for him to make this list.