Should the Tennessee Titans sign a top tier guard in free agency?
By Will Lomas
Free agency is less than two weeks away, and there are going to be dozens of free agents that could make the Tennessee Titans better in 2024.
It has been easy to make connections between the Tennessee Titans and free agent receivers, cornerbacks, safeties, and offensive tackles, but there are some creative options that haven't been talked about enough.
One of the options growing on me more and more throughout this process is the idea of bringing in a high-level guard.
It is rarely smart to break the bank for a guard, but it seems like it is going to be a buyer's market this offseason. Kevin Dotson, Robert Hunt, and Ezra Cleveland are all three young guards who could come in and start for the Tennessee Titans next season and beyond, while also improving the offensive line at a different position.
That might sound like I am trying to set up a situation where Peter Skoronski moves to left tackle, but he isn't the player I would move. All three of those guards could come in and start at right guard, meaning that they would be replacing Daniel Brunskill.
Just to be clear, I think Brunskill was the Tennessee Titans best lineman in several games last season, and he should be a starter in the NFL. While he isn't a Pro Bowler, if Brunskill is a team's worst starter on the offensive line, then that team is going to have a really good line.
Brunskill wouldn't be relegated to a spot on the bench in this scenario. Instead, he could move over to center where he started several games for the San Francisco 49ers while Tennessee Titans GM Ran Carthon was in the building.
Let's say that the Tennessee Titans sign Robert Hunt, and Daniel Brunskill moves to center. That move improves two positions on the offensive line, and it takes a load off of Skoronski's plate because he isn't playing next to Aaron Brewer anymore.
Again, I was on the other side of this argument at the start of the offseason due to the cost of a high-end guard, but this is what convinced me. Brian Callahan has used the example of a pie chart when he talks about roster spending and resource management. Well, what does that pie chart look like when you look at the current Tennessee Titans offensive line? Small.
Assuming that someone in-house is going to win the right tackle job and that they are going to draft a starting tackle in either the first or the second round of the draft, that would mean that the Tennessee Titans are only going to have one expensive contract on the offensive line.
Not only is this a cost-effective plan, but it should also provide long-term stability to the offensive line. Daniel Brunskill is the only player who would need to be replaced after the 2024 season, and that means that the Tennessee Titans have a year to find someone that Bill Callahan likes and wants to develop into the center of the future.
The Tennessee Titans get a blue-chip player on the offensive line while also keeping their line very inexpensive, and I think that would pay huge dividends for them in a division with so many good defensive linemen.