Tennessee Titans officially sign wide receiver Tyler Boyd and tight end Nick Vannett
By Will Lomas
It was a big story when it was announced that the Tennessee Titans were signing Tyler Boyd, but it was a little bit strange that the team still hadn't announced the move a week later.
Normally waiting to sign someone wouldn't be a big deal, but with OTAs around the corner, the Titans were running the risk of not having an important veteran piece in the building to start the offensive installation. That might not matter to you, but Ran Carthon specifically mentioned wanting to get guys in the building before training camp because of how important it was to get everyone on the same page with a new coaching staff.
However, that became a moot point on Monday afternoon when the Tennessee Titans announced that they had signed two players.
Obviously, the first addition was slot receiver Tyler Boyd who can focus on developing chemistry with Will Levis and helping other receivers learn the nuances of a Brian Callahan offense.
The second addition was veteran tight end Nick Vannett.
Vannett is the prototypical journeyman tight end which you can see by the fact that he has played for 6 teams in 8 seasons.
Here is how Jim Wyatt described him for the team's official website:
"In 94 career games, including 43 starts, the 6-foot-6, 257-pounder has 91 career receptions for 877 yards and six touchdowns.
After spending the 2023 preseason with the Texans, Vannett began the regular season on the Chargers practice squad before eventually being elevated to the 53-man roster to serve primarily as a blocking tight end and special teams contributor. In eight games, he recorded five starts and caught one pass for three yards."
The tight end position is going to be made or broken by Chig Okonkwo. If Okonkwo can be the guy that he has flashed the potential of being, then everything is going to turn out great for the Tennessee Titans because the wide receivers are going to get so much attention.
In a perfect world, Vannett's job should be to play special teams and to be the backup inline tight end behind Josh Whyle. We will see what happens in training camp and during the season, but this is still a rare free agent decision in May that should make a difference during the season.