The Tennessee Titans are on the cusp of signing another key free agent

The ink still isn't dry on the DeAndre Hopkins deal, but it seems like the Tennessee Titans will have another new starter in 48 hours.

Over the last month, it seems the Tennessee Titans were working on a deal for the All-Pro receiver behind the scenes. While they were trying to sign Hopkins to be an impact starter on their offense, they got the unsettling news that they would need to address another starting spot before training camp rolled around.

I'm obviously talking about the Nicholas Petit-Frere suspension, and while it seemed like the Tennessee Titans would have tried to solve their right tackle need in-house, that has changed over the last few days.

Yesterday news came out that the Titans are going to host former Seattle Seahawks and New York Jets starting tackle, George Fant on Sunday.

Another new starter for the Tennessee Titans

For those who don't know, Fant has a really interesting backstory. Despite spending a full four-year college career as a basketball player for Western Kentucky, he made the decision to apply for a fifth year of eligibility to attempt to play tight end on the football team.

After going undrafted in the 2016 NFL Draft, he landed on the Seattle Seahawks as a tackle project because of his size and freaky athleticism. In a crazy turn of events, Fant actually ended up starting 12 games for the Seahawks as a rookie.

Over the last six years, he started at left tackle and at right tackle for both the Seahawks and then the New York Jets. Though he has more experience on the left side, I think it is safe to assume that the Tennessee Titans will sign him with the idea of starting him at right tackle.

If the Titans do sign him this weekend, fans should view him as the likely starter for the entire season not just for the first six weeks of the season.

Since veteran contracts are guaranteed for the full season unless they sign after Week 1, there wouldn't be an easy way to cut bait with this contract if the Titans don't want him on the roster once NPF is back in the fold. If they are going to be on the hook for his contract all season, then there is no reason for the Titans to force NPF back into the lineup if Fant is doing a good job.

While I thought the decision to move Brunskill from right guard to right tackle was the best option with what they had on the roster, the best move has always been for the Tennessee Titans to sign a free-agent right tackle if that option was available. Cap space was always a concern with this option, but it sounds like that might not be a big issue.

With a new offensive line that needs to gel, it makes sense to try to avoid turning one problem into two problems. This move also allows them to keep Corey Levin on the bench in case Aaron Brewer goes out, rather than having the only linemen who can snap all on the field at the same time.

Fant isn't a guaranteed hit, but he has more good tape than bad tape in his career and his left/right versatility means that he should have a spot on the roster whether or not they decide to replace him with NPF after six games. While we still have to wait for the workout to take place, it seems like this move is a matter of when and not a matter of if.

The Tennessee Titans have quickly gone from a team that seemed to be riding the fence between a rebuild or a reload, to a team that is trying to go after another AFC South title this season. If this Fant deal goes through, then the team will have added more starters in the last week than they did in the entire 2023 NFL Draft so it is fair to say that formerly dejected fans are (happily) dealing with some whiplash right now.