The Tennessee Titans' passing game rests solely on the shoulders of 30-year-old wide receiver Calvin Ridley and his connection with rookie quarterback Cam Ward this season. If Ridley is as productive as expected, then the Titans' passing offense should be stellar. However, if he gets hurt or starts the season off slow like he did in 2024, then the upcoming campaign could be a challenging one for Ward.
The Titans are about to see the culmination of their efforts on the offensive line, where the rebuild started three years ago with the addition of first-round guard Peter Skoronski. If that line can be above-average or better, Ward should have plenty of time in the pocket to go through his reads and make some big plays. The problem is that it is only beneficial to the Titans if there are multiple threats on offense.
Ridley is the top target in the passing game, and defenses are going to do everything in their power to make life harder on him. That is when Tyler Lockett, Chig Okonkwo, Chimere Dike, and Elic Ayomanor need to step up and make plays.
Why the Titans should break their norm to acquire WR Terry McLaurin
Could the Titans maybe consider an alternative? If you were drawing up the ideal scenario for a rookie quarterback, wouldn't you like to have one other dominant wide receiver on offense? Why not trade for disgruntled Pro Bowler Terry McLaurin?
McLaurin has averaged over 1,000 yards per season in his six years in the NFL, including five straight seasons following his rookie campaign. He did that while having to catch passes from Dwayne Haskins, Case Keenum, Taylor Heinicke, Carson Wentz, Jacoby Brissett, and Sam Howell before being blessed with Jayden Daniels last year.
McLaurin recently demanded a trade over a long-running contract dispute. It seems like they are hesitant to give him exactly what he wants, as they have an older, expensive roster with several pending free agents next offseason. The Titans were on the wrong side of history once, trading AJ Brown over a similar dispute. Perhaps this is an opportunity for a do-over.
Acquiring McLaurin would invest in Cam Ward's development
The Titans have the second-most effective cap space in the NFL in 2026, and they have insisted that they don't have any interest in signing big-ticket players in free agency. It's part of their new "draft and develop" approach.
If the Titans aren't going to be big spenders in free agency, and they don't have any overly notable contracts to hand out after this season, isn't a trade that acquires a player of McLaurin's caliber the only real way to weaponize their cap space?
Trading for McLaurin and signing him to a hefty extension would go against what the Titans have preached this offseason. They want to stack draft capital and slowly build a roster around Ward. But if they really believe in Ward as a franchise quarterback, getting him another 1,000-yard weapon right out of the gate could accelerate his development.
Having said that, there is virtually no chance the Titans make this move.
Chad Brinker and Mike Borgonzi have been clear that there aren't any shortcuts to success in a rebuild. They intend to build through the draft, not through the trade market or free agency.
Every Titans fan should be rooting for them to acquire McLaurin, because it would make the offense more interesting in 2025. However, this team is much more likely to take the long and winding road to a rebuild.
Hopefully this conservative attitude turns out better than the more aggressive, directionless approach they took last offseason.