Even though Lloyd Cushenberry was injured, it still took a lot of guts for the Tennessee Titans to move on from him and Kevin Zeitler earlier this offseason.
The two combined for 20 seasons in the NFL, and they were by far the most experienced offensive linemen on the roster. How did the Titans manage to replace them both without spending a Day 1 or Day 2 pick, and without spending heavily in free agency?
The first move was to hire Carmen Bricillo to be their new offensive line coach. Everywhere that Bricillo has been, his offensive lines have played better than the year before, and when he leaves, they struggle to find someone who can maximize the unit like he did. While his appointment is often being forgotten or overlooked, it was the most important move the team could have made, and it led to the next big addition.
Tennessee Titans' offensive line may be better in 2026 than anyone realizes
While it seemed like a throwaway at the time, Bricillo, Robert Saleh, and Mike Borgonzi all seemed to have a strong idea that signing Austin Schlottmann would solve their center problem. So much so that they cut Cushenberry before free agency, and they also decided not to retain Corey Levin, who had been the team's backup center.
The former New York Giants backup center took the job and never let it go, becoming the unquestioned starter for all of training camp. During the preseason games, Schlottmann looked the part on the field and was often praised by coaches and teammates for being another coach on the field, helping everyone know their assignments in this newly implemented offense.
While the center position was saved by great evaluation and inside information from former coaches, solving the right guard position involved some luck, as opposed to an offseason plan working to perfection.
The plan was for Cordell Volson to be a steady presence at right guard, and the goal was for second-year man Jackson Slater to push him for the job. If Slater was the guy they believed he could develop into when they drafted him in 2025, he would push a journeyman out of the spot, and if not, then Volson would be a short-term solution to a problem they would need to address in the offseason.
By the time the first preseason game rolled around, fifth-round rookie Fernando Carmona had earned the right to start with the first-team offense. Much like Schlottmann, once he had a hold of the job, he never let it go.
That is a fortunate outcome for the Titans, who would have had to let that battle drag on if not for Carmona's consistent play. A mix of skill and luck helped the Titans set their starting offensive line, and the fact that it was figured out so early means that this unit should have some chemistry heading into the season.
Dan Moore, Peter Skoronski, and J.C. Latham are staying right where they were last year, and they have gotten the better part of a month to practice next to Schlottmann and Carmona. After hundreds of reps in practice together, they also matched up against the starting defenses of the San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, and Chicago Bears in joint practices.
While they won't be perfect, it is easy to see how this could be the best offensive line the Titans have had in a long time. If Schlottmann and Carmona are just league-average starters, Latham has all the tools to develop into an upper-tier right tackle, and Skoronski is obviously the crown jewel of the group.
Don't expect greatness in Week 1, but when this team starts to really gel around Week 5 or 6, this could be the beginning of a new era in Tennessee. An era where Titans fans can watch the passing game and running game thrive with the offensive line, instead of both having to win in spite the offensive line.
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