When it came to adding upgrades to their roster, there was no other team in the NFL that was more aggressive this offseason than the Tennessee Titans. After building up their new coaching staff, they went heavy in free agency with a ton of defensive help for Robert Saleh. A lot of those additions previously played under Saleh either with the 49ers or Jets, and they know exactly what his system demands.
With training camp officially underway for the Titans, fans will now get to see the new additions and their impact that they could make to help turn the organization around.
Two of the Titans' offseason additions received some well-deserved praise going into the season from Matt Bowen of ESPN, specifically CB Alontae Taylor and DL John Franklin-Meyers. Both landed on Bowen's list of top impact additions from this past offseason.
2 Titans additions earn recognition heading into 2026
The Titans signed Taylor from the New Orleans Saints to help bring some stability to the backend of their defense, as he can play both inside and out. With Franklin-Myers, adding him to a defensive line that already has Jeffery Simmons is just simply not fair for opponents.
Matt Bowen about Alontae Taylor:
"An urgent mover who can play inside or outside, Taylor was one of the top defensive backs I studied in free agency -- he ranked No. 9 on my top 100 free agents list. In Tennessee, Taylor is projected to play on the perimeter under new coach Robert Saleh and coordinator Gus Bradley. That gives the Titans matchup ability in man coverage as well as tackling and vision in zone schemes. In four seasons with the Saints, Taylor had four interceptions and 40 pass breakups." said Bowen.
Matt Bowen about John Franklin-Meyers:
"Franklin-Meyers is an active rusher who can play on the interior or the edges. And with that versatility, the Titans can use him in different alignments to create favorable matchups on a pass rush anchored by defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons." said Bowen.
If there is one thing that should change for the better on this roster, it's the defense. No one can every deny that Saleh is a great defensive play caller. Even though his tenure with the Jets didn't work out, everyone knew that the Jets' defense was never the problem. Now with the overload of defensive help that was added, especially the continuity piece of it, Tennessee's defense is set up to create headaches for their opponents.
While a lot of eyes will be on Cam Ward and his development, the defense for the Titans could easily be the star unit that no one is talking about.
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