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The Super Bowl has been won, free agents have been signed, rookies have been drafted, and OTAs have all but wrapped up for the offseason. With less than two months until training camp starts, I'll be covering and ranking each NFL team from today until the middle of August. Some housekeeping before we start:
These are all my opinion. Your favorite team may be ranked lower or higher than consensus (sorry Om Brown). Based on last seasons' film, looking at who was added and let go by each team, and how favorable - or unfavorable - each teams' schedule is, that went into determining where they ranked.
Injuries are not taken into account. Those will obviously sway how a season plays out (i.e the Jets and the Bengals from last season). It would be unfair to knock the Jets down a peg, despite having an injury prone roster, when we don't know how the health of the team will play out.
There will be some teams I have ranked higher than others with a better 2023 record. Some teams have a tough schedule despite having a decent squad, and others have an easy slate of opponents while having holes in their roster. This is taken into account in my rankings.
Kicking off our list today is the 32nd ranked Tennessee Titans. Let's get into it!
Strengths
Wide Receiver Room
Offensive Line Guru for Head Coach
Ryan Stonehouse
Just two seasons ago, the Titans had the worst receiving room in the league, headlined by Treylon Burks and Robert Woods. With some savvy pickups in free agency, they've filled it out quite a bit, and are slated to trot out DeAndre Hopkins, Calvin Ridley, and Tyler Boyd in 11 personnel packages.
Brian Callahan, who helped design the Bengals dangerous offense over the past several years, comes in with an expertise in offensive line play (despite the Bengals performing poorly in that area). With young studs in JC Latham and Peter Skoronski to mold his scheme around, this hire could end up being a long term success.
With not many other strengths to note on either side of the ball, Ryan Stonehouse will provide plenty of chances to flip the field and potential change games. He's been one of the best punters since he entered the league, leading the NFL with 53.1 yards per punt the past two seasons.
Weaknesses
Minimal Star Power and Depth on Defense
Will Levis Hero Ball
Right Side of the OL
Jeffrey Simmons is a monster in his own right, and L'Jarius Sneed wasn't talked about enough for his near-elite coverage last season, but the pros stop there. In fact, it gets much more grim for the defense in all other areas. Harold Landry III has yet to perform up to his payday, they have virtually no depth among any position besides cornerback, and this team was already one of the worst pass rushing units in the league a season ago.
I want Levis to succeed in a big way, but he needs to cut down on how many throws he tries to force and how many sacks he takes by trying to extend plays. His track record hasn't panned out for other successful QBs across the league - in his rookie year, Levis posted a 21.5% pressure to sack rate, and a 4.5% turnover worthy play rate. QBs with close marks as rookies since 2013 are EJ Manuel, Mike Glennon Blake Bortles, Jameis Winston, Jared Goff, Josh Rosen, Daniel Jones, Davis Mills, and Zach Wilson. Besides Goff, this is pretty bad company to be in.
The offensive line is getting better, but the right side - and I'll include Lloyd Cushenberry III in this as well, is pretty abysmal. Out of the 12 combined seasons the three of them have played in the league, only two have resulted in a total PFF blocking grade above 70, and the only one to post grades above 60 every season is Daniel Brunskill. Their depth isn't much better, as Nicholas Petit-Frere is the next man up on that side, and he posted 52.3 and 35.5 blocking grades the past two seasons.
Key Additions
JC Latham - Offensive Tackle
L'Jarius Sneed - Cornerback
Brian Callahan - Head Coach
As you might've guessed based on the previous blurb, adding JC was a dynamite move for this franchise. Although he wasn't my top tackle available at the board at the 7th overall pick, I think the process made sense. He's a massive, low center of gravity mauler with unreal strength and power.
With a shallow secondary, the Titans traded for and signed Sneed after a career year in KC. He'll provide an immediate upgrade over Sean-Murphy Bunting from a season ago, and will open the door for Roger McCreary to solidify himself as the starting nickel corner.
As I mentioned before, having an offensive line coach either running the team and/or the offense usually bodes well for organizations with a lack of talent at that spot. Callahan will build the offense from the OL out, and should open the door to make them a more versatile offense than average.
Dark Horse
Cedric Gray - Linebacker
Whether he plays as just a coverage backer, or becomes an every-down defender, the addition of Cedric Gray can't be overstated enough. Kenneth Murray has proven to be lackluster throughout his career, and Jack Gibbens had an up and down season as a full time starter (3 games above an 87 PFF grade, 3 games below a 40.5 PFF grade). Cedric will get his chances, and I think he'll make the most of them.
Record
4-13
The Titans have a tough schedule, as they open their season against the Bears, Jets, Packers, Dolphins, Bills, and Lions in six of the first seven weeks. The Colts should be improved, barring Anthony Richardson stays healthy for most of the season, as well as playing revamped Texans and Jaguars squads twice throughout the season.
I can see them maybe stringing three wins in a row between Weeks 9 through 11, where they play the Patriots, Chargers, and Vikings - and that's if those teams don't play up to par of what they can do. Give them a toss up in one or two divisional matchups, and you're looking at anywhere between a 3 to 5 win seasons for the Titans.
I doubt Callahan will be fired after his first season, but if this is how the season plays out for them, I can't help but wonder if they will regret canning Mike Vrabel, who consistently outperformed the makeup of his roster at any given moment.
Final Notes:
Will Levis is the true wildcard on this team. If he performs above expectation, he may be able to carry this squad to more than 5 wins this season. On the flip side, this team is desperate for help on defense, and this upcoming draft class is swarming with talent on that side of the ball. Any way you cut it, the Titans are far from being a playoff contender, and that's still considering Levis is the long term starter for this franchise.
Expect another breakdown to drop over the weekend, then a consistent schedule on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday over the next two and a half months!
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