The Titans have had 3 9-7 seasons in a row and have made the playoffs only once since Marcus Mariota was drafted in 2015. Although a winning record is always good, all NFL teams want an opportunity to play in the postseason. The Titans have made a few changes in the offseason including 3 free agents signings, 6 draft picks, and multiple released players.
2019 Draft:
Round 1 • Pick 19: DL Jeffery Simmons- Mississippi State
6’4 301 lbs Defensive Lineman
Round 2 • Pick 51: WR A.J. Brown- Ole Miss
6’0 225 lbs Wide Receiver
Round 3 • Pick 82: OL Nate Davis- Charlotte
6’3 315 lbs Offensive Lineman
Round 4 • Pick 116: DB Amani Hooker- Iowa
6’0 210 lbs Defensive Back
Round 5 • Pick 169: OLB D’Andre Walker- Georgia
6’2 251 lbs Outside Linebacker
Round 6 • Pick 188: LB David Long- West Virginia
5’11 227 lbs Linebacker
Overall draft grade grade: B+
Going into the offseason, the titans main positional concerns were: Guard, Wide Receive, Tight End, Pass Rusher, and Outside Linebacker. Many of these problems were addressed in the draft. Although it is likely that Jeffrey Simmons will not play until late into the season due to an ACL injury, he was a great pick at 19. It is widely agreed that Simmons was a top 10 talent and if it were not for his injury then he would’ve been drafted much earlier. A.J. Brown was another great pick. He is one of the best wide receivers in the draft and it is very surprising that he dropped as far as he did. He has great hands and his quick for his size. Nate Davis is a solid G and will likely compete for the starting right guard spot prior to the beginning of the season. Amani Hooker is not the fastest, but he was one of the best defensive backs in man coverage in the country last season and throughout is career with Iowa. Both D’Andre Walker and David Long are big hitting, consistent Linebackers that fill an important need for the Titans. B+ is a fair grade because many holes were filled with high quality players.
2019 free agency:
3/12: Release S Jonathan Cyprien
3/15: Signed WR Adam Humphries, G Roger Saffold, OLB Cameron Wake, resigned S Kenny Vaccaro, Released G Josh Kline
3/16: Resigned G Kevin Pamphile, traded 7th round pick and 4th round pick to the Dolphins for QB Ryan Tannehill and a 6th round pick
4/29: Signed DE Brent Urban
Other transactions:
1/08: Matt LaFleur becomes head coach of Packers
1/26: Todd Downing is hired as Tight Ends Coach
In free agency the titans made 3 big signings which include:
Roger Saffold, a very good Offensive Lineman who was one of the highest rated Offensive Linemen last season by Pro Football Focus.
Adam Humphries, a quick slot receiver who consistently catches the ball, He had 76 catches, 816 yards, and 5 touchdowns last season with the Buccaneers.
Cameron Wake, an aging pass rusher who can get to the quarterback and fills the most important need for the titans defense.
Although the Titans had a very solid draft, and a few good free agent signings, there are still many question marks heading into the 2019-2020 season:
· Can Marcus Mariota stay healthy and play all 16 games?
· Will Derrick Henry play like he did in the last 4 games of the season last year?
· Can the Titans defense remain a top 5 defense in the league?
· Is there enough skill at WR?
· Will Delani Walker make a full recovery from his ankle injury?
· Will the Titans pass rush improve from last year with a few signings and draft picks?
The AFC south is rapidly improving and I think that the Titans will need at least a 10 win season to have a chance to make it to the post season. Will these moves and improvement from current players be enough for 10 wins in 2019-2020? Only time will tell but if Mariota plays like he can and the defense plays like it did most of last season, then I think the titans have a good chance of making the playoffs.