Six months ago, the Titans were staring at a rebuild with no head coach, no proven offensive difference-makers, and a defense that still needed help around Jeffery Simmons. That picture looks a lot different now, and ESPN’s latest offseason grading took notice.
Tennessee landed a B- from Seth Walder, with Robert Saleh’s hiring identified as the move that set the tone for everything else. As Walder put it:
"The Titans reset this offseason, handing over the head coaching keys to Saleh and 53-man control to GM Mike Borgonzi," Walder said. "Saleh, the former Jets coach, hired former Giants coach Brian Daboll to be his offensive coordinator. The hope is clear -- that Cam Ward will develop under Daboll the way Josh Allen and, at least briefly, Jaxson Dart did."
That’s the heart of the Titans’ offseason, and it’s hard to argue with the idea that this was more than just another coaching shuffle. Tennessee didn’t simply add names; it brought in a staff loaded with experience.
The head coach, offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator are all former head coaches, and Bones Fassel stands as the NFL’s best special teams coordinator. That’s a rare level of pedigree across all four major coaching spots.
Walder also gave the Titans credit for assembling an interesting, high-upside group of pass catchers. His main concern wasn’t whether the players can help, but whether Tennessee may have paid a little more than necessary to get them.
That criticism only goes so far. The Titans entered free agency with the most money to spend and, depending on the source, they’re still near the top of that list. In that kind of position, using cap space to bring in players who fit the new schemes and can become impact pieces makes sense.
Football isn’t won on a spreadsheet. If these additions do what the Titans believe they can do, the price tag won’t matter much. Tennessee wasn’t going to find a better use for that money sitting idle.
Given the usual way small-market teams get treated in offseason rankings, the Titans probably had a case to come in even higher. Still, a B- is a strong nod to how far they’ve come in a short time. The roster isn’t finished, and nothing is proven yet, but the direction is clear now in a way it wasn’t before.
In Other News...
Titans Camp Battle Could Quietly Decide Robert Salehs Defense
Training camp is about to sort out more than just the Titans depth chart. Under Robert Saleh, the competition at right guard has become one of the quieter but more consequential battles on the roster, with Jackson Slater and Cordell Volson both in the mix as the team tries to stabilize the interior and keep the offense on schedule. It is the kind of job fight that can shape how a line functions long before the regular season starts.
The same is true on the edge, where the spot opposite Jermaine Johnson II is expected to draw real attention once camp gets rolling. Femi Oladejo and Jacob Martin headline that group, with rookie Keldric Faulk also expected to factor in, and the way Saleh parcels out those snaps should tell a lot about how he sees the front seven taking shape. For a defense built on pressure and rotation, those decisions may end up carrying more weight than they first appear. [Read more 🡒]
Former Titans Star Left Stunned By Travis Kelce Friendship Snub
The celebrity-heavy wedding scene around Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift had plenty of NFL representation, with names like George Kittle and Matthew Stafford showing up with family in tow. For former Titans lineman Taylor Lewan and ex-Titans linebacker Will Compton, though, the guest list brought a different kind of attention, since both had long considered themselves part of Kelces circle and expected to be in the mix for a day that blended football fame with pop-star spectacle.
Lewan sounded genuinely taken aback when the invitations didnt come his way, openly questioning what he might be doing wrong after seeing who was there. Compton had a similar reaction, saying he was flabbergasted while reacting to the photos and even noting Dean Blandinos presence, a reminder that the guest list was full of surprises even before the Titans duo realized they were on the outside looking in. [Read more 🡒]
Titans May Finally Have The Camp Battle Their Secondary Needed
The Titans added another piece to their secondary on March 12, signing Joshua Williams to a two-year contract after four seasons with the Chiefs. For a cornerback room that has spent too much time shuffling bodies because of injuries, Williams arrives as the kind of steady, experienced depth every defense wants but not every defense can find.
What makes him especially relevant in Tennessee is the role he can fill behind Alontae Taylor and Cor'Dale Flott at boundary corner. Williams brings size, special teams value and the sort of flexibility that can help a coaching staff keep its options open if the camp competition gets tight, and the Titans will be watching closely to see whether he can turn that backup job into something more meaningful. [Read more 🡒]