Last year didn’t bring smiles and warm fuzzies for the Tennessee Titans. They finished 6-11, quickly fading into a playoff afterthought.
Hoping 2024 will bring better news, they brought in new head coach Brian Callahan under general manager Ran Carthon.

Those guys will be looking to make cuts ahead of the NFL training camp, and three candidates have emerged from the shadows. Cornerback Tre Avery is on the potentially unwanted list along with wide receiver Kyle Phillips and edge rusher Rashad Weaver.

Will CB Tre Avery weather the Titans' roster storm?

Cornerback Tre Avery (23) runs through drills during the Tennessee Titans mandatory mini-camp at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park in Nashville.
© Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK

With L'Jarius Sneed and Chidobe Awuzie brought into the defensive back room, it became clear the Titans had their starters. Sneed brings two Super Bowl rings into the house, earning the pair with the Kansas City Chiefs. Awuzie is a seven-year veteran formerly with Dallas and Cincinnati.

Adding two NFL-worthy cornerbacks might push Avery out of the door. The moves show they didn’t think Avery’s 62 tackles and zero interceptions carried enough clout to remain on the field as much as he did in 2023.

With Roger McCreary firmly planted in the defensive backfield, Avery will battle for a roster spot with guys like Caleb Farley, Eric Garror and rookie Jarvis Brownlee Jr. Avery joined the Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2022. He has played in 29 of the Titans’ games over two seasons.

WR Kyle Phillips must find a way to stay healthy

It has been a tough ride for Kyle Phillips, who played in only 13 games and caught 23 passes in his first two NFL seasons. The Titans selected him out of UCLA in the fifth round of the 2022 draft. It appeared he would have an opportunity to make a splash, but simply hasn’t been able to get on the field. Injuries and inconsistency have hampered him.

Financially speaking, the Titans could benefit by cutting Phillips. It wouldn’t be dramatic, but if the Titans had plans to give him another extended look, the current roster makeup doesn’t suggest it.

DeAndre Hopkins returns and Calvin Ridley came on board through free agency. Then the Titans grabbed Tyler Boyd off the market.
That doesn’t leave much room for Phillips, who is a slot guy like Boyd. And Phillips can’t line up at X or Y.

He could have helped himself from a roster-making standpoint with more consistent play on special teams, but couldn’t make an impact and turned the ball over too frequently.

Is edge rusher Rashad Weaver on thin ice?

One of the best things about being an edge rusher in the NFL is the demand for even a hint of playmaking ability at the position. And Rashad Weaver currently holds a spot on a team without a ton of edge-rush talent.

Harold Landry III is a quality option. And Arden Key is starter material on the other side. But Weaver only has to beat out Caleb Murphy, Thomas Rush, and Jaylen Harrell.

Weaver hopes to enter his fourth season while Murphy and Rush latched onto as undefeated free agents. Harrell came to Tennessee via the seventh round of the 2024 draft. Weaver played sparingly as a rookie in 2021, but came up with 5.5 sacks in 2022. However, last year in 15 games he failed to take down a quarterback.

At 6-foot-4 and 259 pounds, Weaver can’t create matchup problems for opposing offenses. He’s easily handled, and that’s a no-go for an edge man.

Time has likely run out for these three players to change their narratives, but sometimes surprises happen in the NFL.