The Tennessee Titans started the season 7-3 but lost the last seven games in a row to miss the playoffs for the first time in four years. Now the franchise is at a crossroads this NFL offseason. Do the Titans try and run it back one more time with Ryan Tannehill and company? Or do they start a soft rebuild and hope to continue to have success while they do it? Those questions and more will be answered in these bold Titans offseason predictions.
4. The Titans cut Taylor Lewan
No one player signifies the changing of the guard this Titans offseason more than left tackle Taylor Lewan. The 2014 No. 11 overall pick is one of the cornerstones that allowed the Titans to become a run-first force under Mike Vrabel in the last half-decade.
However, at 31, Lewan is no longer the dominant player he once was. Or, more accurately, he isn’t on the field enough anymore to be the dominant player he once was. The tackle-turned-podcaster has missed 30 games in the last three seasons due to injury.
And now, he’s on the books for $14.8 million next season with no dead cap hit, so cutting him will save the Titans that entire amount. That’s crucial for a team with the fourth-worst cap situation in the league heading into the 2023 NFL offseason.
The Titans are currently at $-23,547,933 against the cap, and cutting Lewan gets the team at least halfway back to even.
3. The team drafts Paris Johnson Jr. to replace Lewan
Cutting Taylor Lewan to save money is one thing, but the Titans still need a bookend left tackle to anchor the offensive line moving forward. That’s why the next bold Titans offseason prediction of that Tennessee quickly replaces its star in the 2023 NFL Draft.
At pick No. 11, several major mock drafts — including from ESPN’s Todd McShay — have the Titans selecting Ohio State tackle Paris Johnson Jr.
At 6-foot-6, 310 pounds, Johnson is almost the mountain of a man that Lewan is, and he offers the team more versatility than the veteran. He also played guard at times for the Buckeyes, so if Johnson (who is a relatively raw athlete) isn’t quite ready for blindside duty in 2023, he can still contribute to the team in a major way.
Cutting a player and immediately bringing in a replacement is how Mike Vrabel can keep the team afloat and contending while also rebuilding. And that brings us perfectly to bold Titans offseason prediction No. 2.
2. The Titans cut Ryan Tannehill
The Ryan Tannehill Era in Tennessee is officially over.
Like Taylor Lewan, cutting Tannehill will save the Titans boatloads of money in 2023. In fact, just the $17.8 million in savings from cutting the QB combined with Lewan’s number bring the Titans from $23.5 million over the cap to $4.5 million under it.
This almost guarantees that Tannehill is gone this offseason. This isn’t just a cost-cutting move, though. The veteran QB will be 35 when next season starts and missed five games this season due to injury.
Plus, the team drafted Malik Willis last year, and if he has a good offseason and wins the job, having Ryan Tannehill on the bench at $36.6 million simply doesn’t make sense.
That said, Willis did not look ready for primetime this season. In his eight appearances and three starts, the rookie was just 31-of-61 for 276 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions.
The former Liberty Flame did rush for 123 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries, but that’s not enough to get the starting job next season. So, with that in mind, what can the Titans do to stay responsible from a money and roster perspective but still have a chance to win games?
Glad you asked.
1. The team signs Gardner Minshew II to replace Tannehill
The final bold Titans offseason prediction is that Tennessee signs a mid-level veteran quarterback (not all that dissimilar to Ryan Tannehill) to a deal this NFL offseason. It has to be a player who is not going to break the bank but who can also start if Willis isn’t ready to go.
That QB is former Philadelphia Eagles backup Gardner Minshew II.
Minshew has his “Minshew Mania” moments early in his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars but ultimately made way for Trevor Lawrence. And the last two seasons, he backed up Jalen Hurts in Philly.
The mustachioed signal-caller will only be 27 when the 2023 season starts, though, so if a team gives him a chance, he could still prove to be a serviceable starter. Looking around the NFL offseason landscape, the Titans will likely be his best shot to start in 2023.
That’s why this is an excellent match for both parties in the short term and, I things work out, maybe the long term, too.
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