Titans sign former Broncos 1st-round pick

Last year while trying out for the Buffalo Bills, former Denver Broncos 2015 1st Round Pick Shane Ray talked about his bid to make a return to the NFL five years after his final regular season appearance. The injury-plagued Ray, who was only already 30 years old at the time, had already undergone a half-dozen-or-so surgeries throughout his very short pro career, and was determined to prove that he was “unbreakable.” Unfortunately, a preseason hamstring injury ended the linebacker's hopes for a return… last year. One year later, Shane Ray is back at it again, this time joining the Tennessee Titans for training camp, and hoping to earn a roster spot.

Once the SEC Defensive Player of the Year and a consensus All-American while at the University of Missouri, Shane Ray was considered to have top ten pick potential, but a turf toe injury and an arrest for possession of marijuana caused him to slide to the 23rd pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. After a promising first two seasons in the league, injuries started piling up and Ray began spending more time on the IR than the active roster. He wasn't re-signed by the Broncos in 2019, and then had a half-dozen failed tryouts leading up to and throughout the 2019 season, failing to find a steady home. Shane Ray's most recent and significant playing experience came in the CFL with the Toronto Argonauts in 2021 and 2022. The Titans hope that will change this year.

Can the Titans compete with the rest of the AFC South? 

In comparison to the rest of the AFC South, expectations for the Tennessee Titans during the 2024 season couldn't be much lower. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, at +1000 odds, the Titans are by far the biggest long shot to win the division and their projected win total of 6.5 is the 2nd-lowest in the AFC behind only the New England Patriots. However, the Titans were surprisingly aggressive in the offseason, firing head coach Mike Vrabel and letting Derrick Henry walk in free agency before acquiring the likes of L'Jarius Sneed, Calvin Ridley and Tony Pollard.

Bolstering the supporting cast around 2nd-year quarterback Will Levis will be key to determining if Levis is the guy or if he's just the latest in a long line of Titans quarterbacks who were a tier or two below that. The Titans believe that with a slight off-season tweak to some of his mechanics, a sophomore lead could be on the way.