Four best-case scenarios where Tennessee Titans can crush April free agency, NFL draft
The Tennessee Titans packed a year's worth of franchise-shifting moves into a month. Fortunately or not for the team, there's another busy month ahead.
The Titans spent aggressively in March, using free agency to add stars like receiver Calvin Ridley, center Lloyd Cushenberry and running back Tony Pollard, and leveraging the trade market to add and extend cornerback L'Jarius Sneed. But as March transitions into April, the Titans can't consider their offseason complete.
As free agency continues, the NFL draft draws near and veterans begin reporting for offseason workouts on April 8, here are four more offseason tasks the Titans need to complete, and the best-case scenarios for how to achieve them.
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Figure out the plans at tackle — both spots
Left tackle remains the Titans' biggest need, and anyone with the power to make a mock draft expects the team to address that in the first round. But there are still questions about the plans at right tackle. Dillon Radunz and Nicholas Petit-Frere return, but there are roughly a half-dozen starter-quality tackles available in free agency, including Chris Hubbard, the player who started over Radunz and Petit-Frere before his injury last season.
The best-case scenario: Draft LT Joe Alt in the first round and sign a veteran tackle such as Hubbard, Andrus Peat or Charles Leno Jr., to compete with Radunz and Petit-Frere at right tackle.
Add depth (and a playmaker) on the defensive front
Between Jeffery Simmons and Sebastian Joseph-Day at defensive tackle and Harold Landry and Arden Key off the edge, the team has a solid defensive line. But there's not much depth there. Denico Autry did so much for the Titans, and addressing his absence might require two or three specialized contributors instead of one plug-and-play star.
The best-case scenario: Using a second-round pick on a bigger edge defender like Missouri's Darius Robinson or Alabama's Chris Braswell, or even a defensive tackle like Florida State's Braden Fiske, makes sense. Pursuing another veteran in the room like longtime Buccaneers contributor William Gholston or former All-Pro Calais Campbell does, too.
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Strengthen the safety room
Amani Hooker is back, and Elijah Molden proved himself versatile and capable at times last season. But the Titans need more depth at safety, and given the strength of the free agents available, should be able to find a starter to allow Molden to move into more of a multi-use defensive back role instead of having to play every-down safety.
The best-case scenario: All-Pro Justin Simmons is still on the market and clearly would make the Titans better. But he's not the only veteran starter available. The team can add anyone from Marcus Maye to Julian Blackmon to Tashaun Gipson to Jamal Adams to Quandre Diggs. Adams makes particular sense, having spent his best years playing for new Titans defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson when he was the New York Jets' secondary coach.
Be tactical at linebacker
With free agent signee Kenneth Murray and returning contributors Jack Gibbens and Otis Reese, the Titans aren't going to win any preseason linebacker rankings, but they have enough to make do if the rest of the defense is solid. Still, with the new NFL kickoff rules seemingly placing more of a premium on short-distance blocking and tackling, adding more linebacker depth feels like a beneficial play for multiple reasons.
The best-case scenario: Use a fourth- or fifth-round pick on an athletic inside linebacker who moves well in tight spaces. Ease him in through special teams as he develops. If all the other holes on defense have been addressed properly, it's OK to take time with this concern.
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Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @nicksuss.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Titans checklist: Ways to crush April free agency, NFL draft