Did the Titans do enough to improve the offense? After an off-season that almost led the NFL in roster turnover, the Titans are looking to improve in every facet of the game. The 2022-23 season ended with a collapse of epic proportions. The brunt of the blame for the collapse was put on the offense, a credible accusation.
The 2022-23 Titans offense finished 28th in scoring, 30th in passing yards, 13th in rushing yards, and 30th in total yards. Those numbers may be hard to look at for Titans’ fans, for good reason. First year GM Ran Carthon has already made an imprint, however, turning the roster almost completely over in all the right positions. The Titans rank tied for 5th in the NFL in that category.
The offense will return starters Ryan Tannehill, Derrick Henry, Treylon Burks, Aaron Brewer, and Chig Okonkwo. The biggest headline of the offseason in Nashville was the addition of DeAndre Hopkins, but the additions didn’t stop there.
A ROOKIE STARTER?
With Aaron Brewer moving to his natural position at Center to replace Ben Jones, the Titans needed a replacement at Left Guard. With the 11th overall pick in the 2023 draft, Peter Skorosnki became Carthon’s first ever pick as a General Manager. Skoronski is an NFL legacy name. Bob Skoronski, Peter’s grandfather, was a Left Tackle for 9 seasons with the Green Bay packers, playing on FIVE NFL championship teams. The reason for optimism is there for Peter Skoronski. Initially thought to be Left Tackle, the Titans have moved Skoronski to Left Guard where he shined in training camp and preseason games.
TACKLES HAVE PLENTY TO PROVE
To the great admiration of Titans’ fans, the Left Tackle position was upgraded. LT Andre Dillard signed a 3-year, $29,000,000 contract with the Titans early in the 2023 free agency period. A first round pick in 2019 for the Eagles, Dillard started 9 games at LT and RT for Philadelphia in the past 3 seasons. Carthon and company hope Dillard can put it all together with a fresh start in Nashville. Dillard’s performance in the upcoming season will likely decide the route the Titans go early in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The biggest question mark of the offseason came about when it was announced that RT Nicholas Petit-Frere (NPT) would be suspended for the first 6 games of the season. There have been multiple players signed and tried at Right Tackle to fill the void. For now, it seems that 10-year veteran Chris Hubbard will take over the position, at least for the first 6 games. Hubbard has started 49 of 85 games in his career between Pittsburgh and Cleveland. The Titans are hoping he can be a solid bridge player until NPT is back in action.
MORE ON THE NEW OFFENSIVE LINE
Another addition to the offensive line is Daniel Brunskill, the projected starter at Right Guard. After Nate Davis’ departure to Chicago, a gap was left in the offensive line. Brunskill started 42 of 61 games for the 49ers over the past 4 seasons. The impressive part is his versatility, having started a game at all 5 positions on the offensive line in that time. Brunskill seems to have found a home, for now, at the Right Guard position.
The offensive line is far from the best in the league, but the group should be much better than it was last year. Regardless of what happens, Carthon and company should be credited for their effort so far to better the offensive front.
WHAT ELSE IS NEW?
As mentioned before, the biggest addition of the offseason was easily DeAndre Hopkins. The Titans signed the 3x All-Pro to a 2-year, $26 million contract right before training camp. Since that time, he has been the ultimate pro for the team. From putting on a show in practice, to mentoring a young group of receivers, Hopkins seems to be a great investment for the Titans, who needed a WR upgrade in the worst way.
Returning receivers Treylon Burks, Kyle Phillips, and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine are ready to prove the offensive group can be much better than last year. With a crop of young, unheralded receivers that are chomping at the bit to cement their spot in the NFL, the offense looks to be in an okay position to bounce back.
The last, but not least, major addition comes in the form of running back Tyjae Spears. Spears was a 3rd round selection that brought a lot of feedback from Titans’ fans. After a solid preseason, that feedback turned astoundingly positive. That preseason saw the explosive running back lead the NFL in yards after contact per carry and finish 9th in yards per carry (per Warren Sharp). Can Spears finally be the lightning to Derrick Henry’s thunder? Titans’ fans are anxious to find out.
TIM’S TIME TO SHINE
An underrated change that was much to the delight of Titans’ fans is new offensive coordinator Tim Kelly. Kelly served as the passing game coordinator last season, but with former OC Todd Downing calling plays, it was hard to get the passing game going. Kelly, a 37-year-old OC, was the offensive coordinator for the Texans from 2019 to 2021, before joining the Titans in 2022. In 2020, Kelly’s offense ranked in the top 10 in passing yards and touchdowns, something Titans’ fans hope he can recreate this season.
WHAT TO EXPECT
If Ryan Tannehill can return to 2019-2021 form, the Titans offense could take a major step forward. With more weapons around him, Tannehill is looking to bounce back and lead the Titans to a much better season on offense. He has shown the ability to lead an offense when given an actual chance. In 2021, the Titans ranked 15th in points, which was enough for the 1st seed in the AFC. With the defensive side of the ball stacked once again, the Titans hope the offense can get back to middle of the pack at least.
An offseason filled with roster turnover, a training camp of promising performance, and an abundance of national media disrespect has Titans’ fans as excited as ever. People outside the fan base might not believe, but the Titans hype train is ready to rumble. It will no doubt be exciting to see if that train ever leaves the station this season.
