NFL
By: Rick O’Donnell
While there are plenty of things for the Tennessee Titans to fix after a 3-14 season, it will all have to start in free agency with the quarterback position. Will Levis gave the Titans a mixed bag of results and the Titans will need to address that. However, with so many holes to fill on the team, it’s not quite time to move on to the NFL Draft before they take that into consideration.
The most important thing to look at is, that Tennessee barely had a 1,000-yard receiver in Calvin Ridley who is a top-notch receiver. For the players that finished with the Titans, the next closest WR was Nick Westbrook-Ikhine who had 497 yards. Where Westbrook-Ikhine missed the yards that Ridley caught, he made up for it in touchdowns with 9 to Ridley’s 4. Tony Pollard hit the 1,000-yard mark out of the backfield, but in today’s NFL, that’s a bit easier to do with the extra game. Without taking anything away from those guys, the team needs to focus on getting more talent at skill positions before they attack the QB position in the draft.
So why not turn to free agency with these guys hitting the market:
Jimmy Garoppolo
Yes, Jimmy Garoppolo has struggled, but has Will Levis not? As bad as fans want to point him out to be. He still has a 43-21 record as a starter and that includes playing for the disfunction Las Vegas Raiders. If Levis isn’t getting the job done, he might come cheap enough to be an emergency starter or at least push the QB competition and make Levis work harder.
Jameis Winston
Another veteran QB who has shown flashes of greatness in the passing game, but can’t convert it to too many wins. His toughest pill to swallow is the fact he’s got a very Jekyll and Hyde to him. He’ll go out and throw for 400 yards or beat a division rival, but then follow it up with a 5 INT game losing to one of the worst teams in the league. With that being said, he might come at a cost that allows the Titans to spend a bit more free on the current free agent class.
Russell Wilson
There’s no indication that Pittsburgh will let him walk, but there’s a good chance they choose either him or Justin Fields. The chances of bringing them both back are slim and Tennessee should look into whoever doesn’t get resigned. Wilson might have trailed off at the end of the season but showed he could still play throughout the regular season. If Tennessee is looking for a QB to bridge the gap to their next franchise QB, a 2-3-year deal might not be a bad option.
Justin Fields
Fields came into Pittsburgh as the long shot to start. Due to Wilson being out, he got his chance. He took care of the football and tallied a few wins despite not being a stat hound. Will Pittsburgh let him walk away in free agency? Maybe not, but if I’m the Titans I’m making a phone call the minute I get the opportunity. He’s young still with plenty of room to grow. He never got a fair shot in Chicago and was always going to be a backup for the Steelers. The right coach could revive his career path.
Marcus Mariota
Yep, that Marcus Mariota. The Titans seemed to have given up on Mariota a bit too soon. Yes, injuries plagued his career and moved him into that backup role, but he still comes in and finds a way to get the job done. He hasn’t been a starter in some time now, however, when Jayden Daniels went down this season it was Mariota who stepped in and threw two touchdowns. He had quite the career as a Titan before getting hurt and coming full circle at the right price would help them be a bit more creative in acquiring talent to fill holes.
While none of these veteran QBs might strike fear in the hearts of opponents or solicit much excitement out of fans, they fill a need without losing draft capital. The Tennessee Titans can go out and utilize the draft to get another playmaker to throw the ball to via WR or TE position. If they go QB early, they could miss out on top talent in this years draft at other positions for a guy who may or may not be better than Levis who could improve as the roster improves. If not, plug in one of those 5, whoever it may be, and next year you have a solid team around a rookie QB.
