Titans offense could be formidable with DeAndre Hopkins, Derrick Henry

The Tennessee Titans will look a lot different in 2023. General manager Jon Robinson was fired in the middle of the 2022 season. Ran Carthon was hired to replace him. While some speculated that would lead to a rebuilding year in 2023, that does not appear to be the case. There has been a ton of roster movement, but the Titans are giving every indication they plan to compete in 2023.

The unit that will look the most different is the offensive line. Left tackle Taylor Lewan and center Ben Jones were cut in an attempt to free up space under the salary cap. Right guard Nate Davis was allowed to walk in free agency, ultimately signing with the Chicago Bears. Dennis Daley, who filled in for Lewan last year at left tackle, was also allowed to leave via free agency after a pretty brutal year.

To replace those guys up front, the Titans signed tackle Andre Dillard from the Philadelphia Eagles and guard Daniel Brunskill from the San Francisco 49ers. They also spent their first-round pick in the 2023 draft on offensive lineman Peter Skoronski from Northwestern. All three of those guys should be starters for this team when they take the field in Week 1 against the New Orleans Saints.

Receiver is a position that has been a problem for the Titans for years. Part of the reason Robinson was fired was because he traded A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles on draft night in 2022. Their key acquisition at the position before the 2022 season was Robert Woods. He did not look healthy in his year with the team and was cut after the season. Woods signed with the Houston Texans.

The biggest splash they made this offseason was signing All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins. While he may not be the player he was a few years ago, he proved last season in Arizona that he can still play at a high level. Adding Hopkins gives the Titans a legitimate threat on the outside with Derrick Henry lined up in the backfield.

Tennessee also traded up in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft to select quarterback Will Levis. Ryan Tannehill is still the starter for this team, but Levis will battle 2022 third-round pick Malik Willis to be the backup.

The changes on defense were not as big as the changes on offense, but there was still some turnover. Inside linebacker David Long Jr. who was a really good find for this team, left in free agency. He signed with the Miami Dolphins. The biggest knock on Long was his inability to stay healthy.

They signed Azeez Al-Shaair from the San Francisco 49ers to replace Long. Al-Shaair is a guy known for his versatility at the inside linebacker position.

One of the biggest additions the Titans will get this year is Harold Landry, who is returning from a torn ACL right before the 2022 season started. They cut EDGE Bud Dupree who vastly underperformed the big free agent contract he signed. To help fill the void left by Dupree, the Titans signed Arden Key from the Jacksonville Jaguars. He had 4.5 sacks in Jacksonville last year.

Defensive lineman Mario Edwards, Jr. was an unsung hero for the team in 2022. He played really well when Jeffery Simmons was sidelined for a couple of games with an ankle injury.

To help bolster the secondary, Carthon signed Sean Murphy-Bunting from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Titans have two pretty good corners in Kristian Fulton and Roger McCreary. Murphy-Bunting will give them a little more depth at the position. He will have a chance to start on the outside with McCreary kicking inside to play nickel on passing downs.

The DraftKings Sportsbook line on the Titans making the playoffs opened this offseason at +235, and it hasn’t moved a bit. The Jaguars have the best odds in the AFC South at -250.

So while the Titans were able to avoid the full-scale rebuild that some people were predicting for them in 2023, they will have a lot of new faces at key positions this season.