Category: Titans roster

Titans plan to use Calvin Ridley all over formation

Titans head coach Brian Callahan loves the flexibility his WR group offers, and specifically when it comes to Calvin Ridley.

The Tennessee Titans have long been a run-first offense. Before the arrival of A.J. Brown and subsequently DeAndre Hopkins, Titans fans rarely saw elite receivers suit up for their favorite team.

Now, the Titans are in the fortunate position of having two highly-touted playmakers at wide receiver: The aforementioned Hopkins, who had a 1,000-yard season in 2023, will be joined by Calvin Ridley in 2024.

Ridley signed a massive four-year, $92 million deal and gives the Titans a speedster who will complement Hopkins perfectly. The team also brought back Nick Westbrook-Ikhine to provide depth. Treylon Burks and Kyle Philips are other notable receivers on the roster.

Head coach Brian Callahan is thrilled to have these weapons at his disposal, especially guys like Hopkins, Ridley and Burks, all of whom can play all over the formation, something Callahan plans to utilize.

“Being able to move Calvin around is going to be exciting,” Callahan said, per Jim Wyatt. “But I think the other guys, being able to move those guys around, too, will be helpful. Moving Hop around, trying to get him some matchups, put his skill set in good position against lesser players. We’ll see what Treylon (Burks) can do as we move him around.

“I just think it’s a good group that has some flexibility, particularly with Calvin. I think he has played all over the formation, so that part to me is exciting.”

One of the beliefs when it comes to Ridley’s inconsistent play in 2023 has to do with the fact that the Jacksonville Jaguars didn’t move him around the formation much.

Based on Callahan’s comments, that won’t be an issue in Tennessee.

“You’re looking at a very similar role that Ja’Marr [Chase] played, in terms of his ability to move around the formation, use him in motion,” Callahan said on the This is Football show. “He’s got such a unique skill set. He’s got great quickness, he’s got great speed, he can run all the different routes.”

It’s notable that Callahan mentioned Burks. Many have wondered if Burks’ days in Nashvillle could be numbered after a pair of disappointing seasons. However, the coach clearly envisions the former first-rounder playing a role.

The Titans hope the new-look room will help improve on the league’s 29th-ranked passing offense from a season ago.

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Projecting Titans’ CB depth chart after L’Jarius Sneed trade

Bryce Lazenby breaks down the Titans’ cornerback depth chart after the L’Jarius Sneed trade.

With a new coaching staff, it’s fair to say the Tennessee Titans’ defense will look different in 2024. On top of having a new defensive coordinator in Dennard Wilson, multiple new players were added to the defense in free agency, but the biggest move came via trade.

Last week, it was announced that the Titans had agreed to trade for Kansas City Chiefs corner L’Jarius Sneed. The Titans and Sneed also agreed to an extension to keep the standout CB in Nashville for the foreseeable future.

Sneed joins Chidobe Awuzie as a newcomer to the Titans’ secondary. The duo will be replacing Sean Murphy-Bunting, who signed with the Arizona Cardinals, and Kristian Fulton, who signed with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Murphy-Bunting performed admirably in his lone season with the Titans, but Fulton had a miserable year. Sneed and Awuzie are both upgrades and will immediately improve the cornerbacks room.

Currently, the Titans’ CB depth chart looks like this:

Starter Second string Third string
L’Jarius Sneed Caleb Farley Tay Gowan
Chidobe Awuzie Tre Avery Anthony Kendall
Roger McCreary Eric Garror

Sneed gives the Titans a true lockdown corner on the outside, while Awuzie is a very good No. 2 who once looked to be on an elite trajectory before his ACL tear in 2022. McCreary does his best work in the slot, and he should line up there primarily in 2024.

Admittedly, this is a top-heavy group.

Farley is a former first-round pick who has barely been able to get on the field and hasn’t been very good when he has played.

Avery and Garror are former UDFAs. Avery has been decent in a limited role but routinely gets exposed when he gets increased playing time. Garror was quietly good in coverage last season but the jury is still very much out on him.

Gowan and Kendall are roster fillers who will battle it out for a spot in camp.

Now, let’s take a look at what the final depth chart could look like:

Starter Second string
Chidobe Awuzie Caleb Farley
L’Jarius Sneed Drafted CB
Roger McCreary Eric Garror

It will be interesting to see if this new coaching staff can develop Farley. The talent was once there in college, but it has yet to translate to the next level. Ultimately, I believe Farley will get one more chance to prove his worth.

This unit could use some young talent. I expect the team to spend a draft pick on a corner. Perhaps another veteran is needed, as well. If Tennessee does neither of those things, Avery is a favorite to grab a spot.

Regardless, this group should be much improved over last season.

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Projecting Titans’ WR depth chart after Calvin Ridley signing

Bryce Lazenby takes a look at the Titans’ current WR depth chart, and how it might look after final cuts.

The Tennessee Titans have a new coaching staff, and with a new coaching staff comes a new identity.

For years, the Titans have been a run-first offense that has only had one or two reliable options to throw the ball to. In 2023, DeAndre Hopkins led the Titans with 75 catches for 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns. No other wide receiver on the roster even caught 30 passes.

Thus, new head coach Brian Callahan and general manager Ran Carthon saw the position as a pressing need this offseason.

The Titans were aggressive in free agency and dished out a whopping $50 million in guaranteed money to Calvin Ridley. Ridley and Hopkins should give the Titans an enviable one-two punch at the position.

The team also retained Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, who is a solid depth piece after tallying at least 25 catches and 370 yards in each of the last three seasons.

The team will likely add another receiver in the 2024 NFL draft, but before that happens let’s go ahead and take a look at the wide receiver depth chart as it stands today.

Starter Second string Third string
DeAndre Hopkins Nick Westbrook-Ikhine Tre’Shaun Harrison
Calvin Ridley Colton Dowell Kearis Jackson
Treylon Burks Kyle Philips Mason Kinsey

Other than Ridley being added, the only notable difference from last season is Chris Moore, who signed with the Arizona Cardinals.

The hope is that Burks will flourish playing with Hopkins and Ridley. His career has been disappointing to this point, but there will be much less pressure on the former Arkansas Razorback now.

While Burks and NWI currently sit as WR3 and WR4, respectively, it’s likely the team will bring in a receiver in the 2024 NFL draft to compete with them for playing time.

Kinsey and Philips are slot-only options, and Jackson provides value as a return man. Kinsey, Philips, Harrison, Dowell, and Jackson could end up competing for one or two roster spots.

Ultimately, I believe the depth chart will look something like this after final cuts are made:

Starter Second string Third string
DeAndre Hopkins Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
Calvin Ridley Drafted WR Kearis Jackson
Treylon Burks Kyle Philips

I imagine Burks will work mostly from the slot in three-receiver sets, but the Titans have a slew of options on how to deploy their top three, as Ridley and Hopkins are capable of lining up inside and out.

Ridley has breakaway speed and is a crisp route-runner, while Hopkins is the possession receiver who catches everything.

Allowing Burks to work out of the slot could do wonders for his game. The wide receiver flourished out of the slot in college thanks to his YAC (yards after catch) ability and would likely do the same in the pros.

It helps to also have Philips, who has flashed as a slot receiver in the past.

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Grade for Titans’ signing of WR Calvin Ridley

Bryce Lazenby shares his grade for the Titans’ signing of WR Calvin Ridley.

The Tennessee Titans made waves on Wednesday by agreeing to terms with free-agent wide receiver Calvin Ridley. The deal elicited strong reactions from fans and media members alike.

The free agency strategy the Titans are going with is much more aggressive than it has been in years past. The team added at positions of need with the signings of Tony Pollard, Lloyd Cushenberry, Kenneth Murray, Chidobe Awuzie, and the aforementioned Ridley, among others.

Ridley will immediately come in and fill a huge need for the Titans. In 2023, DeAndre Hopkins led all Titans receivers with 75 catches. No other wideout on the team had even 30 catches on the year.

In 2023 for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Ridley came down with 76 catches for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns. The speedster has no problem creating separation, which is a trait the Titans the desperately need on their roster.

As for the financials, Ridley earned a massive deal. The receiver is signing a four-year, $92 million deal that includes $50 million guaranteed.

Ridley’s contract is tied for the 10th among wide receivers in both guaranteed money and annual average and, after top wide receivers like Justin Jefferson, Ceedee Lamb and Ja’Marr Chase sign extensions, Ridley’s deal will rank even lower.

The Titans needed more speed and more explosiveness, and Ridley provides both. It’s also worth mentioning that Ridley only played in five games in 2021 and missed the entire 2022 season, so his age of 29 is a little deceptive.

Ridley should have plenty of gas in the tank and immediately upgrades one of the team’s weakest areas. The Titans paid a premium, but they did what they had to do to get more weapons.

Grade: A

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Grade for Titans’ signing of LB Kenneth Murray

Bryce Lazenby gives his grade for the Titans’ signing of LB Kenneth Murray.

The Tennessee Titans have been busy in free agency thus far. The team has been aggressive in adding to its areas of need and has shelled out a nice sum of money to improve the roster.

The Titans wrapped up the first day of legal tampering by agreeing to a deal with linebacker Kenneth Murray, who was officially introduced at a press conference on Thursday.

Murray is a former first-round pick who spent the first four seasons of his career with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Murray’s tenure in Los Angeles was a mixed bag, with his best season coming in his rookie campaign in 2020. That season, Murray racked up 107 tackles, five tackles for loss, one sack and three passes defensed.

For his performance as a rookie, Murray earned a 54.4 PFF grade, which is still the highest grade he has received from the outlet during his career.

In 2023, Murray again had 107 tackles to go along with three sacks and seven tackles for loss. PFF gave the linebacker a 52.9 grade for his efforts.

Murray, who received a two-year, $15.5 million deal, has all of the traits you look for in a middle linebacker.

The former Oklahoma Sooner has elite speed and size but simply hasn’t been able to put it all together as a pro. Murray struggles in pass coverage but is decent against the run and is a solid tackler.

Overall, this isn’t a huge commitment, so it could be a low-risk, high-reward move, and Murray is still young and may thrive with a change of scenery. Still, it’s hard not to admit that there were better options available at inside linebacker.

Grade: C-

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FTW predicts Titans sign Mike Onwenu, Xavier McKinney

In an article predicting where each of the top free agents will land, FTW has the Titans signing Mike Onwenu and Xavier McKinney.

Rejoice, Tennessee Titans fans: We are now just days away from the start of free agency. Teams and pending free agents can officially begin negotiating on March 11 and players can start signing on the dotted line on March 13.

The Titans figure to be big players in free agency, as the team currently boasts the third-most cap space in the NFL at $75.4 million, according to Over the Cap.

Christian D’Andrea of For The Win recently predicted where each of the league’s top-25 free agents will sign this offseason. If D’Andrea ends up being correct, Titans fans should be ecstatic.

D’Andrea has the Titans landing two of those players. First, he has the Titans landing the No. 18 free agent in Mike Onwenu, a versatile offensive lineman who has played both guard and tackle for the New England Patriots. The lineman had a stellar 71.5 PFF grade in 2023.

Regarding Onwenu’s fit with the Titans, D’Andrea said the following:

Tennessee needs blocking help that fits with the timeline of its rebuild. The 26-year-old Onwenu makes sense. The Patriot standout can handle multiple roles up front, filling in at either tackle spot or, ideally, pairing with Peter Skoronski to give the Titans one of the best interior blocking combinations in the NFL. That would make life easier for Will Levis, but it would be a godsend to whomever has to fill Derrick Henry’s shoes in 2024.

Per Spotrac, Onwenu is slated to command around $13.6 million on the open market. The Titans could comfortably afford to add the blocker and still have plenty of room left over.

Speaking of having room left over, let’s dive into D’Andrea’s other pick: Xavier McKinney.

McKinney had an exceptional year for the New York Giants in 2023. The defensive back collected 116 tackles, three interceptions, 11 passes defensed and two tackles for loss, earning an elite 87.8 PFF grade for his efforts.

The Titans are expected to add to the secondary this offseason, so McKinney is a logical fit. Regarding the fit, D’Andrea said the following:

Tennessee’s youth movement continues with a 24-year-old safety coming off the most complete season of his career. The Titans have a big hole to fill in their secondary following the trade of Kevin Byard. McKinney can play both deep or in the box and would create some much needed versatility along the team’s last line of defense.

Spotrac places an estimated $10.4 million price tag on the young safety. The expected annual values for both players combined is around $24 million, meaning the Titans would have plenty of space to maneuver after these additions.

It will be interesting to see how the Titans attack free agency and add talent to the roster — the wait is almost over!

Titans promote LB Joe Jones to the active roster

The Titans promoted LB Joe Jones to the active roster on Saturday.

The Tennessee Titans made a roster move on Saturday, promoting linebacker Joe Jones from the practice squad to the active roster.

Jones was signed to the practice squad in late October after playing in 24 games the past two seasons with Tennessee. He’s appeared in three games this season as a practice squad elevation and has tallied two tackles, both coming on special teams.

Over 27 career games with the Titans, the Northwestern product has 26 tackles while playing predominantly on special teams. He has just 64 defensive snaps in that span.

Prior to his time in Nashville, the 29-year-old was an undrafted free-agent signing of the Dallas Cowboys. He also had cups of coffee with the Los Angeles Chargers and Seattle Seahawks.

Jones saw his first action with the Denver Broncos, where he spent four seasons as a special teams contributor. He finished his time in Denver with 31 tackles over 49 contests.

The Titans return to action on Sunday, when they host the Indianapolis Colts at Nissan Stadium.

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Titans’ 53-man roster, practice squad, IR for Week 13

A look at what the Titans have to work with on their roster going into Week 13.

With the Tennessee Titans set to do battle with the Indianapolis Colts in Week 13 on Sunday, it’s time to take a look at what the team is working with on their roster.

The Titans made just one move this week, with the team bringing back defensive lineman Jaleel Johnson, who was waived last week.

The move was a surprise to say the least after Johnson fired off some now-deleted tweets that were critical of the team after he was waived.

Johnson touched on the subject on Friday, saying he’s since cleared the air with head coach Mike Vrabel and apologized to the team. The veteran also said he has deleted Twitter, which is the right move.

“To be fair, I don’t really think I was thinking; I wasn’t thinking properly,” Johnson said, per John Glennon of Nashville Post. “I just think at the time, a little bit of frustration. But since I’ve been in the league for seven years, I’ve tried to do things in a professional manner. That’s something that I wouldn’t normally do… I talked to coach about it and let him know I apologize, talked to my teammates and coaches, told them I apologize for it.”

Now, a look at Tennessee’s 53-man roster, practice squad and injured reserve list going into Week 13.

Titans make several roster moves ahead of game vs. Jags

The Titans announced six roster moves ahead of their Week 11 game against the Jaguars.

The Tennessee Titans made a grand total of six roster moves ahead of their Week 11 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium on Sunday.

After a stint on injured reserve, safety Mike Brown has been activated. The 24-year-old hasn’t played in a game since Week 3 when he suffered an ankle injury against the Cleveland Browns.

With how badly the Titans’ secondary has played, Brown, who has one pass defensed in 26 defensive snaps this season, has a shot to get some work at safety.

Tennessee has been rolling with Amani Hooker and Elijah Molden since the Kevin Byard trade, but neither has been good this season.

Here’s a look at the rest of the moves the Titans made on Saturday.

Titans release Jacques Patrick from practice squad among 3 moves

The Titans made three practice squad moves on Tuesday.

The Tennessee Titans released running Jacques Patrick from the practice squad among three practice squad moves made on Tuesday. The team also signed linebacker Joseph Jones and running back Jonathan Ward to the practice squad, as was previously reported.

Patrick, 26, was on his seventh NFL team since entering the league in 2020. The Orlando native signed with the Titans prior to the 2023 season. He was waived at the end of August and re-signed to the team’s practice squad in mid-September.

Patrick had yet to appear in a regular season game for Tennessee but notably rushed for 76 yards on 15 carries in the Titans’ 23-7 preseason win over New England. With San Francisco in 2021, the Florida State product had two carries for 12 yards, including a rushing attempt that resulted in a first down.

Jones, 29, is familiar with the Titans, having first been signed to the practice squad in Sept. 2021. Following the season, the Plano, Illinois, native signed a reserve/futures contract. Prior to the start of the 2022 season, he was waived and signed to the team’s practice squad.

The Northwestern alum appeared in 24 games for the Titans, recording 24 tackles while primarily playing a special teams role. However, he did see 38 defensive snaps in 2022.

Ward returns to the Titans after signing to the practice squad in December 2022. Ward was brought back this past offseason and had a shot to make Tennessee’s roster before he suffered an injury and was waived.

The 26-year-old has seen 35 games in the NFL, including three games for the Titans last season. Ward accumulated five carries for 25 yards, including two for first downs. He also hauled in two catches for seven yards and played a role on special teams.

The Central Michigan standout originally signed with the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent and saw a fair amount of the field.

In 32 games, Ward picked up 14 carries for 58 yards with the Cardinals between 2020 and 2022. He briefly spent time with the New York Jets organization before the Titans scooped him up late last year.

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