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!