Titans GM admits NFL’s salary cap uncertainty could prevent contract extensions

The Titans have multiple players who could be in line for contract extensions before the 2020 season.

As much as the NFL has been flush with cash over the last decade, leading to annual increases in the salary caps of teams, the uncertainty of what the 2020 season will bring in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic could change things — and that change could impact the Tennessee Titans right away.

Should the league lose a significant amount of revenue because of Covid-19, the salary cap could decrease by anywhere from $30 to $80 million in 2021, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported back in May.

And that possibility isn’t lost on Titans general manager Jon Robinson, who says that the league’s uncertain future could stop the team from handing out contract extensions prior to the 2020 campaign, per Paul Kuharsky.

“I’m a big analogy guy. It’s no different than if I was if I was working for Pepsi or Coke, and I knew that we weren’t going to have as many sales. …You wouldn’t go out and buy a new house,” Robinson explained.

“I don’t know what that’s going to look like. It’s something that we will certainly talk about. You know, we’ve talked to the players and the reps. There’s a lot of uncertainty right now with everything, and I would say certainly with the salary cap too, because we’ve got to be mindful,” Robinson admitted. “What you don’t want to do is do something and then you’ve got to undo it or try to unpack it a year, two years from now, given the uncertainty of the salary cap.”

Right off the bat, the extension you think about being impacted first is that of Derrick Henry, which is still being negotiated and must happen before July 15 or else he’ll have to play the 2020 campaign on the franchise tag.

But there are other extension decisions looming for Tennessee, with tight end Jonnu Smith and inside linebacker Jayon Brown being the most important. Both players are in the final year of their rookie deals and will hit the open market in 2021 if no agreement is reached beforehand.

Last year, the Titans handed out a pair of extensions before the 2019 season to safety Kevin Byard and center Ben Jones.

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Titans 2020 training camp preview: What to expect from the TEs

A look at the Titans’ tight ends going into training camp.

In our latest installment of Tennessee Titans 2020 training camp previews, we’re going to take a closer look at the tight end position. If you’ve missed any of our previews thus far, we linked to each of them at the end of this article.

Things will look a bit different for Tennessee at the position this year after the team parted ways with Delanie Walker during the offseason. With that said, the Titans are still looking strong at tight end for the upcoming season.

Let’s take a look at the team’s roster locks, players on the roster bubble, and then make a prediction for who will fill out the depth chart when the initial 53-man roster is released.

Roster locks

Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

Jonnu Smith

Anthony Firkser

MyCole Pruitt

Analysis: The Titans will return three of the four tight ends that made the initial 53-man roster cut last season, with the exception being Walker, who was cut earlier this offseason and remains unsigned.

With Walker gone, that will open up a spot for a lesser-known tight end at the bottom of the depth chart — that is, if the Titans decide to carry four players at the position going into the season once again.

Not having Walker on the roster also means that Smith will be the undisputed No. 1 tight end for an entire season, which isn’t necessarily a new thing for the 24-year-old. He filled in for Walker in 2018 after he suffered a brutal ankle injury, and he was the main man in 2019 after seven games.

With Firkser filling in behind Smith, the Titans are going to have an impressive duo of pass-catching tight ends, giving them good depth at the position. Pruitt will take on his normal role as primarily a blocker, which he does as good as anyone in the NFL.

What we really want to see from Smith in training camp is improved chemistry with Ryan Tannehill. Smith and Tannehill worked out together a lot during the offseason, so the Titans’ signal-caller should be looking the young tight end’s way more often in 2020.

Titans receiving group among most valuable in 2019 based on WAR

Analytics were kind to the Titans’ pass-catchers in 2019.

The Tennessee Titans were able to elevate their passing attack in 2019, which was a big reason why the team was able to revive its season after a 2-4 start.

That revival was sparked by the team making the switch from Marcus Mariota to Ryan Tannehill, who thrived in the Titans’ run-first offense and was able to make all the throws necessary to be successful.

When it was all said and done, the Titans’ receiving group finished as one of the most valuable in the NFL based on WAR (wins above replacement), according to Pro Football Focus.

In fact, only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons and Kansas City Chiefs had more valuable groups.

A big reason for this ranking is wide receiver A.J. Brown, whose historic efficiency led to his posting a 1,000-yard season in his rookie campaign. There’s no telling where the Titans would have been without him.

Brown, who finished second in the NFL with 20.2 yards per reception, is the only player in the Super Bowl era to finish with 1,000-plus yards and 20-plus yards per reception in his rookie season, per NFL Research.

Tennessee also got key contributions from fellow wide receivers Corey Davis, Adam Humphries, Tajae Sharpe and Kalif Raymond, as well as tight end Jonnu Smith. Sharpe is the only one who is no longer with the team.

With opposing defenses more focused on stopping Brown in 2020, the Titans’ other pass-catchers are going to have to step up in order to take pressure off him.

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4 ways the Titans can improve the passing attack in 2020

How can the Titans’ passing attack improve in 2020?

While the Tennessee Titans’ 2019 passing attack was about as successful as this franchise has seen in many years, there is still room for improvement going forward, even in the face of what seems like inevitable regression.

Of course, Tennessee needs to stay true to itself and keep utilizing the run game in order to set things up through the air, but there are other ways the passing attack can help itself out to truly make the Titans’ offense unstoppable.

Limit sacks

Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill (17) is sacked by Houston Texans defensive end Charles Omenihu (94) on the last play of the game as the Titans lose s24 to 21 against the Texans at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Dec. 15, 2019 in Nashville, Tenn.

Nas Titans Texans 013

While the Titans did a better job at limiting sacks as the season went along in 2019 after a disastrous start, they still finished with 56 allowed, the second-most in the NFL.

In the first six games with Marcus Mariota as the starter, the Titans allowed 25, which works out to about four per game. In the 10 games after Ryan Tannehill was named the starter, Tennessee averaged a shade over three.

There is a silver lining there despite those horrid numbers. The Titans allowed the third-fewest quarterback pressures, per Pro Football Focus.

Limiting sacks isn’t just about offensive line play, though; although that should improve drastically now that the group upfront has more experience playing together. It’s also about Tannehill not holding on to the ball for too long, which is something we saw him do a bit too often last season.

ESPN names 2 Titans who could get contract extensions this offseason

Two Titans cracked ESPN’s list of players who could get contract extensions before the 2020 season.

The Tennessee Titans have some key players entering contract years in 2020, but will any of those players get a contract extension prior to the season?

According to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, there are two possibilities: inside linebacker Jayon Brown, who is in the last year of his rookie deal, and running back Derrick Henry, who is currently franchise tagged.

Here are Graziano’s write-ups on both players, and then we’ll follow that up with another player he didn’t mention but should have.

Henry:

“Another designated franchise player, Henry is locked in for one year and $10.3 million if he and the Titans don’t reach an extension deal by July 15. Henry could be a real test case for the RB market. He’s essential to the team’s offensive identity, but the way he runs lends itself to significant wear and tear, which is a big reason teams don’t like to pay running backs. Making $9 million more this year than the Cook/Mixon/Kamara group probably keeps Henry from being a holdout threat. But if no deal is done and they franchise him again next year for $12.36 million, he’ll find himself in the same position Le’Veon Bell was in with the Steelers in 2018. Remember, Bell sat out that entire year and became a free agent when it ended. Henry could go that route, but probably not until 2021.”

Brown:

“The 2017 fifth-round pick has developed into a critical part of the Titans’ defense and should get a nice extension as he heads into the final year of his rookie deal.”

Graziano nailed both of those on the head.

Henry has become the heart and soul of the Titans’ offense, and while no contract extension has been reached yet, talks remain positive and there is optimism for a deal to get done before the July 15 deadline.

Brown remains one of the biggest steals of the 2017 NFL Draft. Selected in the fifth round, the UCLA product has become one of the most important players on the team’s defense and is an elite coverage linebacker.

I’d also add tight end Jonnu Smith to the mix of players who could receive an extension prior to 2020.

Like Brown, Smith is entering the final year of his rookie deal and is primed to have his best season as a pro now that Delanie Walker is no longer soaking up a large portion of snaps after he was cut this offseason.

Adding to that, Smith has been working out with quarterback Ryan Tannehill during the offseason down in South Florida, which should help their chemistry and lead to more looks for the young tight end.

The Titans might be better off inking Smith to an extension before the season, as a breakout campaign would make him far more expensive and could set up a bidding war on the open market.

Titans general manager Jon Robinson has shown impressive foresight in the past, so we’ll have to see if he displays that once again by inking one, two, or all of these players at some point during the summer.

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See it: Titans players have been eating their Wheaties this offseason

Derrick Henry, Jonnu Smith and A.J. Brown look like they were created in a lab.

Some Tennessee Titans players have given us an inside look into their preparation for the 2020 season, and it’s clear these guys aren’t taking days off.

Titans running back Derrick Henry, tight end Jonnu Smith and wide receiver A.J. Brown have all posted shirtless photos of themselves on social media this offseason, and I’m happy to say that I don’t have to tackle these monsters.

We previously shared this photo of Henry, which gave Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald’s legendary shirtless photo a run for its money.

Then you have Smith, who posted this photo on Instagram that makes him look like he was created in a lab.

View this post on Instagram

Give a man power you’ll see who he really is 🦍

A post shared by Jonnu Smith (@jonnusmith81) on

Not to be outdone, Brown also provided proof of the hard work he’s putting in this offseason.

View this post on Instagram

Y’all don’t feel me yet hold on …

A post shared by A.J. Brown (@1k_alwaysopen) on

With physiques like that, it’s not surprising that these three players are some of the toughest at their respective positions to bring down. Simply tackling them has become a business decision for NFL defenders.

Henry, Smith and Brown will all be key cogs in the Titans’ offense in 2020, as the team looks to take that next step to a Super Bowl after falling one game short during the 2019 campaign.

And it’s safe to say they’re ready.

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Titans’ Jonnu Smith named a fantasy football breakout candidate

Jonnu Smith is a player fantasy teams should target this year.

It doesn’t seem like long ago when Jonnu Smith was finishing out games for the Tennessee Titans with nothing but goose eggs on the stat line.

But he’s quickly morphed from a player who was a non-factor to the team’s most key tight end. And beyond that, he could also become a huge asset for fantasy football teams in 2020.

Andrew Erickson of Pro Football Focus listed Smith as a potential breakout player in fantasy.

“Outside of Brown’s 20% target share, no other player had a higher target share than 16% (Corey Davis),” he wrote. “The fact of the matter is that there is an opportunity for targets behind Brown in this offense — targets that Jonnu Smith could command. Keep in mind that Delanie Walker and his 30 targets from last season are also gone.”

Smith made a lot of progress last season, ranking high in some of PFF’s metrics.

“In 2019, Smith showed that he could be an efficient receiver with the limited opportunities he did receive,” he wrote. “He ranked eighth in yards per route run among tight ends who were targeted at least 25 times, and he finished third in avoided tackles after the catch among that same group of players.”

Erickson’s prediction that Smith will handle a lot of the targets in the passing game seems spot-on, and it will be interesting to see how he continues to grow in the upcoming season.

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Jonnu Smith voted Titans’ 2019 Ed Block Courage Award recipient

Jonnu Smith had to overcome a torn ACL to get ready for the 2019 season.

Tennessee Titans tight end Jonnu Smith received some recognition on Thursday, as he was voted the team’s 2019 Ed Block Courage Award recipient by his teammates.

According to Jim Wyatt of Titans Online, the award is “given to a player on each of the NFL’s 32 teams who represents a commitment to sportsmanship, courage, professionalism, and are considered to be role models in their community.”

Smith’s 2019 season was considered special for more than just the career-high 439 receiving yards and three touchdowns he scored.

The tight end also had to overcome a torn ACL he suffered during the 2018 season, which occurred during running back Derrick Henry’s infamous 99-yard touchdown run against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Going into 2020, Smith is now the undisputed No. 1 tight end on the Titans after the team cut long-time starter Delanie Walker during the offseason.

The Titans will have a decision to make with the former third-round pick, as he’s in the final year of his rookie contract. Tennessee could opt to try and sign him to a contract extension prior to the upcoming season, or let him play out the year and go from there.

Taking the latter approach could be more costly. Smith’s trajectory is pointing upward after a great season in 2019 and he is poised to have a true breakout campaign in 2020.

Smith is doing whatever he can to put himself in the best position to succeed, including working out with quarterback Ryan Tannehill multiple times per week, which could lead to better chemistry, and ultimately, more targets.

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Dawson Knox snubbed in list of ‘breakout candidates in fantasy football

The Athletic does not see Dawson Knox as a breakout candidate. This could be a problem.

The Athletic explored fantasy breakout candidates at each of the offensive skill positions this week. The most recent piece in his series focused on tight ends. 

The players, mostly young with high upside, have a chance at exploding on the scene next year. The Athletic mentions the Bears’ Cole Kmet, Dolphins’ Mike Gesicki, Jets’ Chris Herndon, Vikings’ Irv Smith, Broncos’ Noah Fant, Panthers’ Ian Thomas, Cowboys’ Blake Jerwin, Lions’ TJ Hockenson, and Titans’ Jonnu Smith as a few of the possible breakout players at the position. 

Bills fans will notice that one name is glaringly absent. 

Buffalo’s second-year tight end Dawson Knox did not even earn a mention in this article. Not even an honorable mention. 

How could this be? 

Let’s explore how Knox might have been overlooked by The Athletic for several reasons. The Bills offense, while it looks to be more explosive this season, is still one that leans toward a conservative philosophy (see: establish-the-run as a part of an offensive gameplan). The team is still searching for consistency out of its passing game. 

Knox might be the fourth-best option in the aerial game. The newly acquired Stefon Diggs, along with incumbents John Brown and Cole Beasley, will likely see more targets than Knox next season. In addition, Devin Singletary might see more check-down passes this year, as he enters the season as the top running back for Buffalo this year. Singletary caught one more pass than his fellow rookie counterpart last year while receiving nine fewer targets than Knox. 

However, The Athletic should have given Knox some love, at least as a contender with a chance to breakout. Knox did his learning on the fly last year. He wasn’t supposed to command the snaps that he did last year. Ultimately, Knox was thrust into the role after free-agent signee Tyler Kroft was injured early in the offseason. Knox is relatively new to the position, moving to tight end in college. He was a quarterback before that. Thus, he performed admirably while being pushed into the starting lineup. With a year of learning under him, it’s anticipating that the Mississippi product can make a major step forward. 

While there are concerns with a finite number of targets in this offense, Knox may actually see more space in the middle of the field with more talent out wide. Look for Knox to garner one-on-one matchups down the seam, which could lead to big plays. Beasley will command the underneath area, while Knox can be a part of a trio (with Brown and Diggs) that stretches the field vertically. 

Knox showed his athleticism on multiple occasions as a rookie, making spectacular catches along with bulldozing players to gain yards after the catch. It can’t be ignored that the hands were a bit of an issue last year, but the hope is that experience will help these concerns diminish. 

In fact, this makes it seem like leaving Knox off the list is even more quizzical. There’s a shot that he can make a major leap into the top-10 of the fantasy rankings for tight ends. It’s the best-case scenario. Nevertheless, not mentioning him as a breakout candidate feels like an oversight at this point in the offseason. 

 

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7 Tennessee Titans who could cash in big with huge 2020 season

Several Titans players have an opportunity to cash in big with a huge season in 2020.

As we outlined in a separate article, the Tennessee Titans have 28 notable players who are in a contract year, but there are seven players in particular who could have a huge 2020 campaign en route to getting a big payday in 2021.

While some of these players are likely to be moving on after 2020, others could see a contract extension offer from the Titans prior to the start of the season, or at the latest, next offseason.

Regardless of what the Titans decide to do with each individual player, let’s see which players on Tennessee’s roster could land themselves a big payday with a huge season in 2020.

TE Jonnu Smith

(Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

After Delanie Walker was cut earlier this offseason, Smith will be the official No. 1 tight end in Tennessee in 2020 — and it comes at the perfect time for him.

Smith is in the final year of his rookie deal, and while it’s possible the Titans could ink him to an extension before the upcoming season, chances are he’ll play out the year and hit free agency next offseason.

The former third-round pick had his best season as a pro in 2019, finishing with career-highs in receiving yards (439) and touchdowns (three), and he also had a clutch, one-handed touchdown grab in the playoffs.

While the coronavirus has restricted much of everything this offseason, it hasn’t stopped Smith from working on his chemistry with quarterback Ryan Tannehill, as the pair has been getting together multiple times per week.

That should help Smith garner more trust and more targets, and ultimately, more production in his fourth season, which could lead to a nice payday in 2021.