Tag: Will Levis

Calvin Ridley could be the No. 1 receiver the Tennessee Titans desperately need

The Tennessee Titans were in desperate need of a No. 1 receiver, and they got one after giving Calvin Ridley a massive new contract.

All we knew before the Tennessee Titans knocked down the door and signed former Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Calvin Ridley to a four-year, $92 million deal with $50 million fully guaranteed was that the Jaguars and the New England Patriots were in the mix. But the Titans were in need of a top receiver, they had the space to make the deal, and by the way, Ridley tore Tennessee’s defense to shreds in two games last season — he caught 13 passes on 19 targets for 208 yards and three touchdowns.

2023 was a comeback year for Ridley — selected with the 26th overall pick out of Alabama by the Falcons in the 2028 draft, Ridley was suspended for the entire 2022 season after running afoul of the NFL’s nebulous policies against gambling. Atlanta traded him to the Jaguars on November 1, 2022.

Why Calvin Ridley’s year-long gambling suspension is a hypocritical farce

Last season, Ridley caught 76 passes in 132 targets for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns. The Titans needed a receiver of his caliber, and while some may see it as an overpay, general manager Ran Carthon and new head coach Brian Callahan obviously disagree with that

Two more teams emerge as suitors for Jameis Winston

Two more teams emerged as suitors for Jameis Winston. He isn’t lacking for options as free agency takes shape:

Jameis Winston isn’t lacking for options outside the New Orleans Saints. CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson repots that the Tennessee Titans and New York Giants are “among new teams that’ve shown preliminary interest” in Winston, along with the previously-reported Cleveland Browns.

Winston has said he intends to search for a team where he can compete to start, and the Titans look like the best fit — the only person standing in his way is second-year quarterback Will Levis, who wasn’t drafted by the new Tennessee coaching staff. Levis started nine games as a rookie, completing 58.4% of his passes, scoring 8 touchdown passes, and throwing 4 interceptions while being sacked 28 times with 7 fumbles. The Titans went 3-6 before overhauling their coaching staff.

Compare that to the other two situations, where the Browns and Giants must start Deshaun Watson and Daniel Jones after paying them so highly. At the same time, both of those quarterbacks missed extensive time with injuries last season, so these could be better opportunities for Winston to get on the field than they first appear. We’ll see where he ends up, but it’s looking like he won’t necessarily have to stay with the Saints in 2024.

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Where Titans ranked in attendance during the 2023 season

The Titans saw a dip in average attendance in 2023.

Tennessee Titans fans had plenty of reasons not to go to games during the 2023 campaign, as the team struggled to find its footing en route to a 6-11 season, its second straight without a playoff berth.

The Titans saw a slight hit in attendance numbers last season, with Tennessee averaging 64,520 fans per game, the seventh-lowest in the NFL, according to ESPN. The Titans did finish 17th in overall attendance, coming in at 580,686.

Tennessee had more total attendance than the season prior (548,929), but also had one more home game, which was played overseas. The average attendance number was down from 68,616 in 2022.

One thing that helped prevent the Titans from falling even further in average attendance was the emergence of rookie quarterback Will Levis, who gave fans a reason to attend in the midst of a lost season.

Armed with a ton of cap space and a pair of top-40 picks, it stands to reason that the Titans could turn things around sooner rather than later. If so, we should see better attendance numbers in 2024.

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Titans’ top-10 plays of the 2023 season

The Titans recently compiled a list of their top-10 plays of the 2023 season.

While the Tennessee Titans had a disappointing season overall, there were still some memorable plays from the 2023 campaign, and the Titans’ social media team recently listed its top 10..

Rookie quarterback Will Levis, who exploded onto the scene in Week 8 against the Atlanta Falcons, was responsible for three of the top-10 plays, with two coming from his arm and the other with his legs. Veteran wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins was on the receiving end of both passes.

Along with some Levis throws, running back Derrick Henry also left his mark on the list in what might be his final season in the two-tone blue.

Henry makes multiple appearances on the list, also, including his touchdown pass to tight end Chig Okonkwo. You can check out the full top 10 below.

Watching Henry torch the Jacksonville Jaguars in what might be his final game as a Titan will go down as one of my favorite memories of his legendary tenure in Nashville.

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Will Levis endorses idea of Titans signing Calvin Ridley

Titans QB Will Levis recently praised Jaguars WR Calvin Ridley, who is set to become a free agent in 2024.

With new head coach Brian Callahan at the helm, the Tennessee Titans are expected to move to a more pass-heavy offense in 2024, something quarterback Will Levis will no doubt be happy about.

During an interview with former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III on the “RG3 and The Ones” podcast, Levis said he’s looking forward to moving the ball through the air more this coming season.

“I’m looking forward to getting the ball in the air more,” Levis said. “I’m looking forward to throwing more on earlier downs. I’m looking forward to really learning to master the pass game because (Callahan has) been able to do that and teach it and see so many guys do it.

“I’m really hoping I can be another one of those guys for him. I know I have what it takes. I just got to put the pieces together.”

Before the Titans can move forward with that plan, they’ve got to add more help at the wide receiver position and beef up their offensive line, which was horrendous in pass protection last season.

One receiver Levis would like to play with is Jacksonville Jaguars pending free agent Calvin Ridley, who the Kentucky product praised while noting the veteran receiver’s familiarity with offensive coordinator Nick Holz, who was the Jags’ passing-game coordinator in 2023.

“Yeah, he’s definitely an awesome player,” Levis said of Ridley. “I got to see first-hand him torch us a couple of times. It would be cool to have someone of his caliber out there playing. I’m sure he’s comfortable with Holz.”

“It would be cool to definitely play with him and, who knows, maybe link up in the offseason, get some balls in the air and see what we can make happen. But it’s not my decision. I don’t really have any pull.”

It remains to be seen if the Jags will re-sign Ridley, but if not the Titans should definitely be interested, as not only would he be a great second option, but the signing would also hurt a division rival.

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Olu Fashanu hopes to reunite with Titans’ Will Levis, has been in contact with QB

Olu Fashanu credited Titans QB Will Levis with helping him transition from high school to Penn State.

One of the many possibilities for the Tennessee Titans at No. 7 overall in the 2024 NFL draft, Penn State offensive tackle Olu Fashanu is already quite familiar with quarterback Will Levis.

During Fashanu’s first year at Penn State in 2020, Levis was on the roster before eventually transferring to Kentucky.

Fashanu revealed that Levis was one of the older players who helped make his transition to Penn State easier and he would love to play with the second-year signal-caller again.

The pair have also been in contact recently.

“It would be great, playing with Will,” Fashanu said at his NFL Combine press conference on Saturday, per AtoZ Sports’ Sam Phalen. “Obviously, he was at Penn State my freshman year and he was one of the older guys that really made my transition to Penn State from high school ball a lot easier.”

“We were just catching up,” Fashanu said of his recent conversation with Levis. “I haven’t seen him in person since my freshman year, but it was a good conversation, we just caught up and just talked.”

Fashanu also said he has met with the Titans.

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“Yeah, I met with the Titans,” Fashanu said. “It was a great meeting. Love the coaching staff.”

One quality that will be important for any left tackle the Titans select is the ability to start on Day 1. Fashanu believes he is ready to do just that.

“At the end of the day, I am super-confident in my ability to play right now,” Fashanu said, per Jim Wyatt. “I have been ready for this moment for a while, especially with the last couple of weeks training. I am extremely confident, and I am ready for this moment.”

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Titans’ offensive ‘building blocks’ ranked among worst in NFL

Bleacher Report recently ranked the Titans’ group of offensive building blocks among the worst in the NFL.

In a recent article ranking the offensive “building blocks” for each team in the NFL, the Tennessee Titans landed near the bottom of the list.

Per Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon, Tennessee’s offensive “building blocks” (defined as developing players at or under 25) were ranked No. 28.

Gagnon mentions quarterback Will Levis and left guard Peter Skoronski, but there is one glaring omissions from his write-up: running back Tyjae Spears.

28. Tennessee Titans: The focus here has to be on 24-year-old quarterback Will Levis, but there’s almost nobody else worth mentioning as they wait to see what 2023 first-round offensive tackle Peter Skoronski (22) has to offer.

Spears was sensational for the Titans in 2023, with the explosive young back tallying the fifth-most rushing yards and fourth-most scrimmage yards among first-year players at his position.

Adding to that, Spears was one of three backs in the NFL to post a PFF grade of 70 or better in rushing, receiving and pass-blocking, with the other two being Derrick Henry and Atlanta Falcons back, Tyler Allgeier. He also finished with the 18th-best overall grade at the position.

Making all that production even more impressive is the fact that the Titans had one of the worst offensive lines in the sport in 2023.

Spears, Levis and Skoronski all have more to prove, but there’s no question each has a positive trajectory going into 2024, which should leave the Titans higher on this list.

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Highlights from Titans QB Will Levis’ 2023 season

Check out some 2023 highlights of Titans QB Will Levis.

In what was a dark year for the Tennessee Titans, rookie quarterback Will Levis shined bright, which injected some much-needed hope into the fan base.

Levis exploded onto the scene in Week 8, throwing for 238 yards and four touchdowns in his debut against the Atlanta Falcons, which led to his being named the starter for the rest of the season.

While Levis didn’t have another game like that the rest of the way, the fact that he showed as many flashes as he did despite the mess of a situation around him was enough for the Titans to move forward with him.

Make no mistake, Levis still has a lot to improve in his overall game, but the Titans also have to put him in a better position to succeed.

That begins with beefing up what was one of the worst offensive lines in the sport last year, and adding weapons to a receiving corps. that was unreliable, at best, in 2023.

Thankfully, the Titans have a pair of top-40 picks and plenty of cap space to build around Levis, and if general manager Ran Carthon can push the right buttons and improve those two groups, we’ll have a much better idea of where Levis stands in his second year.

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USA TODAY: Titans positioned to make major progress in 2024

USA TODAY believes the Titans are one of 10 teams best positioned to make major progress in 2024.

The Tennessee Titans are coming off a brutal 6-11 season in which it was clear this team was in desperate need of a roster overhaul.

The good news is, the Titans have a ton of cap space to work with in free agency, and they have a pair of top-40 picks in the 2024 NFL draft, including the No. 7 overall selection, where they should land a blue-chip prospect.

Because of the aforementioned resources, USA TODAY’s Nate Davis says the Titans are one of 10 teams “positioned to make major progress” during the 2024 offseason and placed them at No. 7 in his rankings.

Here’s what he had to say exactly:

Lots of work ahead as they move on from the Mike Vrabel/Ryan Tannehill/Derrick Henry era. Lots can be accomplished with the seventh and 38th picks of the draft plus more than $65 million in cap space.

Another good thing the Titans have going for them is the fact that they may have a franchise quarterback in Will Levis.

Granted, the jury is still out on the young signal-caller after his rookie year, but he showed more than enough to create buzz that he might be the long-term solution.

Now, the Titans have to build around him in order to put Levis in the best possible position to succeed so they can fully determine whether or not he’s “the guy” moving forward.

That begins with improving the offensive line and receiving corps., both of which were not good in 2023. If the Titans can do that and Levis is for real, Tennessee may be able to turn things around sooner rather than later.

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Will Levis projected to be NFL’s worst QB for 2024 by FanDuel

Former Kentucky Wildcat Will Levis was ranked as one of the worst starting quarterbacks in the NFL by FanDuel.

Will Levis, former Kentucky star, had a decent enough start to his NFL career as quarterback of the Tennessee Titans. In nine games as the starter, he threw for 1,808 yards, 8 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions while completing nearly 60% of his passes. The team went 3 – 6 in that time, but the Titans had a rookie QB and a lot of holes on the roster. Expectations are that he’ll be better in 2024, but FanDuel still doesn’t have much faith in him.

Levis began his college career at Penn State, but transferred to the Wildcats for his final two seasons. At Kentucky, he turned into a star. In two years, he threw for over 5,000 yards and 43 touchdowns, and played his way into being an early second round draft pick by Tennessee.

On Wednesday, gambling and daily fantasy sports company FanDuel posted a list of way-too-early quarterback rankings for 2024. On that list were some predicted team changes for some players, and some newly drafted quarterbacks. Behind all of those players, ranked at dead last in the NFL, is Will Levis.

It’s clearly designated as “way-too-early” by FanDuel, but it still seems like a lack of confidence in Levis’ ability to develop as a passer. Only time will tell how good Levis, and all the rest on the list, will be, but it looks like the former Kentucky Wildcat has some doubters to prove wrong.