2024 season: 3-14, fourth in AFC South, missed playoffs
Overview: The 2024 season was a disaster. The Will Levis era that never seemed like a good idea to begin with is in all likelihood over. In is new general manager Mike Borgonzi to replace Ran Carthon, who traded up to draft Levis and was fired after two seasons.
The good news in Tennessee is there are plenty of resources in terms of salary cap space and the No. 1 pick in the draft. It's up to Borgonzi and crew to use those assets wisely.
Key free agents
WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
QB Mason Rudolph
S Quandre Diggs
K Nick Folk
RG Dillon Radunz
OL Daniel Brunskill
CB Darrell Baker Jr. (restricted)
WR Tyler Boyd
Who's in/out: The Titans are thin at receiver, and Westbrook-Ikhine has been a reliable if unspectacular presence in five seasons in Tennessee. He tallied 32 catches for 492 yards and nine touchdowns last season while playing on a one-year, $2 million deal. He's worth bringing back if the price remains low, but he isn't a true No. 2 behind Calvin Ridley.
The Titans' path at quarterback remains one of the biggest mysteries of the offseason. With Levis under contract and the options of signing a free agent and drafting a quarterback at No. 1 on the table, Rudolph could be on the way out.
Key free-agent needs
Quarterback
Wide receiver
Right tackle
Why the holes? The need at quarterback is obvious. Whether the Titans address that need in free agency (Sam Darnold, Russell Wilson?) or in the draft — or both — is the question here.
Regardless of whether Westbrook-Ikhine stays or goes, the Titans need to upgrade their receiver room. No Titan other than Ridley tallied more than 500 receiving yards last season.
The Titans selected their left tackle of the future, JC Latham, in the first round of last year's draft. Right tackle remains unsettled after multiple players failed to establish themselves as the full-time starter in 2024. The Titans won't be selecting a tackle in the first round this spring, so free agency could be the route.
Do they have the money?
Per Spotrac, the Titans have about $50 million in cap space available, the 10th-most in the NFL.
Notable potential cuts
There are no obvious candidates here.
The Titans have cap space to work with, and releasing productive higher-priced defenders like safety Amani Hooker (five interceptions, two forced fumbles; $8.6M in potential cap savings) or edge rusher Harold Landry (team-best nine sacks, 15 QB hits, 72 tackles; $17.5M in potential cap savings) doesn't make sense. Both players are in their primes, and the Titans would have to replace them.
Draft picks
Round 1: No. 1
Round 2: No. 35
Round 4
Round 4 (from Seahawks)
Round 5
Round 5 (from Chiefs)
Round 6
Round 7 (from Packers)
Good draft fit
Cam Ward, QB, Miami
Why him? If you need a quarterback and you have the No. 1 pick, the pressure is high to select one, even in a quarterback class perceived as weak. Don't expect the Titans to buck that pressure. The choice will be between Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders, either of whom the Titans could end up selecting. Ward is generally assessed as the top option and the favorite to go first.
If the Titans go off script, Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter and two-way Colorado star Travis Hunter would be non-quarterback options as the top talents in the draft.
Get serious at quarterback
The Titans are in a tough spot with the first overall pick in a class that lacks a consensus top passer. However, they can’t run into next season with a pairing in the same ballpark as the Will Levis and Mason Rudolph tandem. With a new GM in place and head coach Brian Callahan presumably more empowered to pick his guy at the position, expect the Titans to add multiple quarterbacks. Whether those additions rise to the level of “serious” remains to be seen. —Matt Harmon
