Alright, ladies and gentlemen, it’s June. We are officially in the no man’s land of the football calendar. Once OTAs wrap up, it’s going to be a loooooong time before we have meaningful football to write about. So, I thought this would provide for a good opportunity to look back at the eventful offseason it was and rank my favorite moves.
Honorable Mentions: There were also a couple of really cool things this year that I wanted to mention, but won’t particularly help the team when they take the field come Fall. First of all the uniform release party was an absolute genius move in hindsight, and undoubtedly helped sway the NFL in favor of hosting the draft in Nashville next year. I’m willing to forgive them for involving Florida-Georgia Line now. Also, thought it was a nice touch to sign Michael Griffin to a one-day contract to retire a Titan. Always thought he was underrated.
The Titans’ 10 Best Moves of the Offseason
10. Signed Bennie Logan – The Titans missed out on the Ndamukong Suh sweepstakes, but landed a serviceable guy who is more than capable of excelling as a Titan. Good thing, too, because the team released Sylvester Williams and Karl Klug (fan favorite Karl Klug, mind you). They needed some d-line depth.
9. Guard depth – I loved the signing of Kevin Pamphile. While Xavier Su’a-Filo never panned out to be what the Houston Texans drafted him to be, he’s still a talented guy. It was obvious that last year’s offensive line play was not acceptable. The Titans made several moves to bolster that unit and create competition.
8. Kept DaQuan Jones – It’s hard to stand out when you’re on the same defensive line as Jurrell Casey, but Jones has quietly become one of the best young defensive linemen in the game. He’s an emerging talent, and should help keep that d-line among the best in the league.
7. Locked down Josh Kline and Quinton Spain – I said it wasn’t fair to throw either of these guys under the bus after a year when the entire offensive line underperformed compared to 2016. So, I’m glad they’re keeping that unit intact.
6. Drafting Harold Landry – Trading up to get a guy who could become the best pure pass rusher out of this draft class in the second round was a stroke of brilliance. There was talk of who the Titans would choose between Landry and Rashaan Evans, and they ended up with both guys.
5. Signing Malcolm Butler – I was actually content with the secondary, but this move solidifies it as a potential strength of the team. The Titans will likely run with Butler and Adoree Jackson on the outside, and Logan Ryan at the slot, and if it all works out, this could become one of the better secondaries in the NFL.
4. Drafting Rashaan Evans – Before the draft, I pegged ILB as the biggest immediate need for the Titans defense. Sure, pass rush help would be nice, but I thought they would be okay for 2018 with what they have. So, of course, I’m going to love the drafting of Evans. But, the team may have gotten its “quarterback of the defense” for the next decade.
3. Signing Dion Lewis – I like the Titans wide receivers. Sue me. So, in my mind, the major missing piece on this Titans offense was a back who could be a force in the passing game. Jon Robinson went out and got one of the most dynamic backs in the business. It’s hard to find major holes in the talent on this offense now.
2. Hiring Mike Vrabel – It should be said that Mike Mularkey put in a lot of work to change the culture in Tennessee, and the team is better for his tenure here. But, that said, he’s an old head, and this team needs some fresh, creative minds in the room to take the next step. I like what Vrabel brings to the table as a leader of men, and his coordinator hires were both excellent.
1. Hiring Matt LaFleur – The biggest bugaboo for the Titans in 2017 was the offense. As a unit, it took a huge step back from 2016. So, as much as I loved the hiring of Vrabel, I like the hiring of LeFleur even more. He was one of the architects of one of the greatest turnarounds I’ve seen, even if he wasn’t calling plays for the Los Angeles Rams. He’ll get the chance to work some of that magic with Marcus Mariota and company.
What do you think, Titans fans? What was your favorite move of the offseason?
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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