This is the SoBros difference, folks. Sometimes, you’ll get some real journalism. Sometimes, it’s an article about Tim McGraw cooking beignets. And, sometimes, it’s just a plain old thought exercise. We do what we want around here, and today’s no different. There’s been a question rolling around in my head for the last several days that I just wanted to float out here on the internet. Is it time for the Tennessee Titans to get away from their identity? This style of play that feels dated and behind in today’s NFL. And, hey – maybe they don’t just get away from their identity, but maybe they get away from an identity altogether? Is that a crazy thing to ask?
There are only four teams left standing as we head into championship Sunday – how many of them have a legit identity that isn’t tied to their quarterback? How many have a brand of football that they’re known for? The San Francisco 49ers? Is that it right now? Hell, I’d argue that even putting the 49ers in a box isn’t necessarily fair right now either! And, we know the Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals, and Philadelphia Eagles can beat you in multiple ways. The Chiefs have long had an underrated running game that can take over a game when needed. The Eagles have weapons galore. The Bengals can duke it out with anyone – their physicality remains underrated. My larger point here is that this year’s final four is an illustration of how being multiple in the modern NFL is much more important than forming an identity and sticking to it. It is of paramount importance to be able to beat an opponent however you need to.
In this day and age, “identity” is more about the character of the players and the chemistry a team builds off of that. It’s not just “let’s get big grumpy offensive linemen because we’re only going to run the ball.” We’ve heard Mike Vrabel talk about being physical, fast, and versatile. It’s clear he understands the direction the NFL is heading in, but that’s not necessarily the type of personnel they’ve acquired in recent seasons. To be fair, hindsight is 20/20, and it’s easy for us to criticize the shortcomings of the roster-building over the last few seasons. But, I don’t think it’s unfair to say that this iteration of the roster was built with a very specific identity in mind, and when that vision didn’t come to fruition, the wheels fell off.
So, it certainly feels to me that getting the right players for a dynamic roster that fits within an established culture is the key to successful roster management in the year 2023. And, that’s more important than identity, in the traditional sense of the term.
That’s where new general manager Ran Carthon comes in. It’s time to build towards what it takes to be competitive in the modern NFL, and not to draft and sign a bunch of run-blockers. I don’t want to oversimplify this and suggest that running the ball and playing defense can’t work in the NFL these days. The Titans were what they had to be in 2022 in order for them to be even remotely competitive, which they were for the bulk of the season. And, I’m not suggesting they trade away Derrick Henry. But, maybe it’s time to add more pieces around him to make the Titans a more dynamic offense. Maybe it’s time to lessen his load. Bottom line: this organization needs a philosophical overhaul (from a personnel standpoint) in order to get to the next step.
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Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.
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