The Titans’ top NFL free agency targets when the 2025 offseason begins
With It’s officially the 2024 NFL regular season done, teams across the NFL, like Tennessee Titansconfigure their offseason strategies, from who they plan to select in the 2025 NFL Draft to which free agents they feel are ideal for what they want to do.
Now typically, teams use free agency to fill holes before heading into the draft, adding, for example, a veteran cornerback to stop so they don’t have to reach for a smaller player early in the process, but the Titans are the lone team that can to write one player’s name on his 2025 depth chart in pencil, as were awarded first overall pick after Jarrod Maye’s Patriots secured a shock win in Week 18 in the dying throes of his head coaching career.
Will the Titans use that pick to add an elite offensive tackle like Will Campbell, who could start immediately for at least half the teams in the NFL at left or right tackle? Or maybe they go for pure BPA, with Travis Hunter bringing the kind of star power that Nashville has lacked since Derrick Henry and AJ Brown left town? You know, there are multiple quarterbacks who could see their name at the top of the draft like Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward, and others like JJ McCarthy who could even be acquired via trade, if Tennessee believes it has the best draft value of the group.
That’s a decision for, well, whoever ends up getting the Tennessee GM job, but regardless of how it shakes out — let’s face it, it’s going to be a quarterback one way or another — the Titans can’t afford to roll the dice and I hope he leaves the draft with a starting-caliber offensive tackle outside of the first round, because he will 2023 sixth-round pick Jaylin Duncan was a borderline disaster on the right side in 2023 and simply can’t hold down that spot for another game, especially with a rookie who will likely spend most of the season under center.
1. The Titans should sign Cam Robinson
After spending years playing left tackle for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Cam Robinson was traded with a seventh-round pick to the Minnesota Vikings midseason for a conditional fourth-round pick.
On paper, it’s a pretty good move for Robinson, as he went from a team contending for the top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to a team that won Week 18 from the No. 1 seed in the NFC. But there’s a problem that could affect Robinson’s future in 2025: Minnesota already has a left tackle in Christian Derriso and only traded for Robinson because he suffered a season-ending injury in Week 8.
Almost certain to test free agency in 2025, the 29-year-old from Alabama will almost certainly be the top player on the open market and should therefore be a top target for the Titans, given that they have projected $50.7 million in free agencyaccording to Over The Cap.
Unlike recent free agent signings like Andre Dillard, who exploded spectacularly after barely playing in Philly, Robinson is a known commodity at one of the most important positions in the NFL and could 104 games and counting to good use in Tennessee protecting the blindside of any young running back who lands in the Music City.
2. The Titans could move JC Latham to right tackle
So, as you may be wondering, why would the Titans sign Robinson to be their left tackle when they just drafted JC Latham out of Alabama at seventh overall?
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Easy: Latham was the right move at Alabama.
That’s right, while left tackle is the “sexy” position where most teams want to play their best option because they protect the quarterback’s blind spot, there are plenty of teams with elite right tackles that allow them to run highly efficient offenses, with the top two teams in the NFC- in, Detroit Lions and The Philadelphia Eagles, who have the best right tackles in the game in Penny Sewell and Lane Johnson, respectively.
Could Latham eventually put his feet up and become a top star on the left side? Maybe so, but it’s more likely that Latham could play more naturally as a second-year pro on the right side and improve two positions with a player like Robinson at second. Need proof? Look no further than Lance Zierlein’s draft report for NFL.com, where the veteran scout even suggested his own the best position can be moved inside to be guarded.
“A bulldozer in human form with upper and lower body strength to violently evacuate treadmills and instantly advance the team’s ground attack.” Latham’s body type is stocky and he has elite drive-blocking talent,” Zierlein wrote. “He’s operated in a variety of run schemes, but he’ll be an average move blocker both laterally and when moving up to the second level.” His passing sets are well balanced with good initial speed and active hands. He releases left and right sides and mirrors effectively after contact, but is beaten by inside moves when he over-sets. He has the length and arm strength to shut down the rusher, but he must become more comfortable lining up diagonally rather than vertically to avoid diving too deep into his own pocket. Latham’s size, strength and talent give him a chance to become a heralded Pro Bowl-caliber right tackle or guard.”
All right, we’re moving Latham to guard probably won’t happen, especially after the team already did it against fellow first-round pick Peter Skoronsky the year before, but moved him to the right tackle? Where did he shine in Alabama? Yes, that actually makes a lot of sense. With an elite offensive line coach in place of head coach Brian Callahan’s father, Bill, loading the offensive line with even more talent can only lead to good things, especially if the team can secure the services of an elite RB like Cam Skattebo on Day 2.
Bonus – Why not trade Will Lewis to Minnesota in the JJ McCarthy deal?
While much has been said and written about how the Titans should approach the quarterback position this spring, one idea that has gotten far less attention than it probably should is the idea of trading Will Lewis for McCarthy, which would change the last two in his contract in lieu of an additional mid-round draft pick.
That being said, no one but the truly deranged would suggest that Lewis is a better prospect than McCarthy or even a starter at the NFL level, but he’s a signal-calling tool with a big arm, functional athleticism and a ton of confidence like his meme-able commercial for Mayo it clearly proves. Lewis was the consensus best quarterback in his draft class, turned in some elite performances in 2023 under Mike Vrabel, and had arguably his best game of the year in Week 11 against the Vikings, where Kevin O’Connell watched the Kentucky product throw for 295 yards, a touchdown and a pick while running for another 18.
If the Vikings decide to go with Darnold as their quarterback moving forward, Lewis could step right in as a KB2, just like Daniel Jones did this year, getting time to develop in one of the most KB-loving offenses in the league. How crazy would it be to see Lewis become the next Darnold in 2026. You know, stranger things have happened, like Darnold becoming an MVP candidate.
2025-01-11 06:07:00
