The New Pantheon.

[Soapy]

Offseason Preview: The Titans have established their floor, can they now reach their ceiling?
A first-time head coach. A new offensive coordinator. A three-game losing streak in the middle of the season. Down to their third string left tackle. Despite it all, Tennessee made it to the Divisional Round of the playoffs, won the AFC South and yet, it still feels like there was plenty of meatayoon the table for the Titans as they were a few fourth down conversions shy of reaching the AFC Championship Game where they would have been favored over the Pittsburgh Steelers, a team they beat twice last season.

The 2027 season was an interesting one for the Titans where they proved that they weren't a flash in the pan in the previous season, going from one of the worst teams in the NFL for the previous seasons into the AFC's top seed, making it to the AFC Championship Game before bowing out to the Bengals. While last year's team had a better record and went further in the playoffs, this year felt more sustainable, a floor being established about who the Titans are in the Francois-Jackson-Ward era.

Here's how things stack up as they head into the offseason

Quarterback
Under Contract Cam Ward, Jalen Milroe, Alonzo Barnett
Expiring Contracts Marcus Mariota
Top Free Agents Joe Milton, Will Levis, Mac Jones
Typical Titans™ Quincy Shaw (6-6, 240lbs, Day 3) Antwan Stevenson (6-5, 228lbs, Day 3)

The Titans bring back the same room, sans Marcus Mariota who was the veteran presence in the room. They could look to bring in another similar veteran arm but Jalen Milroe showed enough last year in limited time, both in the regular season and preseason, to be the unquestioned backup going forward.

An extension for Ward does loom and they could bring in a young guy in the draft but with scarcity in draft picks following the Justin Jefferson trade, it's hard to see them spending capital at that position for someone that will likely never play unless thing go horribly, horribly wrong.

Running back
Under Contract Mark Fletcher Jr, Jam Miller
Expiring Contracts Damien Martinez, Jaivian Thomas
Top Free Agents Christian McCaffrey, Rachaad White, Tyrone Tracy Jr, Keaton Michell, David Montgomery, Javonte Williams, Alvin Kamara
Typical Titans™ Pat Davenport (6-0, 225lbs, Round 3-4) Jason Buckley (5-8, 176lbs, Round 3-4)

Both Mark Fletcher Jr. and Jam Miller have dealt with injuries in their first two seasons so the Titans could choose to bring back someone like Damien Martinez or even Jaivian Thomas to add some insurance. They could also explore the market where the depth there offers some potential value finds in guys like David Montgomery or even Alvin Kamara.

Fletcher's fumbling issues, and to a similar extent Miller, could see them explore some options in the draft, especially for short yardage in a big back like LSU's Pat Davenport or decide to bring in a true receiving back like Jason Buckley out of Baylor as they haven't had a dynamic option out of the backfield which is what they were hoping Miller would be when they drafted him.

Wide Receiver
Under Contract Justin Jefferson, Jakobi Lane, Chimere Dike, Xavier Restrepo, Elic Ayomanor, Deion Burks, Anthony Evans III
Expiring Contracts Jayden Gibson
Top Free Agents Troy Franklin, Chris Godwin Jr, Ricky Pearsall,
Typical Titans™ Felix Hoskins (6-5, 215lbs, Round 3-4) Tremaine Snead (6-3, 232lbs, Day 3)

Don't expect much movement here, at least not them adding guys as they bring back essentially all of their receivers except Jayden Gibson, the undrafted free agent. If they do decide to replace Gibson instead of bringing him back, there are a couple of options in the draft that provide a similar athletic profile as a big body receiver as they don't really have someone else like Gibson on their roster.

Tight End
Under Contract Chigoziem Okonkwo, Darnell Washington
Expiring Contracts Seydou Traore
Top Free Agents Noah Fant, Theo Johnson
Typical Titans™ Johnnie Taylor (6-6, 256lbs, Round 2-3) Devin Gillespie (6-2, 238lbs, Round 2-3)

The Titans certainly want better production from the tight end position which saw a big dip from the previous year once Chigoziem Okonkwo went down. Darnell Washington just wasn't the secondary option that they were hoping for him to be with his primary effectiveness being at fullback and as a blocker. With the money they have invested into the position already, highly unlikely that they go after a tight end in the draft or free agency and instead rely on improvements internally.

Offensive Tackles
Under Contract Josh Conerly Jr, Malik Agbo
Expiring Contracts J.C. Latham, Dawand Jones, Trevyon Green
Top Free Agents Taylor Decker, Rasheed Walker, Luke Goedeke, Kaleb McGary
Typical Titans™ Derek Harris (6-7, 325lbs, Round 1-2) Tony Barker (6-4, 320lbs, Round 2-3)

This is where things start to get interesting. J.C. Latham is up for an extension and a pending free agent after being a serviceable right tackle for the last few seasons. Josh Conerly Jr. saw his first season as a Titan only last a few games before going down with an injury but is expected to be fully healthy by OTAs. The upshot of those injuries, including to Dawand Jones, is that rookie Malik Agbo saw a lot more playing time than was expected when he was drafted.

The Titans could decide to flip Conerly to right tackle or push Agbo there and roll with them. There's also some veteran options in free agency potentially in Taylor Decker and Kaleb McGary as well as the draft where they could try to land a long term solution at the position. Of course, there's always the option of re-signing Latham and letting Conerly and Agbo battle it out at left tackle.

Guards
Under Contract D.J. Campbell, Jackson Slater
Expiring Contracts Peter Skoronski
Top Free Agents Evan Brown, Quenton Nelson
Typical Titans™ Mychal Drayon (6-2, 301lbs, Day 3) P.J. Rosenberg (6-3, 333lbs, Day 3)

It's a great year to be an above average guard which is exactly what Peter Skoronski is as he enters a free agent market where he, if the Colts ultimately re-sign Quenton Nelson, will be the top guard in the market. It's an extremely weak guard class in the draft as well with just one consensus first-round talent in Cameron Malone who will be well off the board by the time the Titans are picking.

Similar to tackle, Tennessee has a few options in either re-signing Skoronski, in which they will have to overpay, or roll with someone like Slater or a later draft pick or veteran free agent.

Center
Under Contract Zach Rice
Expiring Contracts Garrett Bradbury (retired)
Top Free Agents Lloyd Cushenberry III, Cooper Beebe,
Typical Titans™ J.J. McKinley (6-4, 315lbs, Day 3)

This is pretty cut and dry with Garrett Bradbury retiring, pushing Zach Rice into that starting position after being a rotational guard last season and even playing some tackle due to the injury there. Things worked out perfectly for the succession plan with them trading away Lloyd Cushenberry last year, signing Bradbury to be the transitional center and letting Rice develop before taking over.

EDGE
Under Contract Oluwafemi Oladejo, Rueben Bain Jr, Azeez Ojulari, Gabe Harris Jr, Nate Johnson
Expiring Contracts Marcus Davenport
Top Free Agents Nolan Smith, Rashan Gary, Trey Hendrickson, Carl Granderson, Andrew Van Ginkel, Danielle Hunter
Typical Titans™ Garrison Jones (6-5, 256lbs, Round 3-4) Dante Bennett (6-4, 267lbs, Day 3)

This position is pretty set as well with the top four guys returning, including Gabe Harris Jr. who was more involved as a rookie than many expected. They could try to upgrade here and get more production opposite of Rueben Bain but overall, this is a solid group that will more-or-less look the same next year.

Interior Defensive Line
Under Contract Jamal Jarrett, Nazir Stackhouse, Nic Gonzales
Expiring Contracts Jeffery Simmons, T'Vondre Sweat, Khyiris Tonga
Top Free Agents Jonathan Allen, Vita Vea, Kenny Clark
Typical Titans™ Miguel Medina (6-5, 292lbs, Round 2-3) Brendan Calhoun (6-6, 387lbs, Round 3-4)

This is a very interesting situation that could go any number of ways. Jeffery Simmons is arguably the team's second best player behind Justin Jefferson, third at worst if you put Cam Ward above him. The Titans didn't push to extend him last off-season, letting him play out the final year of his deal.

He would be the top free agent on the market at both his position and possibly overall, befitting of a major payday. This wouldn't be such a bad position if the Titans weren't also losing T'Vondre Sweat if they don't re-sign him. There are questions about whether or not you can play both Jamal Jarrett and Sweat at the same time as they don't offer a ton of pass rushing upside and are more nose tackle bodies. If they let Simmons walk, they'll need to replace the pass rushing element that they would be losing and there just isn't a clear cut better option in free agency right now.

In the draft, they could go a few ways with Texas' Miguel Medina being that twitchy, pass rushing option while Wake Forest's Brendan Calhoun is a massive 387-pounder that is more of the Sweat mold.

Linebacker
Under Contract Whit Weeks, Taurean York, Cedric Gray, Ben Roberts, Gabe Powers
Expiring Contracts Zaire Franklin, James Williams Sr.
Top Free Agents Dre Geenlaw, Edgerrin Cooper, Zack Baun, Foyesade Oluokun, DeMarvion Overshown
Typical Titans™ Terrence Newman (6-0, 230lbs, Round 2-3) Luke Thigpen (6-4, 253lbs, Round 2-3)

Zaire Franklin has been the leader of this bunch since the Titans traded for him two seasons ago, leading the team in tackles and earning All-Pro honors each season, including winning DPOY in his first year with the team. He hasn't shown any signs of slowing up but his weaknesses remaining his weakness and that's being out in space and in coverage.

Moving on from him would allow Whit Weeks to step into his more natural position at MIKE and look for an athletic, sideline-to-sideline cover specialist at WILL as the middle of the field is something that the Titans have struggled at.

Cornerback
Under Contract Jermaine Matthews Jr, Roger McCreary, Elijah Jones, Marcus Harris, Brice Pollock, Alan Kendricks
Expiring Contracts Marcus Jones
Top Free Agents Kenny Moore II, Marshon Lattimore, Cooper DeJean, Renardo Green, Terrion Arnold, Jaire Alexander
Typical Titans™ Virgil Goodson (6-2, 201lbs, Round 2-3) Kentrell Jackson (5-9, 191lbs, Day 3)

Another position that should look the same but there is a decision that needs to be made regarding Marcus Jones. After extending Elijah Jones around this time last year, the Titans still went out and got Marcus Jones from the Patriots in a trade, a move that didn't make a lot of sense at the time.

It played out well with both players serving a role with Marcus Jones as the nickel and Elijah being the dime, which Tennessee played a lot of due to their struggles against the passing game. Elijah Jones is under contract so they can bring him back as the nickel, let Marcus Jones walk and go from there. They can also try to upgrade and bring in someone like Kenny Moore or even Cooper DeJean, giving them an elite nickel and keeping Elijah Jones at dime.

Safety
Under Contract Kevin Winston Jr, Rasheem Biles, Joenel Aguero, Javier Skinner
Expiring Contracts Lonnie Johnson Jr, Isaiah Simmons
Top Free Agents Geno Stone, Nick Cross, Malik Hooker, Xavier McKinney
Typical Titans™ Miles Carr (5-10, 210lbs, Round 2-3) Ryan Pratt (6-2, 208lbs, Round 2-3)

The Titans have tried upgrading this position in a variety of ways from trying to convert cornerback Nohl Williams into a safety, converting draft pick and linebacker Rasheem Biles into a safety, signing free agents Lonnie Johnson and Isaiah Simmons over the last two seasons and even drafting Joenel Aguero last year.

They still need to improve at that position and this could be the year to do it with a deep safety group in the draft and a few high level starters expected to hit free agency.

Specialist
Under Contract K Brandon Aubrey, LS Blake Ferguson
Expiring Contracts P Ryan Eckley

They will likely re-sign Ryan Eckley and bring back the same unit.

[Soapy]

Titans pick up Josh Conerly's fifth-year option, expected to work on an extension with Cam Ward in coming months
The Tennessee Titans are picking up left tackle Josh Conerly's fifth-year option, valued at $16 million and will not be picking up Cam Ward's option which is valued at $70 million.

The Titans are expected to begin negotiations with Ward on a long term extension which could see the former number one overall pick become the top paid quarterback in the league with an expected APY of $63 million, which saves Tennessee around $6 to $8 million in cap space this season by declining that fifth-year option.

The Titans did apply their franchise tag to punter Ryan Eckley who is set to make $3.84 million. This means that players such Jeffery Simmons, T'Vondre Sweat, Zaire Franklin, Peter Skoronski and J.C. Latham will become free agents with Simmons, Franklin and Skoronski expected to be among the top players available at their respective positions.

Notable NFL Transactions
HC Steven Meyer
HB Dave Canales
HC Mike Vrabel
HC Kevin Stefanski
WR Troy Franklin (3yr/$27.9m)
DT Vita Vea (1yr/$26.2m)
DT Kenny Clark (1yr/$21.3m)
WR Ricky Pearsall (3yr/$33.3m)
CB Renardo Green (3yr/$31.6m)
LB Foyesade Oluokun (1yr/$5.8m)
CB Terron Arnold (3yr/$52.8m)
G Quenton Nelson (franchise tag)
EDGE Andrew Van Ginkel (franchise tag)

[ShireNiner]

Vrabel to the Raiders? Him and Brady connecting again. Risky move not picking up Wards option, better hope it pays off.

[Soapy]

2028 NFL combine: Top draft prospects, best workouts, risers
Drills at the NFL combine finished up Sunday in Indianapolis, with the 2028 NFL draft's top offensive line prospects showcasing their skills in front of all 32 teams. Defensive linemen and linebackers started things off Thursday, while defensive backs and tight ends took the stage Friday. Quarterback, running back and defensive back prospects were under the spotlight Saturday.

Who ran well in the 40-yard dash? Who dominated in the rest of the on-field work? Let's get into it with a breakdown of all the action at Lucas Oil Stadium.

What are the biggest takeaways from Sunday's workouts?
Michigan's Andrew Babalola established himself as the best tackle in the draft with his performance, putting up 41 reps on the bench press and running better than expected with a 5.14 forty and leading all tackles with a 33.5' vertical jump, 7.40 3-cone drill and 4.88 20-yard shuttle.

Coming into the weekend, his biggest competition was Clemson's Brayden Jacobs who weighed in at 334 pounds and measured in at 6-foot-8. With those measurables, his relatively poor testing was somewhat expected but the 7.86 3-cone drill was among the worst of the group, increasing concerns on his ability to deal with athletic pass rushers at the next level.

Emilio Lopez (West Virginia) and Tom Barber (North Carolina) also impressed, potentially earning themselves some consideration in the third or fourth round. It's not a great tackle draft with a few first round picks in Babaloa, Jacobs and David Sanders Jr. but after that, there might not be another top fifty prospect which could see some teams with needs at the position that didn't address them in the first round reach which bodes well for guys like Lopez and Barber that had solid outings in Indy.

Did Bryce Understood just push Baker Mayfield out of Tampa?
When the regular season ended, many pegged Bryce Underwood (Michigan) to fall to Indianapolis with the No. 9 pick but with Dak Prescott retiring and the Dallas Cowboys suddenly needing a quarterback, Underwood to Dallas made all the sense in the world.

That was before Underwood lit up the Combine with one of the best performances in recent memory, running a 4.50 forty with a 32.9" vertical jump and a 10'0" broad jump at 232 pounds. While those aren't quite Anthony Richardson numbers from a few years ago, they are similar enough to Cam Newton that it has sent many experts and draft analysts wondering if Underwood just tested himself into No. 1 overall pick consideration.

Baker Mayfield has two years left in his deal and the Buccaneers would need to eat the $49.3 million in cap space if they released him but they don't necessarily have to even if they select Underwood. Underwood could sit behind Mayfield or the Bucs could have a very expensive backup quarterback for the next two seasons if they decide that Underwood is just too talented to pass up on.

Some risers and fallers following the 40-yard dash
If the Bucs don't take Underwood, the projected number one overall pick has been Syracuse's Demetres Samuel Jr. and he certainly helped his case with a 4.37 forty, third fastest among receivers. The two fastest were Dakorien Moore (Oregon) with a 4.26 forty and Lotzeir Brooks (Alabama) clocking in at 4.31 who are also expected to be selected in the first round with Moore being a potential top pick while Brooks has pushed himself comfortable in the late teens.

Ohio State cornerback Devin Sanchez also tested really well with a 4.39 forty and is currently projected to go No. 2 to the Kansas City Chiefs who are looking to return to competing for Super Bowls and Eddie Henson, the 270-pound defensive end from Notre Dame, turned some heads with his 4.61 forty, way faster than any expected.

Potential first round pick and Heisman winner Malachi Toney didn't have such luck, clocking in at 4.57 which was 37th among receivers and his overall testing didn't fare much better, falling outside the top 20 in broad jump, 3-cone drill and outside the top fifteen in the 20-yard shuttle which is where some draft analysts thought he might shine. The Miami receiver's production might be enough to keep him in first round considerations but he's certainly slid down draft boards, with Moore now firmly entrenched as WR2 and Travis Smith (Tennessee) gaining ground on him after running a 4.48 and measuring in at six-foot-three compared to the 5-foot-9 Toney.

How many quarterbacks go in the first round?
While Underwood tested, he did not throw which allowed for a few other quarterbacks to make an impression in Malik Washington (Maryland), DeMarcus Arrington (Ohio State) and Julian Lewis (Colorado).

Depending on who you ask, the draft grade varies on the quarterbacks after the established top three of Underwood, C.J. Carr (Notre Dame) and Keelon Russell (Alabama). Many mock drafts have only Underwood going in the first round but if Tampa does draft Underwood, could the Cowboys then snatch one of the other quarterbacks and start a domino chain?

Indianapolis for example could be shoppers at No. 8, perhaps going after Carr and the Dolphins, a few picks later, could be tempted to take Russell if they feel like he won't be available in the second round. With this, other teams such as Detroit or Arizona who might have been in the market to take a quarterback in the second or third round might panic and decide to make sure that they are leaving with something, not trusting the run on quarterbacks to leave them without one in the early stages of the second round.

[Soapy]

Vrabel to the Raiders? Him and Brady connecting again. Risky move not picking up Wards option, better hope it pays off.

$70 million just too rich for me, hopefully he doesn't turn down our offers

[redsox907]

you think he ain't gonna get $70M in a contract?

the unfortunate thing is with the money tied up in JJ, you don't really have the flexibility to spend this offseason knowing the payout to Ward is coming

going to have to get shrewd with the drafting

[Captain Canada]

If Cam leaves, I'll hit the fucking ground in laughter. MILROE MANIA!

[djp73]

close loss to a team that should be one of the tougher ones to get past in the AFC,
the top tier QBs playing like the top tier QBs in madden is one of the few redeeming qualities of the game imho

[Soapy]

you think he ain't gonna get $70M in a contract?

the unfortunate thing is with the money tied up in JJ, you don't really have the flexibility to spend this offseason knowing the payout to Ward is coming

going to have to get shrewd with the drafting

fairs @ $70m

J.J. is only signed for one more year too so he's looking at an extension as well

If Cam leaves, I'll hit the fucking ground in laughter. MILROE MANIA!

having to get another QB would add some drama but it would also make me want to kms since i only picked the titans because of Cam so idk

close loss to a team that should be one of the tougher ones to get past in the AFC,
the top tier QBs playing like the top tier QBs in madden is one of the few redeeming qualities of the game imho

[Soapy]

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!