Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Tennessee Titans ALL IN on Calvin Ridley, Best Mid-Tier Free Agent Receivers & Value Depth Options

Episode Date: March 4, 2024

The Tennessee Titans need major help at wide receiver and the only top-tier option that still has a chance to be available is Calvin Ridley. The Titans need to be all-in if that is the case. If Ridley isn't available, the Titans must go into the mid-tier options at receiver that include Hollywood Brown and Darnell Mooney. Finally, the depth bin provides some solid chances like Noah Brown, but there aren't many worth courting at that stage. Follow Tyler on Twitter @TicTacTitans Follow the show on Facebook @LockedOnTitansPod Subscribe to the Locked On Titans YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/c/LockedOnTitans/videos Subscribe to the TicTacTitans Film Channel:https://www.youtube.com/@TicTacTitans Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!eBay MotorsFor parts that fit, head to eBay Motors and look for the green check. Stay in the game with eBay Guaranteed Fit at eBayMotos.com. Let’s ride. eBay Guaranteed Fit only available to US customers. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply. NissanOur friends at Nissan have a lineup of SUV’s with the capabilities to take your adventure to the next level. Take the Nissan Rogue, Nissan Pathfinder, or Nissan Armada and go find your next big adventure. Shop NissanUSA.com. RobinhoodRobinhood has the only IRA that gives you a 3% boost on every dollar you contribute when you subscribe to Robinhood Gold. Now through April 30th, Robinhood is even boosting every single dollar you transfer in from other retirement accounts with a 3% match. Available to U.S. customers in good standing. Robinhood Financial LLC (member SIPC), is a registered broker dealer. BetterHelpThis episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Make your brain your friend, with BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/LOCKEDON today to get 10% off your first month. GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase.FanDuelGet buckets with your first bet on FanDuel, America’s Number One Sportsbook. Right now, NEW customers get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS with any winning FIVE DOLLAR BET! That’s A HUNDRED AND FIFTY BUCKS – if your bet wins! Visit FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON to get started. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

The Tennessee Titans need to be all in on Calvin Ridley. I'll explain why on today's edition of the Locked On Titans podcast. Let's get it. You are Locked On Titans, your daily Tennessee Titans podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Welcome to the Locked On Titans Podcast. I am your host, Tyler Rowland, Titans fans. Today's edition of the Locked On Titans podcast is brought to you by FanDuel.

Make every moment more. Right now, new customers get $150 in bonus bets with any winning $5 bet. That's $150. If your bet wins, visit fanduel.com slash locked on to get started. We are continuing the 2024 Locked On Titans free agency preview. It is time to look at wide receiver. I'm going to explain why Calvin Ridley is the Titans' last hope at a top-tier target. We're also going to look at the best options for the Titans in the mid-tiers.

And then finally, we'll look at some depth options at the bottom of the market as well. Before we get into today's show, do want to thank you for making the Locked on Titans podcast your first listen each and every day. Remember, Monday through Friday, Tennessee Titans content all year round, always for free. Make sure you get subscribed, stay subscribed to the number one Tennessee Titans podcast in the world. Throw a thumbs up on the video right now as well.

The show's always free. All I ask for in return is the press of a button. And shout out to my everydayers out there. Tune in Monday through Friday. Couldn't do it without you guys. If you aren't an everydayer, then you need to be one. But continuing here with our free agency preview, we talked running back, quarterback, and tight end so far.

Make sure you check those out if you missed it. But the Titans only have one real option left at the top tier of the market. We talked about this at the end of last week, how the market was basically starting to erode, and all of the options were starting to dry up. And we've seen that. Tee Higgins got tagged. Michael Pittman expected to be tagged if a long-term deal isn't worked out. General

Manager Chris Ballard of the Indianapolis Colts came out and said Michael Pittman will be a Colt in September. So you can basically write that off. Then we got news on Monday morning. Mike Evans, who over the weekend all of the combine rumors were, oh, Mike Evans is going to the weekend, all of the combine rumors were,

oh, Mike Evans is going to hit free agency. Not so fast. Mike Evans back to Tampa Bay. Two years, $52 million. So out of the top four options, the only A options on the market, again, that leaves Calvin Ridley. And Calvin Ridley's situation is a little strange

because the Jaguars traded for Calvin Ridley. And Calvin Ridley's situation is a little strange because the Jaguars traded for Calvin Ridley and if they sign him to an extension, they have to give up a second round pick. But if Calvin Ridley goes to free agency and actually hits the market and the Jaguars re-sign him back, they're only going to give up a three, but Jacksonville may not want to do that

and if he hits the free agent market, then anybody can get him. Then he's open to take an offer from everybody. And if that happens, the Tennessee Titans need to go all out to bring in Calvin Ridley. Again, he is the last top tier A option. He is the last hype option. I've been to a hype, happy, and hate with my free agent preview. The only hype option that would be left truly is Calvin Ridley. And look, he's 29 years old. He's going to be 30 in December. I see people say, hey, that's a little older. Well, he missed a year and a half of football because of suspension.

And I think that if you look at it that way, he's only 27 and a half. His body and the tread that's been on his tires, and that makes him much more of a appealing option age-wise. I think Calvin Ridley still has a ton of good football left. 6'1", 190 pounds, so he checks all the size boxes that you want for your outside receiver. He's still got great speed, and Calvin Ridley at his best is one of the best route runners in the NFL.

Everybody's so hype on Brandon Ayuk. Calvin Ridley was Brandon Ayuk before Brandon Ayuk. Look at his last full season. He had 2023 in Jacksonville. Full season, 17 games, had 76 catches, 1,016 yards, and eight touchdowns. That's coming off not playing football for a year and a half. The last full season that he played before the suspension was 2020. He had 90 catches, 1,374 yards, and nine touchdowns in 15 games.

This guy is an elite receiver when he's at his best. And I think that like we see with people who come off an ACL injury or when they're out of football for over a year, sometimes it's that second year, okay, where you actually get back to your full capacity. So I think Calvin Ridley in 2024 is going to be better than Calvin Ridley in 2023. In 2023, Calvin Ridley was a thousand yards. So if Calvin Ridley does hit the market, I think the Titans need to do everything they can to go out and get him. Not only are you getting an A tier wide receiver for your young quarterback in your offense, but you're also stealing that player away from the Jacksonville Jaguars. And I think that would be critical. The Titans get a

high level wide receiver, but they don't have to pay draft picks to do it. They can just get Calvin Ridley in free agency. And Calvin Ridley, I would guess, is going to be at about $22, $23 million average per year. You're not going to be at that high-end rate of over $25 million, which so many receivers are at now. But if you look at the best wide receivers in the NFL right now, the highest paid wide receivers in the NFL right now,

Devontae Adams, Tyreek Hill, now Mike Evans, Stephon Diggs, these guys are at the 30-year-old range. So I'm not worried about Calvin Ridley, who really is about 27.5 on his body in terms of NFL tread. I think Ridley would be absolutely perfect. And the Titans are trying to make a move like this. So one interesting aspect of Mike Evans getting signed in Tampa Bay was Diana Rossini from The Athletic reported that there were a ton of teams in on Mike Evans

that were going to try to sign Mike Evans. And number one on that list was the Tennessee Titans. So I think that the Titans would love to spend money on players who are worth it if they can. They know that they need a top-tier wide receiver. That's what we've learned from that report. So, to me, I'm all in on Calvin Ridley if he gets to free agency. And if Jacksonville extends him before free agency,

well, then they're going to have to pay that second-round pick. So, if Jacksonville wants to do that and lose the second second round pick while also giving a big contract to Calvin Ridley, then let them do it. But if for some reason, again, he gets to free agency, he's the last hope for the Titans of getting a top tier wide receiver. The only wide receiver that I'd be truly, truly hype about that's left realistically is Calvin Ridley. So I hope the Titans make that move if they get the opportunity to do it. But with that being said, we got to go down a tier.

We got to talk about a more realistic tier where I think the Titans will have a lot of options available. That's the mid-tier of free agency. And because the mid-tier of free agency is so big, I'm going to do a hype, happy, and hate just in the mid-tier alone. So a lot to discuss. And then we'll get to the depth options at the end of the show. Before we get into that, happy, and hate just in the mid-tier alone. So a lot to discuss and then we'll get to the depth options at the end of the show. Before we get into that though, I do want to let you guys

know that today's episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Has your social battery kind of been drained right now? Are you feeling like coming out of the winter that you're kind of in a less than social position? Look, it can be easy to ignore that social battery and to spread yourself thin, especially with all of the social gatherings that are going to be picking up now that winter is closing. What's the right amount of socializing for you? Do you need to recharge? Therapy can give you the self-awareness you need to build a social life that doesn't drain your battery. I've done therapy with BetterHelp. It was incredibly beneficial. I found it really easy to do, so it wasn't a lot of pressure on me to go to my meetings and do

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slash locked on today and get 10% off your first month. That's BetterHelp. H-E-L-P dot com slash locked on. Titans fans, let's continue today's free agency preview of the wide receiver position.

Thank you for making Locked on Titans your first listen each and every day. Just told you guys why Calvin Ridley would be an all-in move for me if I'm the Tennessee Titans. Would love to do that. My last wide receiver in the hype tier. Now we got to get into the mid-tier options at free agent wide receivers. Before we do, thank you again for making Locked on Titans

your first listen. It's your team every day. But this is the tier where the Titans realistically are going to be able to find somebody. So I said that Calvin Ridley is probably going to make $22, $23 million a year, just average annual value on his contract.

This tier of guys is going to be anywhere from $5 million to $15 million. And if any of them go above the $15 million mark, well, I mean, some of them I don't want anyway, even though they're close. If they get there, then we can just call it a day and be done. But like I said, I've been doing hype, happy, and hate tiers in free agency. And the mid-tier is so important.'ve been doing hype, happy, and hate tiers in free agency. And the mid-tier is so important. I'm doing hype, happy, and hate just within the mid-tier. All right.

Number one, my hype options. And remember, this is just in the mid-tier of wide receivers. That $5 million to $15 million range. My hype wide receivers in this tier, number one, Hollywood Brown. I've been talking about Marquise Hollywood Brown for a month now on the show, knowing that if the Titans missed out on all the top tier options, if they missed out on Calvin Ridley, Mike Evans, T. Higgins, Michael Pittman, if they missed out on all of those,

then I think the Titans should go out and get Hollywood Brown. People are confused about Hollywood Brown and his game. All right, Hollywood Brown is not a slot wide receiver. He's only spent about 20% of his career in the slot, 20 to 30%. He's an outside receiver. And he can be that outside receiver that takes the top off the defense. You want your big, physical, strong X wide receiver. And then to me, your Z wide receiver, your number two wide receiver, can be a little smaller, can number two wide receiver can be a little

smaller, can have more speed, can be a guy who takes the top off the defense. Think about Philly. You got A.J. Brown as your X and then Smith is your Z. All right. So I think that Hollywood Brown could fill that Z role for the Tennessee Titans. And look, I would love for the Titans to go out and get that X wide receiver in free agency. I would have loved to have seen them get Higgins, get Pittman, get Evans to be that guy. And then you could fill in that speed Z wide receiver in the draft or as we go. But the reality here is the Titans may not have an X wide receiver. But let me just say this. Say the Titans go out and get Hollywood Brown to be their Z wide receiver.

You're paying them about $13, $14 million on a three-year contract where you're really only locked in for two years. You get Hollywood Brown. You have DeAndre Hopkins as your big physical slot wide receiver. And then you draft Roma Dunzay. So now you've got a Dunzay, Hollywood Brown, and DeAndre Hopkins. That is one of the better wide receiver groups in the NFL, ladies and gentlemen. We have flipped the wide receiver position overnight.

Overnight. Well, over the course of two months, I guess. But from one of the worst wide receiver groups in the NFL to one of the better ones. So that's my vision when I say bring in Hollywood Brown. If you can get Calvin Ridley, then great. Get Calvin Ridley. Take an offensive lineman no matter what first round.

Bring in Xavier Worthy, Speedster, Troy Franklin, Speedster, Ladd-McConkie, Speedster in the second round. Then you can have that entire idea, but you can do it in a different way. So, of course, you get Calvin Ridley. But if Ridley is not available and you don't have any of those top guys, bring in Hollywood Brown. Let him be that No. 2 wide receiver not available and you don't have any of those top guys, bring in Hollywood Brown. Let him be that number two wide receiver, even if you don't have your number one yet.

Let him get into his role. He's going to bring that speed. He's going to play on the outside. He's going to get down the field and take the top off the defense. Only 27 years old still, so still in that timeline that I think makes sense for this football team. I would love Hollywood Brown. Yes, there are issues with injuries. Yes,

there are some drop issues in there. He's not a perfect wide receiver. That's why he's in free agency. So, keep that in mind. But I could see the role that he would fill within the Titans offense, within a larger group of wide receivers. I think it would be absolutely excellent. And another wide receiver that

and he's my only one in my hype tier. So, Hollywood Brown is the only wide receiver in the mid options that I would be hype about. But there are a lot that I would be happy about here. Okay? Number one, Darnell Mooney. So, I've come around. I've come around.

A lot of you guys have talked me into it. I've read some things. I've listened to some things. I would be happy about Darnell Mooney. A couple of weeks ago, when we talked about these wide receivers, I was out on Darnell Mooney. Didn't see the fit. Didn't like it. But, but, I do understand the fit now. And another piece of information, according to some

combine rumors, the Titans are in on Darnell Mooney. The Titans are in on Darnell Mooney. The Titans are interested in Darnell Mooney, are going to be one of the top teams going after Darnell Mooney. Also, Chauncey Gardner-Johnson would be another option that the Titans are very interested in, according to Combine rumors. I believe it was Diana Rossini in The Athletic that was breaking all those rumors down.

But if the Titans are interested in Darnell Mooney, he is like, he is an option. that was breaking all those rumors down. But if the Titans are interested in Darnell Mooney, he is like, he is an option. I don't want to say he's similar to Hollywood Brown because he's a little bit taller, but he has that dynamic speed. And he is a guy who does a great job getting open deep and getting open in the intermediate areas. And with Will Levis' skill set,

I could see taking a chance on a young guy like Darnell Mooney, let him play outside, and Tyke Tolbert was working with the Bears previously. So there could be a connection there to Darnell Mooney as well. I think Mooney makes some sense. Would I be as hype as I would be with Hollywood Brown? No, but I would be happy with Darnell Mooney. And one of the big things that I think really got to me is price tag.

Where Hollywood Brown would be $15 million a year, Darnell Mooney is probably $10 or $11. And I think that's much more suitable. I think that you would have to give him less years and less guaranteed money as well, which makes the contract less punitive into the future. So I would be happy with Darnell Mooney. I would also be very happy with Mike Williams. Like I said, Mike Williams could be cut by the Los Angeles Chargers

if he is given Mike Williams a one-year prove-it deal coming off injury, $10 million one year just to see that he can hack it, see if he can give the Titans higher than market value. I think that would be absolutely excellent. So I would be happy about Darnell Mooney and Mike Williams and then my hate tier. For the mid-tier wide receivers making $5 to $10 million, my hate tier, Gabe Davis.

I do not like Gabe Davis. I'm not coming off that. I don't think he's a good fit. He is a deep wide receiver who has some speed, yes. But he's going to make like $14, $15 million. He has drop issues on his own. I don't see him as a special difference maker. And I'm not paying $15, $16 million for Gabe Davis

when I don't think that he gives you as much as a Hollywood Brown would give you when they're both at their best. And he's going to be cheaper. So to me, Hollywood Brown, that is. So I'm not paying for Gabe Davis. I'm simply not doing it. I don't see the benefit. I don't see the allure.

He's got drop issues on his own. I don't think he's special. Doesn't give you anything after the catch. Yes, he's a contested catch guy who can get down the field with speed, but I'm sorry, I just don't see it. And same thing, Tyler Boyd. Tyler Boyd is a big slot. The Titans have DeAndre Hopkins.

The Titans have Traylon Burks. There are a lot of big slot receivers in this draft class who I would rather the Titans go out and get for cheap than to get Tyler Boyd. The Titans need outside receivers with long speed. Tyler Boyd is the opposite. He is a short, quick, change of direction receiver who plays in the slot,

and he's going to get like $9-10 million a year. There's no way I'm paying for that. If the Titans want to get a slot-wide receiver, then they should go get Curtis Samuel, who is someone who should be in my happy tier. Samuel is going to get like $7 to $8 million. Darnell Mooney, Mike Williams, and if the Titans do want a slot wide receiver,

go get Curtis Samuel, who's going to be a couple million dollars cheaper than Tyler Boyd most likely. So to me, hype, Hollywood Brown, happy, Darnell Mooney, Mike Williams, Curtis Samuel, hate, Gabe Gabe Davis and Tyler Boyd. That's how I see my mid-tier of free agency. Let me know what you guys think about those tiers. Let me know out of all the names that we've talked about so far

who you would be interested in. Now we got to get into my low-tier, my depth signing because there's some guys who I really, really like in that group and some guys who I really don't like as well. We're going to get into that now. really like in that group, and some guys who I really don't like as well. We're going to get into that now. Before we do, do want to let you guys know that today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel.

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It's the wide receiver episode of our 2024 Locked on Titans free agency preview. Again, we talked about quarterbacks. We talked about running backs. We talked about tight ends. Hitting wide receivers today. We did the top tier option in Calvin Ridley. We did some mid-tier options that I hype, hate, or hype, happy, and hate for the mid-tier options.

Now I want to get in some depth signings that make sense for the Titans. And again, the top option was $20 million or more. The mid options was $5 to $10 million. All of these wide receivers we're going to talk about right here, I expect to be $5 million or cheaper. And again, they're just depth options. I'm not expecting these people to come in and be stars or starters.

Just solid depth options for the Tennessee Titans. Before we get into them, I do want to thank you guys again for making Locked On Titans your first listen each and every day. Also want to let you know, for making Locked on Titans your first listen each and every day. I also want to let you know Locked on has launched the first ever national sports 24-7 streaming channel on YouTube, and now it's also available on Amazon Fire TV in the free Fire TV channels app.

It's called Locked on Sports Today. It's here for you 24-7 covering the top sports stories of the day with local experts and coverage of every league from our national shows. sports stories of the day with local experts and coverage of every league from our national shows. Find Locked On Sports today, now available on the free Fire TV Channels app. Alright. So, depth options. And I think the only wide receivers that you can count on to be on the Titans next year are DeAndre Hopkins. Tier. Full stop.

I can see Traylon Burks being there, but I could also see him being traded. Kyle Phillips. Again, I talked about it on yesterday's show in my mock draft. If the Titans bring in a big slot receiver like a Luke McCaffrey, Kyle Phillips could just be outright cut. Alright, that's a reality

here. So, I think nothing is off the table in terms of who the Titans bring in. They could totally remodel every single position, and a lot of the guys that we think are going to be there could be gone. So, keep that in mind here. Depth options. LaVishka Chennault. If you want to back up big slot receiver, if the Titans don't go get one in the draft, and a lot of these names that I'm talking about will probably be signed after the draft. So, keep that in mind. But LaVishka Chennault could be a cheaper Curtis Samuel.

Curtis Samuel is a do-it-all gadget player who works out of the slot 50% of the time. They could go get LaVishka Chennault for a lot cheaper and give him a shot. He started in Jacksonville, moved to Carolina, been moved around a ton. Let him take some jet sweeps. Let him get some bubble screens.

Let him use his big physical size to block from the slot on the inside. I think that would be a worthy depth guy to take a look at. Another guy who I've liked consistently is Noah Brown. Noah Brown cooked the Titans at times last year. Noah Brown was cooking the NFL at times last year. Big physical wide receiver play outside, steal him away from Houston, throw some deep balls to him down the field like C.J. Stroud was doing last year. I think Noah Brown would be a great option for the Titans as a depth signing. Olamidea Zaccheaus, a guy with inside-outside versatility, good speed, still young, coming off playing for the Philadelphia Eagles. I think Zaccheaus would be a

great depth signing, and I've been pounding the table for Olameda for two years now. Also, some other names. I still want to bring back Chris Moore. If that's, Chris Moore made plays last year. Like, why would anybody hate on Chris Moore? If I had to choose between NWI and Chris Moore, I'm taking Chris Moore every single time. Got some reverses.

Caught some deep balls down the field. Is he an elite starting wide receiver? Absolutely not. He's a wide receiver five, wide receiver six type guy who needs to work on special teams as well. But I like Chris Moore in that role. Another guy who, if he's healthy, I like. And that's Sterling Shepard.

Could take a chance on him. Same thing. If he's healthy. Paris Campbell. If you want that slot guy as a depth option, say they want to get rid of Kyle Phillips, bring in a guy like Paris Campbell instead. Richie James.

Really like Richie James. Wish he could get a depth role with the Titans. I was hoping for that last year. A lot of these guys are free agents again, and I just like them as wide receiver five, wide receiver six, because they have actual receiving talent. They could be a good option a couple of weeks out of the year while also giving you some special teams value. And, you know, at the end of the day, those are

guys who I would like as depth signings. Now, guys who I don't like as much as depth options, Odell Beckham who I don't like as much as depth options. Odell Beckham Jr. He just brings a headache, brings a Hollywood vibe to him that is not like the Hollywood vibe we're talking about with Hollywood Brown. Like, he brings drama. He's like Cam Newton. If you brought Cam Newton back to be your backup quarterback,

the noise that he would make is not worth the player that he is. So I'm out on Odell Beckham. KJ Osborne, I don't see it. If the Titans are going to get a slot guy, I would rather get a LaVishka Chennault, a Richie James, a Paris Campbell. I don't see it with KJ Osborne. Just doesn't do anything for me. And then finally, Donovan Peoples-Jones.

Look, he has some punt return value. I get that. Slow, plodding. I'm not, like, the Titans need some outside receiver help. But I just, I just don't want to get it at this tier. Because you're not really giving me anything. You're giving me a knockoff version of Nick Westbrook-Akene. If I'm going to get an outside receiver at depth,

I would rather go with a Chris Moore, a LaVishka Chennault. Again, Noah Brown. I would take Noah Brown over Donovan Peoples-Jones all day, no question. So there's just no room for a guy like Donovan Peoples-Jones for me when there are better options at a same price tier. All right, so with that being said, though, those are names that I'm interested in, in free agency, at wide receiver, my top tier, the mid tier, hype, happy, hate, and the low tier guys, I like guys I don't like, let me know down below who your best options are and keep in mind, not everyone can be an all star. so there are going to be some depth options that you're,

I mean, you're going to have to consider. Not all these guys are bums, all right? Just because they're not pro bowlers doesn't mean that they're not good NFL players who can serve a role as a depth piece on this team. So let me know who you guys like down below. I'll be back with you tomorrow. More free agent talk as we get closer

and closer to free agency on March 15th. But as always, I am your host, Tyler Rowland, and this was Locked on Titans.