Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Tennessee Titans BIGGEST NEED Rankings: Quarterback #1, Secondary Need Issues & Cheap Depth Only

Episode Date: February 17, 2025

The Tennessee Titans have a plethora of needs all over the roster, but none is more pressing than quarterback where the Titans are one of the most depressing teams in the league in terms of talent. Quarterback isn't the only top need though as premium positions like tackle, edge and wide receiver also need love. The Titans have a lot of secondary needs that can't be ignored either on offense and defense. Finally, there are only a few positions where the Titans can mostly stand pat or find cheap depth only. Subscribe to the TicTacTitans Film Channel:https://www.youtube.com/@TicTacTitans TicTacTitans Merchandise: https://dixons-dream.square.site/shop/tictactitans-gear/C3AAPNWXSXA6SBYG3USV2I7R?page=1&limit=30&sort_by=category_order&sort_order=asc 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 Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! FanDuelRight now, new FanDuel customers can get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in Bonus Bets if your first FIVE DOLLAR bet wins!Download the app or head to FANDUEL.COM to get started. Bet with FanDuel—Official Partner of the NBA.   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' biggest need by far is at the quarterback position, but that doesn't mean you have to take one. Number one overall. I'll rank the Titans' biggest roster needs on today's edition of 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 Roland, Titans fans. On today's episode, I am going to rank the biggest roster needs that the Tennessee Titans

have. We're going to go from one all the way to 11. Curious to see what you guys rank as the biggest needs for the Tennessee Titans. I'm going to start at the top and of course, make my way all the way down before we get into the Titans need rankings. 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. You're not going to beat that anywhere else. Make sure that you get subscribed. Stay subscribed. It's your team every day. Speaking of every day, shout out to my every dayers out there tuning in Monday through Friday, couldn't do it without you guys. If you aren't an everyday or you need to be one, especially this time of year,

there's breaking news all the time ton of roster moves that the Titans need to make free agency the draft We're gonna start our free agency preview here and just a couple of shows So everything you need to know to be the most informed Tennessee Titans fan You could be this all season you can find here on the Locked on Titans podcast But with that being said do want to tell you guys that Tuesday, the franchise tag window opens in the NFL. So NFL teams have from Tuesday the 18th to March the 4th to place the franchise tag on a player.

Don't worry about it Titans fans. The Titans will not be using the franchise tag. So don't worry about it. Not a problem for the Titans right now in their current state of the roster. And speaking of the current state of the roster, again, I want to rank the Titans' biggest needs here. And it's no surprise. I don't think anybody out there is going to be shocked when I say

quarterback is by far the Titans' biggest need. Okay? Look at what you need to win in the NFL and you need some semblance of production at the quarterback position, whether that be an elite player in the top four class with Burrow and Lamar and Alan and Mahomes. Or whether that be a second tier quarterback, like a Jared golf or a Jalen hurts or a Justin Herber, a guy like that.

Regardless, you need a quarterback in one of those top two tiers or you're not going to be able to win at the highest level. So there's no doubt about it that the Tennessee Titans biggest need is quarterback, but that does not mean they need to take a quarterback number one in the draft. The reality is when you're filling these needs, you have to have a long-term perspective. The Titans are not in win-now mode. It's not, hey, we're a quarterback away from turning this thing around. So just because quarterback is your biggest need doesn't mean that it has to be the position you take number one in the draft.

And this is a discussion as old as time, need versus value. Well, the reality is if you have five edge rushers over the number one quarterback, you may need quarterback more, but the value is not there because there are better players available. It's not quite that extreme in my opinion, but it's just an example to show you that just because you know, this need is more important than the need below it doesn't mean that you have to take your players in order of your needs because they may not match up value wise. You may look at the quarterbacks and say they do match up value wise and the Titans need to take them and they very well may say the same thing.

But the point is quarterback can be by far the biggest need on the team because of how important it is to a team. And that doesn't mean that it's what the Titans should take number one overall, because the value and the player who you're taking matters more than the need at the end of the day, but make no mistake about it. Quarterback is a high urgent big time need for the Titans and they need to address the quarterback position, whether that be in the draft free agency or both. Okay.

But with that being said, I think the conversation really heats up when you talk about the second biggest need for the Titans. And for me, I went with all offensive tackle because no matter who you put at quarterback, whether that be a free agent like Derek Carr, Kirk cousins, or Aaron Rogers or whoever you want, Justin Fields, Jamis Winston, Sam Darnold, whoever you want. If you want a veteran quarterback and free agency, it doesn't matter who you're going to get.

None of the guys that I just mentioned are going to do much behind a bad offensive line. It's not happening. None of those guys are second reaction creators, Sam Darnold and Aaron Rogers and maybe Justin Fields, but Justin Fields, again, Justin Fields is not a fit for the Titans. It's not happening. So to me, offensive line, fixing the offensive line and specifically

offensive tackle, the right tackle position, whether you move JC Latham to right tackle and draft the left tackle or sign a left tackle, whether you keep JC Latham at left tackle and your draft and sign draft and or sign, it doesn't matter. The Titans need an offensive tackle wherever that offensive tackle ends up. The Titans need one desperately. Like how many years in a row can this team go with poor offensive line play at the offensive tackle positions? You simply can't do it.

Whether you draft a quarterback, whether you sign one of these veterans, it does not matter. Offensive line is the second biggest priority for the Tennessee Titans to me. And it's not very close. That offensive tackle spot has to be solved, has to be figured out. And whether it be free agency or the draft, the Titans have the resources to do it. So got to figure out the offensive tackle spot. It's my second biggest need.

My third biggest need for the Titans is edge rusher. And the reason that it's third for me and not second at this point is because at least at minimum the Titans have Harold Landry, Arden Key and Jalen Harrell. They have depth. Now, if you added an Abdul Carter to that, now you have a really good edge rusher group, like one of the better edge rusher groups in the league. That would be huge. Make no mistake about it. But the reality is the Titans don't even have a starting second offensive tackle right now.

The Titans defense was top three in yardage at least. The Titans defense was good. The Titans at least had a good defense with the edge rushers that they had. They could be great with better edge rushing. But at the end of the day, I can't put edge rusher over offensive tackle. When at least the Titans have players, they could start at edge. They don't even have a second starter at right tackle for offensive tackle right now. So that makes it the second biggest need to me.

And the fourth biggest need after QB offensive tackle and then edge is obviously wide receiver. I don't think people understand how piss poor the Titans wide receiver group is about to be. Yes, you have Calvin Ridley who is a good 1A. Calvin Ridley is a top 20 wide receiver in the NFL, probably 17, 18, 19, 20 somewhere in there. A really good wide receiver to a low end wide receiver one. He's also going to be 30. NWI cool. He's a novelty. People love him. I want to bring NWI back. I want to give him a contract that he deserves three years 15, three years

20 somewhere in between there. But NWI is not a bona fide starting wide receiver in the NFL. He is a great role playing wide receiver. If he's your fourth wide receiver, your wide receiver four is NWI. And you have a true number one X receiver, Calvin Ridley, and then a good, young, quick slot receiver with NWI is your number four, who is your number one role player at the position and plays a ton of snaps, that would be great. But the Titans don't have the quick slot receiver.

They don't have the physical X receiver and Calvin Ridley's 30. And NWI is a free agent. Tyler Boyd is a free agent. Jaquan Jackson proved nothing. Traylon Burks? I don't even want to talk about Traylon Burks. Cut him. Trade him. It's time. They need to move on. So make no mistake about it. Wide receiver is a massive need and it's a premium position. Quarterback, offensive tackle, edge rusher, wide receiver, and corner are the five most important positions in football

and the Titans have big time needs at four of them. Today's episode is brought to you by Fandle. When the game tips off, the NBA action is just getting started. There's no better place to get in on it than Fandle, America's number one sportsbook. With Fandle, you can place live bets throughout the game. So even if you miss the opening tip off, you could still bet a fourth quarter comeback and stay in the action. If you're looking for a bigger payout, you can combine your live

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quarterback, offensive tackle, edge rusher and wide receiver. The top four, no questions. Don't at me. I'll fight you whatever you want Those are the top four needs for the tight But the thing is you don't go three and fourteen Without having a ton of needs all over the roster and while those are the primary needs for the Tennessee Titans The Titans certainly have a lot of secondary needs as well that they're going to have to address and that starts once again on the offensive line now before I dive in Thanks again for making locked on Titans your first listen

Make sure that you get subscribed stay subscribed to your team every day, but number five on my list is Interior offensive line again I am just so tired of a bad offensive line and no matter who plays quarterback for the Titans, whether it's a veteran, a drafted player, Will Levis even, if that's what happens. Whatever you want to do at quarterback, we need to change the offensive line up front. You got to go get a right tackle. You got to get an interior offensive lineman because Dylan Radens, Dylan Radens is a free agent. Lloyd Cushionberry is coming off of a torn Achilles. Cushionberry says that

he's going to be ready to go by June. But of course the player is optimistic about his return. ready to go by June. But of course, the player is optimistic about his return. The reality is the Titans may need a starting center for at least part of the season and the Titans still need a starting right guard with Dylan Raden set to be a free agent and that goes on with they need a starting right tackle or offensive tackle as well. There's truly only two positions on the Titans that you can feel confident going into next season are secure and that's Peter Skoronsky and J.C. Latham with the health of Skoronsky and the free agent status of Dylan Radens and the lack of any option at right tack.

So make no mistake about it with me. You're looking for that fifth need, the fifth big need for the Titans. It's clearly the interior offensive line, not only because they need a starter at right guard, but also because they need depth on the offensive line to not only because they need a starter at right guard, but also because they need depth on the offensive line to avoid having the offensive line problems that they've had over the last few years, which will again, no matter who's at quarterback, tank their season. So guard is very high on the list of needs. But after that, we move to the defensive side of the ball again. And you may be like Tyler, there are big time needs on defense. But after that, we moved to the defensive side of the ball again.

And you may be like, Tyler, there are big time needs on defense. How have we, you know, we got edge in the top four, but we're through five needs and we're just getting to our second defense at six? Yes, that is correct, folks. And I go to linebacker. Well, any of you guys that have been listening to me for quite some time, especially my every dayers out there, if you aren't an every dayer, you need to be one. Linebacker is running back of defense to me. I'm only paying the elite of the elite.

I'm not paying second tier linebackers like Aziz Alshayr or Kenneth Murray. Kenneth Murray's not even second tier. He's like fourth tier linebacker, but Aziz Alshayar, David Long, for example, second, third tier starting linebackers in the NFL. I'm never paying those guys. I'm never doing that. I continue to point to the Kansas city chiefs with Willie Gay and Leo Chanel. And now Nick Bolton, like the same philosophy you have at running back where you never pay anybody except the elite of the elite and then you roll through mid round

running backs from third round to sixth round running backs and you just keep rolling through them and rolling through them and rolling through them. That's what the Titans need to do at running back. It's what they need to do at linebacker as well. So With that though with that though The Titans will need one veteran. I'm I continue to say I think the Titans need to cut kenneth murray Kenneth murray should not be making nine million dollars against the salary cap this year cut him You save seven million dollars and then i'll go get a different cheaper veteran and try that

But i'm also going to make sure that I add a linebacker in the mid rounds of the draft as well. That we don't know what we're going to get out of Cedric Gray. We don't know what we're going to get out of James Williams. Jack Gibbons is hurt. Chance Campbell was a long shot to be an impact player anyway, even though he had a good pre-season and ended up getting hurt. We'll give her to a special teams player, not a linebacker.

So the Titans truly have zero answers right now at linebacker. And if they cut Kenneth Murray, which I think they should do, let's say one of the young linebackers from this year, James Williams or Cedric Gray pop up and they become a starter. You still need one other starter. So linebacker is the next secondary need for me, for the Titans outside of interior offensive line. Then I go to safety. Right now, the Titans have a Monty Hooker at starting safety. They do not have another starting safety. So maybe you could say that this should be higher up on the list, but I feel pretty confident that the Tennessee Titans are going to find another

starting safety. If you remember last year, the safety market was oversaturated. There were so many safeties that a guy like Justin Simmons didn't even get signed until later in the off season. So safety is a position where you can find starting level talent. For really, really cheap. Think about quandary digs last year. He got paid like $4 million by the time they could just go get quandary digs back and be healthy.

So I'm not too overly worried about safety, but I put it at seven because the Titans are going to need a safety long-term, like in this draft, they need to do everything they can to get a safety that maybe they're not ready to start right now. I would prefer if they got somebody who is ready to start right now, even if they're not expected to be a starter, but somebody who will be a starter for the Titans next year. Cause number one, you can't keep going through the quandary digs cycle at his age or whoever else you want to take a look at.

You want to develop some long-term options on the roster, even if you fill the short-term hole with veteran free agency. But you want to get somebody who can be your starting safety next to a Monty hooker next year in 2026, or be your number one safety because a Monty hooker is going to be on the last year of his contract too. So you're looking at, we only have one safety and he's only on under contract for one more year. So safety, you may even be able to switch safety and linebacker in my opinion and put safety ahead.

Um, the next need that I want to talk about, and it's my last of the secondary needs is interior defensive line. I think the Titans will bring Sebastian Joseph day back for a cheap value veteran contract. You obviously drafted to Vondre Sweat. You still have Jeffrey Simmons. Keandre Coburn who had some good moments as a backup nose tackle last year. He's an exclusive rights free agent.

So the Titans basically will bring him back and are the only option that he really has unless the Titans give up their rights, which I don't think they're going to do. They'll just bring him back on a one year deal for the cheapest possible value they can. But regardless, the Titans do still need some depth on the interior defensive line. And when you look at the Philadelphia Eagles and when you look at Tampa Bay Buccaneers from when they won the Super Bowl with Tom Brady and you look at Philadelphia Eagles in 2018 or 17, whatever it happened to be when they beat Tom Brady with Nick Foles. Any time one of these elite quarterbacks, whether it be Tom Brady or Patrick Mahomes, anytime they get beat in a Super Bowl, it's

because the other team has an insane rotation on their defensive line and they're fresh and ferocious throughout the entire game. So the Titans may have their starters. They bring back Sebastian Joseph day, Keandre Coburn. They may have some pretty good depth, but they need to add even more because having high level pass rush rotation is what's key in the NFL. If you don't have the league quarterback play. And I'll say this. Devondre Sweat wasn't a great pass rusher last year.

Something people were concerned about coming into the draft. Nobody wants to talk about it because he did have a good season, but he was not very effective as a pass rusher. So even with Tavondre Sweat and Jeffrey Simmons, and if you bring back SJD, I think you need to go in the draft. This is a very, very good defensive tackle class. Go in the draft, get a defensive tackle with more pass rush chops and penetration chops than Tevandre Sweat, so you have more balance and skillset at that position.

But either way, we'll go to the last three positions where the Titans could use some, some cheap depth only. Titans fans. Let's cap off today's edition of the locked on Titans podcast. We talked about the biggest needs, the primary needs for the Titans at quarterback offensive tackle edge and wide receiver. We talked about the secondary needs for the Tennessee Titans at interior offensive line linebacker safety and interior defensive line. Now I want to get into, I guess you could call it the tertiary needs.

That's such a weird word. Tertiary for third, very strange, but whatever, you know, everything's rooted in some sort of grammatical history that I don't know about, but either way, the tertiary needs for the Tennessee Titans are needs that I'm not super worried about, but they definitely should add some cheap depth at some point, but they don't need to use any high level veteran contract or a trade or a high draft pick or anything like that on these. Number one is tight end. Make no mistake. The Tennessee Titans could use a high level tight end. I think every team would like a high level tight end. I think some Titans fans would even tell you they should have picked Brock Bowers

over J.C. Latham even if it meant problems on the offensive line that Brock Bowers is such a great player that they should have done it. I disagree. I think J.C. Latham was still the better pick but make no mistake about it Brock Bowers is a great player but the point is I don't have Titan very high on the list because the Titans can win games without having a high level tight end. Like I think if the Titans were better at quarterback and offensive tackle last year, tight end wouldn't matter. You can win games with Chigga Conquo, Josh Wiley and Nick Van Et. Would I like the Titans to be a little bit better at tight end?

Again, make no mistake about it. I certainly would. I would like the Titans to be better at tight end. What I really want is I wish the Titans had a number one tight end that was a do at all tight end that could block and could also catch. And then they had Chica Conquo as their number two tight end, who's a matchup advantage and you can use them as a pseudo wide receiver. He's your move tight end that you put in motion and you take across the line of scrimmage and get out into the flat and throw a quick tight end screen to him. I wish Chigga Conquo was more of a joker tight end. And then Josh Wiley can be the red zone matchup secondary blocking.

He, he could back up the blocking tight end. That's number one. He could back up Chigga Konkwo as a receiving tight end. He kind of has the ability to do all of that while being a red zone mismatch because of his height as a third tight end. And then your fourth tight end can be Thomas Odecolle or David Martin Robinson as an athletic physical blocking type, that would be a perfect tight end group, but the reality is, is it's hard to find a number one tight end.

And the reality is, tight end, like running back, is a luxury position. Teams that have offensive tackle and quarterback and defensive line and wide receiver figured out, then they are the people who could go get high level running back, high level tight end. Because Brock Powers was the greatest rookie tight end in NFL history and the Raiders won four games because tight ends don't make a big enough impact on the game unless you take care of the other more important positions it's a luxury position that's why it's number nine for me even though the Titans need depth

and talent there same thing with running back running it's number nine for me, even though the Titans need depth and talent there. Same thing with running back. Running back is number 10 for me. Tony Pollard, I think this is probably Tony Pollard's last year with the Titans, maybe one more year after that. If they give him the same amount of touches they gave him last year, it'll be the last year that he's here because he's not built to be a bell cow back. Taji Spears. Can he stay healthy to consistently contribute? I don't know. So the Titans don't need to go out and use a third round, fourth round pick, whatever, you know, they trade back, they get a third round or whatever.

The Titans don't need to use a top 100 pick on running back. And I think they do need to in a great running back draft class. This is a great running back draft class from top to bottom depth throughout running back, tight end, interior defensive line, edge rusher, great talent at those positions in this draft class depth too. So take advantage of that and get a running back on day three. I continue to say Ali Gordon. Look, Tajay Spears and Tony Pollard are not power running backs.

In a short yardage situation, I would like somebody else to be able to be available to get the ball. So get a power back late in the draft. Olly Gordon, Oklahoma state makes some sense for me. The least needed position for the Tennessee Titans, the lowest for me is cornerback. You can never have enough good cornerbacks. Don't get me wrong. You can never have enough good cornerbacks. But you have Ligeria Snead, Chido Awuzie, who you gave big money contracts to. Two of your top five contracts that you gave out in the offseason last year were Snead and Awuzie.

They need to play. They need like they need to be out on the field and live up to their contract in some way. And then even after them Jarvis Brownlee Jr. Looked like a starting level cornerback last year. Roger McCreary is going into the final year of his contract, but he has been one of the best slot cornerbacks in the NFL for a couple of years now.

Even after that bring back Darrell Baker Jr. who played pretty well for the Titans as the depth cornerback last year. If you have those five guys, I'm sorry, but I can't take Travis Hunter in the draft or I can't take a cornerback in the top 100. I can't go out and give another big free agent contract to a cornerback.

I simply can't do that. It doesn't make any sense for them. So that's why cornerback is the lowest need for me. The Titans simply have talent and depth. You could always have more cornerbacks and I'm okay with adding a cornerback of some kind, but it needs to be a super cheap, whether cheap contract or low pick or undrafted free agency where like the Titans can't afford to put anything valuable

to cornerback with all of the resources that they already have wrapped up in the cornerback position. A second rounder on the query, a fifth rounder on Brownlee, two big free agent contracts for Snead N'Woozie. It's a position that they just need to kind of put to the back burner for this off season. But with that being said, again, let me know your rankings of the Tennessee Titans needs down below. That's gonna do it for me today. As always, I am your host, Tyler Rowland, and this was Locked on Titans.