Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Tennessee Titans New Stadium & a Free Agent the Titans WON'T Sign!!!

Episode Date: February 22, 2022

The Tennessee Titans may be getting a new stadium?? According to some news over recent days that is exactly the case! Reports over the weekend indicate a new stadium is a serious and almost likely result, but why and what does it mean? Tyler explains the information and both sides of the new stadium debate while also tossing in some requests as well! Finally, a tweet from a Miami Dolphins writer indicated a free agent signing that the Titans may make. Tyler talks about why he disagrees with the tweet and provides some statistics to prove why this player is not a fit!!Follow Tyler on Twitter @TicTacTitansFollow the show on Facebook @LockedOnTitansPodSubscribe to the Locked On Titans YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP3332GMOh4y5PX3q9NFybwSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.BetOnlineBetOnline.net has you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before. BetOnline – Where The Game Starts!Rock AutoAmazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to the Locked on Titans podcast. I am your host, Tyler Rowland. Titans fans, it is a Tuesday edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. And on today's show, are the Tennessee Titans getting a new stadium? I'll go over all the recent comments and all the recent news that point in that direction. Also, a very popular Miami Dolphins beat reporter thinks a former Dolphin will be signed by the Titans in free agency. I think he's wrong.

We'll talk about all of that on a Tuesday 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. Titans fans, it is a Tuesday edition of the Locked On Titans podcast. Excited to talk about the Tennessee Titans potentially new stadium and everything that's going into that conversation. Also talk about that tweet from a Miami Dolphins beat reporter that I think is dead wrong.

Before we get into that, I do want to thank you guys for making the Locked on Titans podcast your first listen every day. If this is your first ever listen to the Locked on Titans podcast, number one, what are you doing? Number two, make sure you subscribe on whatever platform you do stream. I am the only Titans content creator that is pumping out daily, Monday through Friday, Tennessee Titans content, not only during the regular season, but all year long.

Make sure you check out the Locked on Titans YouTube channel. Subscribe over there. Smash that notification bell so you know when all of my content goes live, throw a thumbs up on the video. If you're watching on YouTube right now, you can check me out on social media for additional analysis on Twitter at TicTacTitans, on Facebook at Locked on Titans Pod. But with all that being said, time to dive into today's show. And that big story came out late at the end of last week into the weekend. Wanted to make sure I had all of the pertinent information for you guys, but it does look

like the Tennessee Titans might be getting a new stadium. The report first dropped from Axios Nate Raul and he basically had spoken with a Titan spokesperson about the renovations that have been public for quite some time. The Titans had planned to do some major, major renovations not only on Nissan Stadium, but also on the East Bank area of Nashville outside the stadium to have more entertainment, more things for fans to do, just a more all-encompassing business environment there outside the stadium, along with those upgrades outside the stadium, along with those upgrades to the stadium itself.

They hit some snacks in the road when working on those renovations. So what exactly is that? Where I have some quotes for you guys that I want to use. Let's take it from the people who know best. I am not an engineer. I don't build stadiums for a living, so I'm not going to pretend like I know the ins and outs of the situation, but it's my job to bring you guys this information as best as possible. I want to take it from the people who know best, but here's kind of the situation and the mindset of the people within the Tennessee Titans organization.

Here is a quote from a Titans spokesperson from that Axios report. Quote, We need to take a step back and re-evaluate if a stadium renovation is the most responsible option forward and explore other paths. Also, they said, For example, the stadium's structural frame was built with concrete and needs to be largely replaced with steel. The mechanical, plumbing, and electrical systems need to be completely replaced. The window system throughout the building is so antiquated, it is not even manufactured anymore. End quote there. So, you know, break that down.

The Titans wanted to do about $600 million worth of renovations, but with needing to almost completely overhaul the structure of the building, nowadays stadiums are made with steel as the basis, whereas from that quote we can pull, the Titans stadium was made with concrete as the basis. That's just not going to work anymore. If the Titans go into renovations, they're going to be, I believe the correct term to say is, they're going to be, I believe the correct term to say is they're going to be against code. It's not going to be possible for them to do it without completely overhauling all the systems that they mentioned, the electrical, the mechanical, the plumbing. So what we're talking about here is we're talking about the potential that the

renovations could cost nearly double of what was expected. Here's another quote here from Nashville Mayor John Cooper. He said, Revised cost estimates require us to closely review whether a new stadium would be a better long-term financial decision. That tells you everything you need to know. The renovations that would be needed for Nissan are going to end up costing more, if not the same, as just totally rebuilding a new stadium with all of the renovations outside the stadium on the East Bank

that are proposed and planned. Why wouldn't you just go ahead and make an entirely new stadium? So that's kind of where things are. Now, it's worth noting that Tennessee Titans controlling owner Amy Adams-Strunk said in 2019 she didn't want a new stadium. Now you got to think the reasons behind that quote. One, whenever there's a new stadium proposal or that idea kind of gets going, the first thought is how much is the public having to shell out in tax dollars to make that stadium real. And, you know, with the money that these NFL owners are bringing in and the NFL being a

multi-billion dollar business, it's becoming increasingly harder for the public to stomach putting their tax dollars up for these billionaires to rake in big bucks. Now, you know, there's a flip side to that. All of the things that a new stadium would bring to Nashville, would it ultimately benefit the public and the city more to have that increased revenue? Or would it be more of a detriment on the public to put that many tax dollars towards a stadium? Well, there are a couple of different ways to look at this. And we've gotten a report in recent days that does point to the direction that the Tennessee Titans ownership group would be willing to go.

So we're going to continue talking about this. Not only are we going to talk about what the Titans plan would be to create that stadium, but what is my wish list for the stadium? Obviously, the Titans are going to be looking to do something drastic to open up a ton of possibilities. We'll talk about the possibilities that will be opened up, what I would like to see in a new over, but basketball, both pro and college, is in full swing. So for all the latest odds, totals, player performance props, where the next fired head coach is going to land,

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It's BetOnline, where the game starts. Titans fans, let's continue this Tuesday edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. We're breaking down the potential that the Tennessee Titans could be getting a new stadium. So we just talked about all the recent quotes and kind of the news and the reports behind this conversation. But now let's go a little bit deeper into it. How would the stadium be paid for? What's kind of the financial situation there? And then some of the things that I would like to see

in a new stadium for the Titans. Number one, what we have to discuss here is the money. Is the money mostly going to come from the public or the Titans going to be expecting, you know, big, big tax money to help them build this stadium as a private owner? Are the Titans going to put most, you know, big, big tax money to help them build this stadium as a private owner? Are the Titans going to put most of the money up? Well, a recent report indicated that the Tennessee Titans ownership is willing to heavily, that's

the word, heavily invest in a new stadium. Now, that's just classic PR moves right there. Heavily, what does heavily mean? Does that mean half? Does that mean 75%? Does that mean 75%? Does that mean 90%? What exactly does that mean? We don't know right now,

but I think that it would make sense for the Titans ownership to heavily invest and do the majority here. Guys, I got to tell you, just a personal thing, these billionaires are raking in dollars hand over fist every single season. Like we saw in Los Angeles, Stan Kroenke, the Rams owner, basically paid for that stadium himself

because the public would not pay the tax dollars to build it. And I think that's what owners should do. You are a billionaire who is putting renovations into your business. That needs to be majority on the ownership group. The people who run the business need to pay for renovations to the business. That's how I feel personally.

But, to be fair, on the other side of the coin, think about what this would open up for Nashville. If the Titans build a new stadium, there's potential for a Super Bowl. The NFL has made it very clear, if you build a new stadium, we're giving you a Super Bowl. They had a Super Bowl in Minnesota.

They had a Super Bowl outdoors in New York. So, the Titans will get a Super Bowl in Minnesota. They had a Super Bowl outdoors in New York. So, the Titans will get a Super Bowl in Nashville. And the draft was kind of like a test. An apprenticeship, if you will. An internship in the NFL's eyes. Hey, can Nashville handle this type of big time event? And the best draft of all time was in Nashville. So, check check A plus for that. So check, check A-plus for that. So a Super Bowl.

But it's bigger than that, guys. What about the SEC Championship? What about the NCAA Tournament? What about an NCAA football playoff game? What about the Olympics? What about a FIFA World Cup? What about major concerts? I mean, endless possibilities that the Titans don't have available to

them right now that would not only generate money for the team, but would generate money for the city when that many people flock into your city. It puts money into the community. Now, it's a balancing act. Some of you guys are saying, well, it's not enough money.

And I get that. I'm not here to tell you one way or another what's going to happen or what they should do. But looking at it, you could see both sides. And one thing to consider, Tennessee has no state income tax. So they rely heavily on sales tax. So all of that increased consumer activity in the city from these major events would

be a major boost to the local economy. Now how that balances out with the amount of tax dollars that have to be put in to make this stadium happen, that's the debate right there. And there are people who are getting paid a lot more money than me and know a lot more about it than me that are going to make those decisions. So I'm not here to give my ruling, but just letting you know both sides of the coin and how things are going to be seen and the optics of the situation.

So big-time financial possibilities for Nashville, which is one of the most booming cities in America. possibilities for Nashville, which is one of the most booming cities in America. Also, outside of the money, a new stadium has the ability to elevate the Tennessee Titans brand, and that's something that is happening right now in a dramatic fashion, and the NFL, I believe, internally wants Nashville to become a pillar city in the NFL. internally wants Nashville to become a pillar city in the NFL. Like I said, it's boomed in terms of how popular of a city it is, the tourism there.

I know people locally complain about the traffic, the construction, all that, and that's fair. That's fair. But with that boom, the NFL would like to establish the Tennessee Titans franchise as a pillar franchise in the league. And their success over recent years on the field has helped that. The draft has helped that. The New Jersey's have helped that. Shout out Amy Adams-Strunk. Mom, you're the GOAT. But, she's not really my mother.

You guys get it. Shout out to Kathy, my real mother. But, if the Titans do build a new stadium, what are some things that we want to see? Well, I know one thing we're going to see, either a closed stadium or a retractable roof, because then it's all weather. No matter

what the weather is, you can have a great event there. The NFL, the NCAA, they play most of their big games in great weather or in closed stadiums for a reason. They don't want the weather to impact their biggest games. So, if I had to choose, I'm definitely going to take a retractable roof.

I don't want to completely eliminate the outdoor element to the Tennessee Titans home field. I don't want that to be the case. That would be awful. The Titans playing those late season games in the weather, making other teams feel it, that's important too. So, a retractable roof would be awful. The Titans playing those late season games in the weather, making other teams feel it, that's important too. So retractable roof would be key for me.

I don't want to close dome. And with that, they're going to have to bring grass into the stadium. No turf. NFL players are unanimously against turf. It's much more dangerous. They got to import grass in there. No turf. No turf. One positive thing is, though,

the sides of the stadium will finally be fully closed and not let the noise escape. That's a big thing for me, too. So that would be helpful. Honestly, I'm excited for it. I think it would be awesome to see the Titans get a new stadium. Nissan, all the things we talked about, it's antiquated. It's a tad old

and it's built in an old-fashioned way and I think the Titans not only as a team, but also Nashville would benefit greatly from having a brand new stadium with a better East Bank area. All the possibilities that opens up for the team and for

the brand of the Tennessee Titans, which is important. So I think it'd be interesting as long as they do it the right way and they have the features in there that make sense. I'm fully on board with it. Admittedly, I'm not from the local area, so the tax situation, the money situation

does not impact me at all. But it's only fair to go over both sides of that debate, essentially. But I think this is going to happen when the renovations to your home cost more than just buying a new better house. You buy the new better house. So the Titans are going to get a new stadium. The NFL wants a new stadium in Nashville. The Titans will want a new stadium in Nashville.

And I do believe that that will be the move going forward. But that's stadium talk for today. We're going to talk about a tweet from a Miami Dolphins beat reporter that I just fully disagree with. No way around it. Before we do, I want to thank you guys again for making the Locked on Titans

podcast your first to listen every day. Make sure you're following the Locked On NFL podcast as well. I actually host the Thursday show, so if you like hearing me talk about the Titans, maybe you'll like hearing me talk about the NFL at large. Locked On experts are covering the biggest stories around the NFL. It's Monday through Friday as well, and less than 30 minutes, free and available wherever you get your podcasts. So get your NFL or your Tennessee Titans news

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Let's cap off this Tuesday edition of the locked on Titans podcast. Going over a tweet from a Miami Dolphins beat reporter about a former Dolphin who's currently a free agent signing with Tennessee. And I got to tell you guys, I disagree entirely. Someone tagged me in this on Twitter and asked my opinion and I said that straight up there. I don't agree with the tweet.

Before we get into said tweet, I do want to thank you guys again for making the Locked on Titans podcast your first listen every day. Make sure again for making the Locked on Titans podcast your first listen every day. Make sure you subscribe to the Locked on Titans podcast on whatever platform you do stream. But let's talk about this tweet.

First and foremost, the tweet comes from Omar Kelly, who is an NFL columnist for the South Florida Sun Sentinel. And I want to say this up front. Omar does great work. He has great coverage of the Miami Dolphins. I follow him on like just anyways

because I enjoy his coverage of the Dolphins. I follow a ton of beat writers from a ton of different teams trying to get my NFL information as best as possible. And Omar does a great job. He does this X's and Omar show, which is as best as possible. And Omar does a great job. He does his X's and Omar show, which is really informative as well. So the point overall is,

Omar Kelly is a very reliable guy for the Miami Dolphins. It doesn't mean he's right all the time, but he does good work. And that's all you can ask for. Nobody in this business is right all the time. Let me tell you that first and foremost. So Omar does a great job. Me disagreeing with his tweet

is not any kind of hate or any kind of discrediting or anything like that. He does a great job. Makes great content for the Dolphins. Awesome. But, but, there's always a but. I don't mean to be disrespectful,

but I'm going to be disrespectful. With all due respect, no respect. It's not that deep, though. Just jokes, guys. But seriously, I do disagree with him, and here's what he had to say. One of his followers said, How are you, O?

Any bold thoughts regarding our own free agents, talking about the Dolphins, excluding Gasicki? But Omar responded and said, quote, Gasicki is going to Tennessee. Remember I said that. Now, shout out to my boy Nate Acefa. He tagged me in it and, you know, here's what I had to say in real time in my response.

I said, yeah, I'd take that bet. Gasicki is not signing in Tennessee. Omar is great at covering the Dolphins, though. Just think he is way off here. And that's what I'm saying to you now. I'm willing to go out on a limb. I'm willing to make a bold prediction, hot take, whatever you want to call it. The Tennessee Titans will not be signing Mike Gesicki.

One more time for conviction and effect. The Tennessee Titans will not be signing Mike Gesicki. You may be asking yourself, Tyler, why? Why are you so bold on this? Well, let me explain. The way the Tennessee Titans play offense, okay,

you need a versatile tight end that not only can catch the ball, but can block. And I know a lot of you guys are pulling your hair out. We need guys who catch the ball, not just guys who can block. And I agree with you, but there's a healthy balance that you can strike and not give out the biggest contract

that a tight end's probably going to get. Gasicki or Dalton Schultz, one of those two, are going to get the biggest contract any tight end gets this offseason. Gasicki is not a tight end. He's not. He's a slot wide receiver. I'm going to prove it to you, okay?

Two different ways. Let me say this, though. Mike Gusecki is a good player. 199 catches in his career. 2,255 yards, 13 touchdowns. 6'6", 240 pounds. He's a big option with good hands. He's a good route runner.

He's an athletic guy who can catch the ball and make plays afterwards. Last year, he had 73 catches, 780 yards, and two touchdowns. The Titans could use that. The Titans could use that, that production. But here's the reality. The Titans need somebody to replace Jeff Swaim, not somebody to replace Anthony Firx. need somebody to replace Jeff Swaim, not somebody to replace Anthony Firx, okay? They need a tight end one who can be out there every down and make an impact within the Titans system. Gasicki is not a fit, okay? He's not a fit. 62% of his snaps come from the slot. 7% come in line. In line is where you would think of a traditional tight end being next to one of the offensive tackles with his hand in the dirt.

7% of his snaps are as an actual tight end. That's insanity. Tight end. That's insanity. As a blocker, in 2021, Gasicki ranked 79th out of 85 qualified tight ends with a 46.1 run blocking grade. He was 77th out of 85 tight ends with a 36.6 pass blocking grade.

With the Titans play action pass game, a lot of the time they ask the tight end to stay in and block because the play action fake With the Titans play action pass game, a lot of the time they ask the tight end to stay in and block. Because the play action fake and the effective play action, along with A.J. Brown getting open, is going to get open. And as long as Ryan Tannehill has time,

usually the Titans can get some pretty good plays. Gasicki can't block. Not even for a second. And you know why? Because he's a freaking wide receiver. The guy's not a tight end. He's not. And as a matter of fact,

there are some rumors that Gasicki, if he is franchise tagged by the Dolphins, is petitioning to be signed and tagged as a wide receiver because he spends 62% of his snaps in the slot. He's not a tight end.

He does not fit with the Titans. It doesn't make any sense. And when you add in that he's probably going to be the highest paid tight end of the bunch, you're telling me John Robinson, who let John O. Smith walk and decided to go into 2021 with Jeff Swaim, Anthony Fergser and Michael Pruitt is all of a sudden

going to flip that philosophy and give out the biggest contract to a tight end all offseason and a guy who doesn't even fit the system? Come on. Come on, guys. The Tennessee Titans will not be signing Mike Gusecki.

Sorry. And if I'm wrong, I'm wrong. Send it to Old Takes Exposed. Clip it. I don't care. But I feel very passionately and strongly that Gasicki is not a fit. And when you consider the price tag,

it makes zero sense at all. So shout out to Omar Kelly. Great work covering the Dolphins, but you're dead wrong on this one. And we will see in March. But that's going to do it for me today, folks. Talk some Stadium. Talk some Mike Gasicki.

It's about that time, folks. It's about that time to dive into some free agency previews. Go over where the Titans are at roster-wise right now, and what options are available in free agency because free agency is right around the corner. I mean, we are just about a week away from March and the tampering period starts on March 15th

with free agency kicking off on March the 17th. St. Paddy's Day, first day of the NCAA tournament. I mean, it is going to be a Thursday for the record books. Can't wait for that. But in the meantime, we got a lot to talk about. So we're probably going to start that free agency preview for 2022 tomorrow. I would guess. Got to get through a lot of positions, a lot of options.

I'm excited to break it all down with you guys. So make sure that you subscribe on whatever platform you do stream. That's going to do it for me today though, folks. As always, I am your host Tyler Rowland and this was Locked on Titans.