Best Titans’ Free Agents Fits: Offensive Tackle
NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Titans biggest need this offseason is at left tackle. Last year the left tackle spot, manned by Dennis Daley, was arguably the biggest detriment to the team’s success, or lack thereof. With all due respect to Daley, there is a solid argument to be made that he was the worst offensive tackle in the NFL last year. Daley gave up the third most pressures of any offensive tackle in 2022 with 52(Per Pro Football Focus). The only two players with more were the Kansas City Chiefs' tackles Orlando Brown(58) and Andrew Wylie(54). However, Daley had 483 pass block opportunities and both Brown and Wylie had well over 800.
Daley, if the Titans have any sense, will not be in consideration for the starting left tackle spot next year, but someone who may is the original starting left tackle in 2022, Taylor Lewan. However, Lewan will almost certainly be released for cap purposes and it may not be a great idea for Lewan to be brought back due to his recent injury history. The Titans could also choose to fill their left tackle spot in the NFL Draft in April, but at that point you have skipped over free agency in March and are at the mercy of other teams who select in front of you.
What may make the most sense is attacking left tackle in free agency where there is a robust market of options ranging from top of the market names to mid-tier values and low-end bargains. The Titans would be wise to use a chunk of their cap on this spot as it could be argued that protecting the quarterback's blind spot is the second or third most important job in football. With that in mind, let’s look at some top fits for the Titans on the free agent market.
Top of the Market
Orlando Brown
Brown was mentioned earlier when looking at pressure numbers and while he did give up the most pressures in the NFL, that was on 843 pass blocking reps, over 100 more than anyone not on the Chiefs. His pass blocking grade was a 76.8 which was twenty-third best in the NFL(with a minimum of 205 pass block snaps) amongst tackles. If you zoom in even further to folks with over 445 snaps, Brown’s grade is sixteenth best.
On the run blocking side, Brown had a 68.8 grade which was twenty-second best amongst tackles with more than 285 run blocking snaps. His overall grade of 75.4 ranked seventeenth amongst tackle. To put it simpler, Brown was one of the best offensive tackles in the NFL and will be far and away the best tackle on the market. That’s if he even hits the market as there is some expectations the Chiefs will franchise tag Brown for a second straight year. You simply don’t let players of his caliber walk, but if the Chiefs do, the Titans should be waiting to court Brown.
Brown is only 26 years old so whether it be performance or age, he seems to be worth what he is expected to get on the open market. Not to mention his durability, which will speak to the Titans’ soul. Brown has played in every game except one during his five years in the NFL. As for his contract, Brown’s current estimated contract is five years, $112 million($22.4m/year). That may be a bit too rich for the Titans at this stage.
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Kaleb McGary
McGary played every single possible offensive snap for the Atlanta Falcons last year at their right tackle spot. He was one of the most improved players in the NFL. McGary, based on the snaps counts used for Brown, was the fourth best tackle in the NFL with a 86.6 grade. He was second best run blocking tackle with a 91.6 grade, which is right up the Titans’ alley. His pass blocking wasn’t as consistent though. He finished with a pass blocking grade of 66.9, but only gave up six sacks and 10 pressures on the year. McGary is only 27 years old and could be a key piece for the Titans for years to come.
McGary did play right tackle in Atlanta where the Titans had rookie Nicholas Petit-Frere, but NPF could potentially kick inside to guard, opening a spot for McGary and fortifying the Titans' right side. This would also still work with the plan of getting a left tackle in the draft. Right now, McGary’s contract estimate is four years, $70 million($17.7m/year), but at his age and with his effectiveness as a run blocker, that could be worth it to the Titans.
Mid-Tier Values
Mike McGlinchey
McGlinchey will have the Titans’ attention as new general manager Ran Carthon watched him everyday in San Francisco. Carthon will know what kind of person McGlinchey is and his work ethic. All indications are those are positive things for McGlinchey. McGlinchey graded out as the twenty-ninth best tackle in the NFL overall(70.3), had the twenty-first best run blocking grade(70.7) and was ranked forty-fourth in pass blocking(65.4). Worth noting McGlinchey had 650 pass blocking snaps and only allowed six sacks and 27 pressures.
If the Titans want someone they can count on being the right guy in the locker room while also being solid enough to perform on the field, McGlinchey makes sense. He has played in at least 16 games in three of his five seasons and at 28 years old, he isn’t close to the finish line. McGlinchey may not be the flashiest name, but he is used to a run-first offense and fits the scheme the Titans will continue using. He is projected to receive a four-year deal worth $60 million($15m/year), which could be the sweet spot for the Titans if they want a quality player without breaking the bank.
Isaiah Wynn
Wynn has played for the New England Patriots his entire career with mixed results. He was drafted in the first round of the 2018 draft, but spent the entirety of that year on injured reserve. Wynn came back in 2019 at the end of October and ended up starting all eight games he appeared in. As 2019 was essentially his rookie season, there were ups and downs, but Wynn showed promise. 2020, with quite some time since his injury in 2018, Wynn had his best marks as a pro. He played all but 25 snaps at left tackle(the other 25 being at left guard) and he put up highs grade-wise with a 82.6 overall grade, 81.8 run blocking grade and 75.2 pass blocking grade(second best of career). He only gave up three sacks and 16 pressures in over 600 snaps. He looked the part.
In 2021, Wynn played all his snaps at left tackle. His grading remained solid(74.9 overall, 76.5 Run Blocking, 70.7 Pass Blocking), but he gave up more pressures with 28 and more sacks with six while tripling his penalties from 2020(9 penalties). In 2022, Wynn surprisingly was moved to right tackle where he struggled and eventually lost his starting role.
The big issue with Wynn has been health. He has dealt with a ton of injuries in his career and finished 2022 on the injured reserve list. The injuries have caused some inconsistency in performance as well causing the New England faithful to grow tired of him. Wynn is estimated to get a five-year deal worth $77.1 million($15.4m/year), but there should be skepticism of that number considering the injuries. If Wynn takes a smaller deal with less years, the Titans may give him a chance to prove he can stay healthy and be the guy he was expected to be as a first round pick in 2018.
Andre Dillard
Dillard doesn’t have the recent playing experience to point to like others on this list as he was a back up in Philadelphia behind Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson, who are both better players. That doesn’t mean Dillard can’t get the job done though and could actually help the Titans financially, as Dillard’s cost could be less than his talent deserves due to the situation in Philadelphia.
Dillard is still only 27 years old and having not been a full-time starter could be a good sign for his health going forward. However, Dillard has been injury-prone in his career going on injured reserve in three seasons since he was drafted in 2019. In his last two seasons as a back up tackle in Philadelphia, he had 137 pass blocking snaps and only gave up one sack with 20 pressures. Also, Dillard has played at guard as well. The versatility could entice the Titans. Dillard is not as adept as a run blocker though which could scare the Titans off. Either way, with Dillard’s career up to this point, the Titans could land him for $8-10 million/season with only 2-3 years on the contract. It would be a low-risk, high-upside move.
Jawaan Taylor
Taylor has been one thing above all else throughout his NFL career, durable. Taylor has played every single possible game in Jacksonville since he was drafted in the first round in 2019. He played 18 snaps at left tackle in 2022 due to injury, but the rest of his 4,437 snaps came at right tackle. The Titans would only be smart to keep Taylor on that side and move Petit-Frere to guard if they court Taylor from their division rival.
Taylor has had up and down moments on the field though. He has never had a run block grade over 61.4 with grades of 58.1, 42.8 and even a paltry 39.7. It would be fair to blame some of that lack of success on playing on poor Jacksonville teams, but the worst run blocking grade he has had(39.7) came in the Jaguars’ most successful season in his four years(2022). That just doesn’t sound like the player the Titans are looking for.
However, the Titans may be looking to pass more under Tim Kelly and Taylor has been much better when asked to protect the quarterback. Taylor has posted pass blocking grades of 69.0, 51.8, 72.0 and 75.9(2022) in his four seasons. He’s only allowed 28 sacks and 154 pressures. Taylor posted career bests in both those categories in 2022(five sacks and 21 pressures).
Taylor is estimated to be looking at a contract of four years and $56 million($14m/year) which could be a touch too pricey for a Titans team that will still want to run even if they throw more, but the prospect of stealing a stalwart away from Jacksonville while solidifying your own right side could be enticing.
Bargain Bin Options
George Fant
Fant would be an option for the Titans if they want to go the cheap route. Fant is only expected to get a one-year deal worth about $3.5 million. Fant has been back and forth between starter and back up for most of his career. He was mostly a back up for his three seasons in Seattle starting only 24 of 46 games, but went to the Jets in 2020 and was in the starting line up for 36 out of 37 games.
One of the big issues with Fant is he dealt with a knee injury throughout the entirety of 2022 and only played in eight games. He is also 30 years old and the Titans should be looking for a younger player. Fant’s last full season with the Jets he was excellent in pass protection. He only allowed one sack all season and only gave up 18 pressures. He may not be a bona fide starter, but he is definitely a better player than what the Titans had at left tackle in 2022. Still, Fant should be a "break in case of emergency" option for the Titans who need a younger and better player at the spot.
Yosuah Njiman
Nijman was a back up in Green Bay for his first two seasons, but was able to break into the starting line up in eight games in 2021. In 2022 though, Njiman started 13 games for the Packers and had some good success as a pass blocker. He ended the year with a 74.4 pass blocking grade and gave up five sacks with 28 pressures. Njiman is only 27 years old as well so the Titans may feel they can get more out of him than Green Bay did. However, like with Fant, the Titans should be aiming higher. If for some reason they do decided to go cheap at tackle though, Nijman makes a lot of sense. Both Nijman and Fant could also be great swing tackle candidates who can be a back up to start, but fill in admirably if injuries strike.
All contract estimates per Spotrac.com
All grades provided per Pro Football Focus
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