Plenty Of Drama With Titans Leading Into NFL Owners Meetings in Phoenix
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PHOENIX, Ariz. — It's been an interesting first few weeks of NFL free agency, but things are expected to ramp up with player movement this week once all the decision-makers are under one roof here in Phoenix for the NFL owners meetings.
The Tennessee Titans are certainly one of those teams in roster reconstruction mode this spring, and there could be a lot happening behind closed doors this week. The Titans are in that rare — and never enjoyable — position of being hard up against the NFL salary cap with a roster that's not good enough on its own to contend for titles.
They've been active so far, trimming the roster of some high-dollar contracts that didn't work any more, and adding some pieces to fill the gaps at bargain prices. But there's certainly much more work to be done, and that will kick into high gear again here in the desert at the Arizona Biltmore.
There's plenty of discussion about rule changes and league improvements here, and for owners, general managers and league and team executives, it's a busy time. Things do get done here.
But the greatest dynamic about these annual late-March meetings is all the face-to-face interaction between team execs. It will be interesting to see the decision-makers from the New York Jets and Green Bay Packers walking down the same halls together, while hundreds of people watch and wonder when they'll ever get the Aaron Rodgers deal done.
There will be loads of conversation from other teams as well. The Chicago Bears made a big splash two weeks ago, trading their No. 1 overall pick to the Carolina Panthers for a huge hall.
They showed their faith in second-year quarterback Justin Fields instead of going in a new direction, and got a lot back from the Panthers. But they certainly aren't done, and they'll be a busy team here. They'll be having conversations with the Titans, for sure. At least that's the guess, based on the ever-swirling rumor mill.
For many, the Titans are an intriguing team here, because they are a franchise in transition. For the past seven years, their offense has revolved around star running back Derrick Henry, but he just turned 29 in January and there is no doubt that there is a shelf life for running backs.
Henry, as we all know, is a unique specimen, though. He's 6-foot-3 and 245 pounds, can still run through people and no one enjoys tackling him. It's hard to dispute that he's still not the best pure runner in the NFL.
But for the Titans, the question they have to ask themselves is how many good years does he have left? Is it worth it to still build everything around him, or is it time to move on?
That's just a piece of the decision-making process, though. If you choose to move him, it better be worth it in what you get back in return. The Titans are still being grilled for moving on from wide receiver A.J. Brown for not getting enough in return, and the same thing can't happen again.
The problem, though, is finding the right dance partner. There are many teams in this league that consider running backs to be a dime a dozen, simply replaceable parts. Many would never be interested in Henry — who has carried the ball a whopping 3,747 times during his high school, college and pro career.
That's a lot of mileage.
There might be others who are interested, though. The Bears? The Buffalo Bills? The Atlanta Falcons or Seattle Seahawks? Maybe an under-the-radar team?
Tennessee running back Derrick Henry (22) rushes past Jacksonville linebacker Foyesade Oluokun (23) during a game on Jan. 7, 2023 at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville. (Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY)
But if the return isn't enough, then it's back on the Titans to make a philosophical decision on still building their offensive threats around Henry's skill, who's in the final year of a four-year, $50 million contract. New offensive coordinator Tim Kelly has to have a variety of potential playbooks in the works right now.
There's plenty of other moves to look forward to this week, too. The Titans certainly still need help at wide receiver, and there are depth issues across the roster, too. We'll learn at lot this week.
Titans coach Mike Vrabel meets with the media on Monday morning for 30 minutes, and there's certainly plenty to discuss with him. They'll be plenty of other chats the next few days with other Titans personnel as well.
It's certainly going to be a fun couple of days in the desert.
