State of Defense/Specialists as Offseason Starts

It is time for Jeffery Simmons to be paid. Zach Cunningham and Bud Dupree are among those whose futures are in question.

NASHVILLE – A seven-game losing streak to end the season and the team’s first losing record (7-10) since 2015 mean big changes are likely in store for the Tennessee Titans.

Here’s a look at the defense and specialists.

DEFENSIVE LINE

On the roster now: Jeffery Simmons, Denico Autry, Teair Tart, DeMarcus Walker, Mario Edwards, Kevin Strong, Naquan Jones, Da’Shawn Hand (IR), Sam Okuayinonu (PS), Jayden Peevy (PS), Curtis Brooks (PS).

What lies ahead: The first priority, of course, is finding a way to extend Simmons, who has one year left on his rookie contract. The two-time Pro Bowler wasn’t as impactful this season as last, but he was playing on a bum ankle for much of the season. In his first eight games (Simmons aggravated his ankle injury in his eighth game), Simmons totaled 5.5 sacks and 35 quarterback pressures, per Pro Football Focus. In his final seven games, Simmons posted 2.5 sacks and 18 quarterback pressures. Pay the man. Speaking of doling out dollars, Tart, a restricted free agent, will need a new deal following his most productive season. He’s more valuable than stats show. Walker, Edwards, Strong and Hand are all pending unrestricted free agents. The Titans might like to bring Walker back, but he will likely have other suitors after posting career highs of seven sacks, 10 tackles for loss and 32 tackles.

EDGE RUSHER

Christopher Hanewinckel / USA Today Sports

• On the roster now: Rashad Weaver, Tarell Basham, Harold Landry (IR), Bud Dupree (IR), Zach McCloud (PS).

• What lies ahead: How nice it will be for the Titans to welcome back Landry, who missed the entire season after tearing his ACL during practice. The silver lining was that the injury occurred so early, allowing Landry more recovery time. He was a terror in 2021, with 12 sacks, 14 tackles for loss and 75 tackles. Considering the Titans will be needing to carve out cap room for themselves, it’s certainly possible – maybe probable – that we’ve seen the last of Dupree. The soon-to-be 30-year-old has missed 12 of a possible 34 regular-season games in his two years here, and he’s only managed seven sacks and 35 tackles. If the Titans designated Dupree as a post-June 1 cut (teams are only allowed two of these per season), they would save $15.5 million against the cap by releasing him – and have to swallow only $4.5 million dead cap money.

INSIDE LINEBACKER

Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com / USA Today Network

• On the roster now: Dylan Cole, Monty Rice, Jack Gibbens, Joe Jones, Andre Smith, David Long (IR), Zach Cunningham (IR), Chance Campbell (IR).

• What lies ahead: It’s probably pretty safe to bid farewell to Cunningham, who looks like a cap casualty waiting to happen. The six-year veteran, who was limited to six games this season, is scheduled to count $13.4 million against the cap in 2023. If the Titans made him a post-June 1 cut (again, each team is limited to two per year), the Titans could save $11.1 million against the cap, while swallowing $3 million dead money. The Titans have a tough call to make on Long, a pending unrestricted free agent who’s a heart-and-soul player – when he’s in the lineup. Unfortunately for Long and the Titans, he’s only played 22 of a potential 34 regular-season games the last two years. So while it would be great to bring him back, what’s the right amount to offer given his injury history? Gibbens appeared to make a name for himself over the last three weeks of the season, when he got significant playing time due to injuries. Rice took a step up in his second season, showing productivity after returning from last year’s Achilles injury. Cole is a pending unrestricted free agent.

CORNERBACK

Denny Medley / USA Today Sports

• On the roster now: Kristian Fulton, Roger McCreary, Tre Avery, Lonnie Johnson, Greg Mabin, Davontae Harris, Caleb Farley (IR), Elijah Molden (IR), Chris Jackson (IR), Terrance Mitchell (IR), Kyron Brown (PS).

• What lies ahead: Heading into training camp this season, the Titans had what looked like a strong collection of young talent at this position. But the luster isn’t nearly the same at this point. Is there a future for 2021 first-round pick Farley, who’s been limited to 163 defensive snaps in two seasons – and will be returning from his second straight season-ending surgery? Farley was raw coming into the NFL and didn’t show much this year before his injury. But his contract is an issue, as the Titans would have nearly $8 million of dead cap money on their hands if they cut him – and would only get $4.3 million in cap savings. Then there’s Molden, a third-round pick in 2021, who was limited to two games because of a groin injury that required surgery. Fulton has shown flashes of being a shutdown cornerback when he’s at his best, but injuries have limited him to 30 of a potential 50 games over three years, and he was inconsistent in 2022. McCreary was extremely reliable, playing 1,165 snaps in 17 games. But his rookie season also featured predictable ups and downs. The Titans finished near the bottom of the league in pass defense, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the team use an early or mid-range draft pick at this spot – yet again.

SAFETY

Christopher Hanewinckel / USA Today Sports

• On the roster now: Kevin Byard, Amani Hooker, Josh Kalu, Josh Thompson, Mike Brown, Andrew Adams (IR), A.J. Moore (IR), Nate Meadors (PS), Shyheim Carter (PS)

• What lies ahead: Under contract for two more seasons, Byard will guide the Titans’ defense once again in 2023 after leading the team in interceptions (four) and tackles (106) for the second straight season. Hooker signed a three-year extension at the start of 2022, but he’ll need to rebound from a sub-par season that saw him miss eight of 17 games due to injury. Adams is a pending unrestricted free agent, but the 30-year old might get a second look from the Titans. He was a quick learner and a good fit in the system, posting a career-high 62 tackles before going on injured reserve with a knee injury. Kalu is versatile and a special-teams contributor, but is certainly not a lock to be back.

SPECIALISTS

Christopher Hanewinckel / USA Today Sports

• On the roster now: Ryan Stonehouse, Randy Bullock, Caleb Shudak (PS), Morgan Cox

• What lies ahead: Stonehouse had an outstanding rookie season, with a gross average of 53.1 yards (an NFL record) and a net average of 44.03 yards (an NFL rookie record). Bullock was good, hitting 17 of 20 attempts, which included seven of 10 from 40-plus yards. But the guess is that Shudak – who had an impressive offseason before getting hurt – will get another chance to unseat the 33-year-old Bullock. Bullock has one more year on his contract, but it would only cost the Titans $600,000 in dead cap money to release him. There seems to be no good reason for not giving Cox, a Pro Bowler, another contract.