Titans Should Target Orlando Brown After Chiefs Decline to Franchise Tag

NASHVILLE —The Tennessee Titans will now have the opportunity to sign the best free agent offensive tackle available after the Kansas City Chiefs declined to use the franchise tag on Orlando Brown Jr.

The Tennessee Titans’ issues at offensive tackle have been well covered so far this offseason. The expectation is the Titans will look to address this pressing need with free agency as well as the draft, but they will now have the ability to go into the 2023 NFL Draft with the left tackle position resolved in a resounding way by signing one of the best offensive tackle in the NFL in Orlando Brown.

The Chiefs will decline the chance to franchise tag Brown according to a report from Ian Rapoport. The Chiefs tagged Brown last offseason after not getting a long-term deal done, but will not take that route this offseason, allowing Brown to hit the open market. The Chiefs traded for Brown prior to the 2021 season so it is surprising Kansas City is going this direction.

From @NFLTotalAccess: The #Chiefs won't be tagging LT Orlando Brown, and they also are releasing pass-rusher Frank Clark. pic.twitter.com/Mz34Ntqk2w
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 7, 2023

The Chiefs’ loss can be the Titans’ gain. The Titans may not have loads of cap space this season, but they could be over $100 million in cap space next season, giving them plenty of room to fit a Brown contract in. Also, while the Titans have expensive cap holds for quarterback Ryan Tannehill and running back Derrick Henry on the books right now, they will not have those to deal with next season. Again, the financial aspect will be easy to deal with because of the future cap space the Titans will have.

The Titans can easily structure a Brown deal to have a large bonus upfront and keep the salary low in the first few years. The player gets all the money he wants while the Titans keep the cap hit low since they don’t have a lot of salary cap to play with. When Brown’s cap hit balloons in 2024 to match his yearly average, the Titans will be cap healthy enough to deal with it.

Brown could be a perfect match for the Titans and he is only 26 years old. He could be the franchise left tackle for years to come and when the Titans do decide to add their quarterback of the future in the coming years or, potentially, this year, they would have a proper blindside protector to keep him upright.

Brown is expected to pull in nearly $20-25 million per season, but if you want a quality starting left tackle, that is the cost of doing business. The Titans can afford it and with the rarity of tackles of this caliber becoming available in free agency, they would be smart to seize the opportunity.

Simmons Scrubs Titans: The Tennessee Titans’ superstar defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons may be following a common path and using social media as a tool in his pursuit for a new contract. CLICK HERE

Henry on Trade Block: The Tennessee Titans could be willing to part ways with star running back Derrick Henry according to a report coming out of the 2023 NFL Combine. CLICK HERE

Four Titans Free Agents: The Tennessee Titans had four players appear on the The Ringer’s Top 100 list of pending free agents. CLICK HERE

Add us as a preferred source on Google