Three important decisions the Titans must make before regular season
After the 2023 season, the Tennessee Titans said goodbye to several familiar faces, including head coach Mike Vrabel, quarterback Ryan Tannehill and running back Derrick Henry. That change means there are plenty of questions heading into 2024.
With that in mind, here are three important decisions the Titans must make before the start of the regular season.
Starters on the right side of the offensive line
Ahead of Week 1, the Titans still must decide who will start at right tackle and right guard.
2022 third-round pick Nicholas Petit-Frere is the front-runner for the RT spot, but he was only just removed from the PUP list at the start of August after rehabbing a knee injury and hasn’t played a meaningful down of football since October 2023. Jaelyn Duncan and Leroy Watson are also in the mix, but Duncan is the only player with an NFL start (5).
Likewise, Daniel Brunskill, Dillon Radunz and Saahdiq Charles are battling for the right guard spot.
Brunskill was solid as the starter in 2023, allowing only two sacks over 768 snaps while earning a 67.1 grade, per Pro Football Focus. Still, the Titans are having an open competition, even though Radunz, a 2021 second-round pick, took only 19 snaps at RG last season, while Charles has played most of his four-year career at left guard.
Touch distribution in the backfield
Following the exit of four-time Pro Bowler Derrick Henry, Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears will lead the Titans running back corp into 2024. It’s still unclear who will receive the bulk of the work out of the backfield, though.
Following a breakout Pro Bowl year in 2022, Pollard failed to shine in the starting role with the Dallas Cowboys last season. He wasn’t terrible — rushing for 1,005 yards while adding 311 receiving yards (55 receptions) — but his yards per carry and yards per catch dropped significantly, from 5.2 to 4.0 and 9.5 to 5.7, respectively.
Meanwhile, Spears, a 2023 third-round pick, is looking to establish himself as the Titans bell-cow after showing flashes of his potential last season. The 23-year-old rushed for 453 yards (100 attempts) with two scores and recorded 52 receptions for 385 yards and a touchdown in 17 games.
Pollard and Spears share similar traits, which could mean an even 50-50 split. Though, it should be interesting to see if one can break away from the other.
Treylon Burks’ role in the offense
To say Burks hasn’t lived up to his draft stock (No. 18 overall) would be an understatement. Entering his third professional season, this could be the last opportunity to carve a role with the team that drafted him.
The franchise showed what they thought of Burks and his potential during the offseason, adding veterans Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd via free agency to play alongside three-time All-Pro DeAndre Hopkins.
Titans head coach Brian Callahan has already categorized Burks as a backup when speaking with reporters during minicamp, too, adding that he’d “absolutely” have to contribute on special teams this season. However, an injury to Hopkins early in camp may provide the former first-round pick a golden opportunity.
Callahan revealed to reporters that Hopkins’ injury didn’t require surgery and that he’d miss “several weeks,” indicating his status for Week 1 may still be in jeopardy. In the meantime, Burks will have added chances to show that he’s turned the corner after recording only 49 receptions, 665 yards and one touchdown over his first two years in the league.
