This Free Agent Offensive Lineman is a must-sign for the Titans!
NFL Free Agency officially begins on March 13th, and the Titans should be big spenders this offseason. Tennessee is scheduled to have around $75 million in cap space this spring, and many units in the Music City need retooling. One of those units is the incompetent offensive line, as PFF graded the Titans' O-Line as the worst in the NFL. Though this pressing need should be addressed in April's draft, there is one interior offensive lineman whom GM Ran Carthon should strongly consider signing!
Denver Broncos' Center Lloyd Cushenberry didn't have the smoothest start to his NFL career, as he struggled in pass protection and was hampered by injuries in his first three seasons. But in 2023, Cushenberry had a breakout campaign and established himself as one of the best centers in the NFL. Cushenberry allowed one sack and 13 pressures in 1,070 offensive snaps and played all 17 games this season. To compare, Titans' center Aaron Brewer allowed six sacks and over 33 QB pressures in 1,050 offensive snaps in 2023. Though his excellence in pass protection makes him one of the top free-agent offensive linemen, Cushenberry's ability in the run game shouldn't be overlooked. The 26-year-old posted a 72.4 run-blocking PFF grade in 2023 and continues to improve in that facet of the game. We've looked at Cushenberry's rise to being one of the top ten centers in the NFL, so let's take a peek at what a potential contract would look like for the former LSU Tiger...
It's nearly impossible to correctly predict a contract for a free agent, but let's look at some credible website projections and make our assessments at the end. PFF projects a Cushenberry contract to be around $14.3 million per season (4 yrs, $57.1 million). Though he impressed in 2023, $14.3 million annually is a tad high for Cushenberry, but AtoZ Sports has a more realistic contract projection. AtoZ projects Cushenberry to land a three-year, $36 million deal with $20 million fully guaranteed. Now that we've examined two projections from credible websites let's form a SharmSports contract projection for Cushenberry. Though he could demand around $14 million per season, the $10-$13 million range is more sensible. Cushenberry would step in as the Titans' starting center on day one and provide immaculate pass protection along with top-ten play at the position!
CONTRACT PROJECTION: 3 years, $30 million ($17 million GRT, $10 million per year)
IMAGES FROM TITANS.COM, USA TODAY