Regrading the Titans 2023 Free Agency Class
Free agency is arguably the best way to bolster your roster in sports. Some teams have boatloads of money to spend in free agency, while others are cap-strangled due to large contracts already being on the roster, plus other factors on the business side. The Tennessee Titans were one of those teams who had little cap space during free agency last March. Freshly hired GM Ran Carthon rationed the $14.2 million that Tennessee had to spend in the free-agent window and signed multiple players to deals. Let's look back at the Titans' 2023 Free Agency class and regrade them based on their performance this season... (Major Signings)
Andre Dillard, LT: F
Starting out with an F is disappointing, but it's the truth. Dillard has been abysmal for the Titans this season and will likely never start a game for Tennessee again after being benched for 6th-round rookie Jaelyn Duncan. In eight starts, Dillard has given up a league-high ten sacks and has an atrocious 52.3 PFF Grade (which should be lower). Carthon signed the former Eagle to a low-risk, three-year, $29 million contract with just $10 million guaranteed. That makes this signing look a tad better for Tennessee, but it will still go down as one of the worst experiments in recent Titans’ history...
Arden Key, Edge: C-
Key signed a three-year, $21 million deal with the Titans in March and showed glimpses of dominance during training camp. Many, including me, expected Arden to have a monster breakout season, but that has yet to come to fruition in 2023. On the year, Key has just 3.5 sacks and eight QB hits in 11 games and hasn't been as effective as we hoped. $13 million guaranteed isn't the end of the world, but it's disappointing that Key hasn't made a more considerable impact...
Azeez Al-Shaair, LB: C+
Azeez has been okay for the Titans as the starting linebacker next to Jack Gibbens, but he hasn't proved to be the answer at MLB for Tennessee. On the year, Al-Shaair has 102 total tackles, four TFLs, and four passes defended. His kryptonite has been shedding blocks and missed tackles, as he has already registered ten missed tackles this year. Al-Shaair signed a cheap one-year deal worth $6 million, so it's not the end of the world if he doesn't become a high-level starter. The Titans should've brought back David Long Jr instead of signing Azeez. Long Jr signed a two-year, $11 million deal with MIA in March...
Chris Moore, WR: B
Moore signed a $1 million contract with Tennessee in April, and the former Texan has been a surprise complementary piece on the Titans WR corps this season. Moore is averaging over 23 yards per catch this season and has come up with some pivotal, big-play catches in crucial moments. This low-risk signing has worked out decently for the Two-Tone Blue...
Daniel Brunskill, OL: B+
Brunskill signed a two-year contract, $5.5 million contract with the Titans in March, and this deal is looking like a bargain for Tennessee. Brunskill, the former 49er, has allowed just two sacks in 591 offensive snaps and has committed just one penalty. He's been the best offensive lineman on the team this year and may be one of the only returning starters on the unit next season, along with first-round rookie Peter Skoronski. For how cheap it was to bring him in, this is a win for Ran Carthon...
Deandre Hopkins, WR: A-
The big splash Carthon made this offseason was signing future Hall of Fame WR Deandre Hopkins to a two-year, $26 million contract with $11 million guaranteed. Though many envisioned an underwhelming season for Dhop, he has been excellent in his first season in Nashville. Since rookie QB Will Levis took over in Week Eight, the two have built a formidable connection, and we've seen glimpses of vintage Dhop. He isn't the same guy he was five years ago, but he's still in the NFL's upper echelon of wide receivers...
Sean Murphy-Bunting, CB: C+
It's been a rollercoaster season for the former Buc in his first season in Nashville. Despite having a rock-solid 69.6 PFF Grade, SMB has been incredibly inconsistent this season. In some games, he looks like a legitimate starting corner, but his bad moments are jaw-dropping (not in a good way). The signing was low-risk, high reward, as it was just a one-year deal with $6 million. I expected more out of SMB, but he hasn't been horrendous. Not a bad signing for the price...
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