Tennessee

Titans

Titans tight ends focused on their physiques this offseason; Wyatt reported in June that Chig Okonkwo likewise worked to improve his stability, in order to improve his cutting ability. A wise move, given Whyle’s incremental encroachment on Okonkwo’s 2023 role before a Week 13 knee injury landed Whyle on injured reserve. Okonkwo remains the team’s No. 1 tight end but Whyle did perform more efficiently last year, earning targets at a 25.9 percent rate while averaging 1.62 yards per route run. Okonkwo finished respective per-route averages of 18.4 percent and 1.31. Whyle will have to fully unseat Okonkwo to become re-draft relevant but should be safely stashed on dynasty benches in the meantime.

Adams, 28, was released by the Seahawks at the end of the 2023 season. The former First-team All-Pro played in 34 of a possible 67 regular season games during his four-year tenure with the team and has played in just 10 games over the last two seasons. A myriad of injuries have plagued Adams in recent years, with a quad tear ending his 2022 season in Week 1, and a concussion and knee strain limiting him to nine games in 2023. Adams earned a PFF coverage grade of 50.7 while playing on 287 coverage snaps. The former do-it-all safety, who once racked up 9.5 sacks in a season, hasn’t recorded a sack since 2020 and is far from the player he once was. Despite this, he should have plenty to offer a Titans secondary that’s undergone a major overhaul this offseason.

In his first game as a pro, Philips caught 6-of-9 targets for 66 yards while also returning four punts for 62 yards. The fifth-round rookie looked like an immediate impact player out of the slot but has been limited to just 13 games over two seasons due to injury. In addition to injuries, Glennon also points out that Philips lost value when he muffed away his job as a returner last season. Now, rookie Jha’Quan Jackson, who the team selected in the sixth round this spring, has a chance to unseat Philips in the slot and as a returner. Neither player would offer much fantasy upside if they make the Titans’ 53-man roster, but this is a position battle worth monitoring under a new coaching regime.

Wyatt said he expects Mason Rudolph to beat out Malik Willis for the backup job behind Will Levis but he wouldn’t be surprised if Willis stuck around on the roster this upcoming season. Willis has thrown for 350 yards, no touchdown, and three interceptions in his 11 games as a pro while adding another 32-144-1 on the ground. Willis remains a developmental player heading into his third season, and while he may not be in line for too many starts this season, Wyatt added that the team “believes he’s worth keeping around” at this time.

The third-year tight end has focused on stability work designed to help with more precise route running. “I feel like I maximized the potential I had in my body, and if I wanted to get better, I had to change the structure of how I move and stuff,” Okonkwo told the team’s website. Though his stats fell off dramatically from 2022 to 2023 — including a yards per route run that went from a stellar 2.61 to 1.31 — Okonkwo remains a highly athletic tight end who could benefit from a modernized offense under new head coach Brian Callahan. He said he looks forward to making plays on the inside as defenses focus their attention on DeAndre Hopkins and Calvin Ridley on the outside. Okonkwo, who ran 58 percent of his routes from the slot in 2023, could very well bounce back in a more pass-heavy Titans offense this season.

Christian began 2023 with the Dolphins but was cut at the end of training camp. He had a cup of coffee in Houston and then found a more permanent home in Cleveland. Including the Wild Card Round, Christian started 10 games for the Browns, all at left tackle. He gave up five sacks and 39 pressures. He is following offensive line coach Bill Callahan from Cleveland to Tennessee. Christian will be competing for a backup job in training camp.

Willis is the incumbent, but Rudolph is the backup brought in by Callahan, who is in his first year with the team. Rudolph has also been the more successful quarterback over his career, going 8-4-1 in his 13 career starts while throwing for 3,085-19-11. It’s far from impressive, but Willis has instilled no confidence in his limited opportunities, completing just 53 percent of his 66 passes in his career while throwing for 350 scoreless yards and three interceptions. Willis is a dual-threat quarterback who was once viewed by many as the QB1 of a weak 2022 class. However, it often felt like the old regime was trying to fit a square peg into a round hole when it came to his skill-set and the offense, which was more catered to Ryan Tannehill. If the Titans only keep two quarterbacks on their 53-man roster, Willis looks like the early favorite to be the odd man out, but we’ll see how things unfold in camp.

Coach Callahan made it a point that Burks will have to find his spots on the field by way of special teams. “If he’s one of those guys on game day, we’re going to have to find a place for him” said Callahan. Burks does have experience as a kick and punt returner during his college days, but Callahan spoke specifically about the gunner role on the punt team (for Burks). With Calvin Ridley, DeAndre Hopkins and Tyler Boyd as the Titans’ top three wideouts, Burks has work to do before he returns to the receiving rotation.

Hubbard started nine games for the Titans in 2023 before suffering a season-ending triceps injury. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said Hubbard, 33, entering his 10th NFL season, is now healthy and could function as a “viable swing option” for the elite San Francisco offensive line, graded by PFF as last year’s best run blocking unit.

The two sides agreed to terms on Monday although the terms of the contract have not yet been made public. The eight-year veteran came into the league with the Seahawks in 2016, spending time with the Steelers, Broncos, Saints, Giants, and Chargers since departing Seattle. Vannett carries sparse fantasy value even though the Titans have little in the way of depth behind presumed starter Chigoziem Okonkwo.