More cap space may lead to moves
The (Nashville) Tennessean
After the Titans locked up Henry, is Clowney next?
The Titans signed running back Derrick Henry to a multiyear extension last week, which means more emphatic stiffarms, more play-action artistry and more opponents stacking the box – often to no avail against the 6-foot-3, 247-pound bulldozing running back.
And it also means more cap space.
Yes, the Titans throwing more money at Henry – ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the four-year deal to be worth $50 million with $25.5 million guaranteed – actually resulted in a reduced cap hit for 2020.
Under the franchise tag, which the team had used on Henry earlier this offseason, he was set to cost $10.2 million against the salary cap in 2020. But the first year of his new deal comes with a $6 million cap hit, according to spotrac.com. From there, Henry’s cap hit jumps to $13.5 million in 2021, $15 million in 2022 and $15.5 million in 2023.
So the deal accomplished three things:
Henry got the job security h he sought and a good chunk of change for what he is – primarily a two-down back – ahead of what will be a crowded market for running backs in 2021.
The Titans retained Henry h on about as team-friendly a deal as they could have hoped for; $25.5 million is guaranteed through the first two years of the deal before the Titans have the potential to opt out in 2022 (which would come with $6 million in dead money).
It created room for another h big splash.
Jadeveon Clowney is the biggest fish remaining in the free agency pond. General manager Jon Robinson has expressed interest in the 2014 No. 1 overall pick. In mid-June, he said that early discussions between the Titans and Clowney’s reps hadn’t gained much traction before saying, “I think we would be a pretty good fit for him.”
Will Isaiah Wilson win the starting right tackle job?
The Titans’ most intriguing position battle through the remainder of the offseason is at right tackle, where first-round pick Isaiah Wilson and recently re-signed Dennis Kelly will duke it out for the starting job vacated by Jack Conklin, who left for the Browns via free agency.
Kelly, whom the Titans resigned to a three-year extension, has experience, success in the role and familiarity with the system, which should favor him, at least at the outset.
But Wilson, whose 6-foot-6, 350-pound frame makes him a ton to handle, could make things interesting if he asserts himself and there’s enough of an actual offseason for him to make an impression.
Can the offense replicate last season’s magic?
With Marcus Mariota as their starting quarterback, the Titans averaged 16.3 points per game through Week 6. With Ryan Tannehill under center from Week 7 until the end of the regular season, Tennessee dropped 30.4 points per game, taking the AFC South by storm before sneaking into the playoffs and making a run to its first AFC title game since the 2002 season.
The Titans’ offseason response? Re-signing Tannehill to a four-year, $118 million deal along with Henry, who led the NFL with 1,540 rushing yards during 2019 and added 446 more rushing yards in three postseason games.
That one-two punch should give the Titans a good chance of at least coming close to the offensive success they found in 2019. All told, the Titans bring back 10 of 11 offensive starters from a year ago.
Still, there’s some depth questions that need answering. The team’s top three receivers are cemented with A.J. Brown, Corey Davis and Adam Humphries, but who steps up in place of Tajae Sharpe, who left as a free agent? As it stands, speedster Kalif Raymond could be in line for a bigger role.
Who backs up Tannehill now that Mariota is in Las Vegas? Logan Woodside, who spent 2019 on the practice squad but has drawn rave reviews from the coaching staff, looks like the odds-on favorite. But seventhround draft pick Cole McDonald also has athleticism and playmaking ability.