[FREE] Is it Josh Whyle Time?

With Chig Okonkwo struggling, should the Titans give Josh Whyle more looks?

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Entering the 2023 season, there was some cautious optimism surrounding the Tennessee Titans’ offense. 

Chig Okonkwo’s potential leap in year two was a big reason for that cautious optimism.

Okonkwo had just come off a 2022 season in which he proved to be a pulse on an otherwise dormant, boring, lifeless offensive unit. His ability to get open was a big time plus, but so was his ability to lemons out of lemonade when it came to yards after the catch.

Something the Titans really missed from their tight ends, especially after the departure of Jonnu Smith during the 2021 offseason. 

The only downside was his ability to stand in and block, but that’s something you can teach as he develops, so it wasn’t a big concern at all. 

However, just about almost everything Titans related in 2023, things haven’t gone to plan for Okonkwo and the Titans this season. In fact, that term might be a little too loose. Instead, let’s just say Okonkwo has arguably been the Titans’ most disappointing offensive player in 2023.

I only say arguably because well….Treylon Burks exists.

*Ahem* anyways, Okonkwo’s 2023 has been fairly close to a disaster. So much so, that legit arguments have been made about Okonkwo’s playing time and if — at the very least — a portion of his snaps should be given to rookie tight end Josh Whyle — something the Titans did just this past weekend against Jacksonville.

Does that make sense? If it does, on what basis? What would Whyle bring to the table that Okonkwo can’t? 

I’ll try to answer all of these questions, so let’s jump into it.

Make it make sense

At the end of the day, giving Whyle more snaps is purely based on the season Okonkwo has had this year.

If you want the more basic reason for why, you can say Okonkwo hasn’t been as effective this year as he was in 2022. If you want a slightly more advanced reason for why, you can say Okonkwo’s drops have been too much of a problem to keep throwing him out there with the same workload he’s received so far.

Okonkwo’s drop problems have unfortunately been on display to everyone this year, as he’s tied for second among all eligible tight ends with 4 drops — it feels like he’s had more than 4 — on the season (this according to ProFootballFocus).

And to make matters worse, a fair amount of these drops haven’t come in situations where Okonkwo has had pressure around him to make the catch. They’ve come in spots where Okonkwo has created enough separation, but has simply dropped the ball on the ground.

Could these be focus drops? They honestly might, since Okonkwo’s drops fit right into the description. But in reality that doesn’t matter, focus drop or not, Okonkwo has simply failed to haul in the football in crucial spots when he’s been targeted.

When you’re a pass catching tight end that isn’t a plus as a blocker — slightly below average run blocking grade according to PFF — your saving grace is your ability to get open and prove your worth as a legit extra pass catching option. But when your bread and butter isn’t making buttered toast, then what is your worth at the end of the day?

That’s the question Okonkwo has to answer.

Because if we’re being honest, Okonkwo doesn’t bring you much if he can’t catch the football. His speed and versatility can cause some problems defensively, big ups on versatility considering Okonkwo can be used as an extra h-back and it can provide some fun play designing options on paper.

But again, what use is that if you can’t really catch the football? 

Nothing much right?

Which brings us to the big question, what would Whyle bring to the table that Okonkwo doesn’t? Since we’re discussing the negatives Okonkwo has brought to the table, it’s only right to discuss what his snap competitor would bring.

Slick Whyle, show us what you got?

Josh Whyle is still a rookie with an uncertain ceiling that also has some holes to fill in his game. But he’s certainly someone worthy of cutting into Okonkwo’s snaps right now.

We all know Whyle isn’t a speedster with impressive YAC potential, since his build doesn’t reflect that type of skill set. But he’s a young option that brings a different physical element to the tight end spot.

That’s about it though.

However, that doesn’t have to be a negative. 

With the Titans now 3-7, and their season mostly lost, there needs to be a shift towards evaluation instead of competition. You know what you have in Okonkwo when he’s not treating the football like the plague. 

But do you truly know what you have in Whyle? Not really, at least that’s what I believe. Sunday in Jacksonville was the first time Whyle out snapped Okonkwo, whether that’ll remain the trend is a bit of a to be continued situation. 

If you’re truly in tune with the process, you have to get some more extensive looks at Whyle while the season still has games to be played. 

If he isn’t all that up to par, that’s fine, you can either cap his role or find someone else that can do the same things but possess a bit more talent. But if Whyle can show you something a little more extra than what you believe is in his arsenal, then congratulations, you have an intriguing young talent that has room to grow.

Either way, it’s a win-win situation, at least on the surface.

So there’s really no downside for the Titans when it comes to inching more Whyle snaps, logically that is.

Overview

In a fantasy land where no struggles are found, the Titans don’t have to cut into Okonwo’s snaps and can bank on him being an important part of the offense in the present and future.

But football is a weird game with lots of twists and turns, so perfect scenarios rarely, if ever come to fruition. 

It’s why these type of situations exist in the first place, so decision makers can be challenged to find the correct answer before their theoretical empire collapses to the ground.

Fun little analogy there.

We’ll see how the Titans approach this odd, yet delicate situation. If they play their cards right, you can avoid worrying over the present and maybe near future of the tight end spot. If they don’t, more problems emerge.

And no one likes more problems, right? 

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