[FREE] Re-Shaping the Titans WR Room
As the 2023 season meets its end, it is time for the Titans to embrace change
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Throughout Mike Vrabel’s tenure as head coach, the Titans have hunted a specific mold for the receiver spot.
Now it hasn’t worked out all the time, hell it hasn’t worked out most of the time. Which is why there’s much speculation as to who the Titans want to fill out the receiver corp and what profile they’ll want to add into the fold.
That speculation is up tenfold now like Ran Carthon is running the show, instead of Jon [redacted].
So let’s go over the maze known as the Titans’ receiver group, what they’ve liked in the past, if the mold has changed throughout Carthon’s short tenure as general manager, and most importantly, if it needs to change and exactly how it needs to change.
So grab some coffee, a snack, a seat on the couch, or a spot on your bed. Simply relax and let’s discuss, shall we?
Who have the Titans liked in the past?
Now in order to get this show on the road, we first have to discuss the Titans and their past decisions involving the receiver spot.
Sorta like talking about your past so you can move on to your future, right?
Anyways, let’s discuss the basics first.
In the past, the Titans leaned on a combination of experience, production, and physicality — yes, that includes the dreaded run blocking (Cody Hollister, the nightmares) when it came to pinning down their receiver targets in the draft.
Then they’ve restricted these receivers to their own scheme, rather than identifying their own strengths and maximizing them within the offense itself.
Granted, the only evidence we have of that is from the vast amount of prospects being linked to the Titans in the past — that fit the mold — and the prospects the Titans met with during draft season.
In the end, the only prospect that really panned out was A.J. Brown, although we saw how that situation ended, as I talk about it for the 6 millionth time.
But to get back on track, we know who the Titans have liked in the past. Now for more detailed discussions, let’s get a refresher on the physical details on the Titans’ desired receiver targets.
We’ve usually seen the Titans go all in on receivers that stand at 6’0 and above — for the boundary receiver spots at least — which means big frames and if applicable, necessary physicality that can be applied in multiple areas.
Like racking up yards after the catch or blocking on the boundary when run plays are called. Easy stuff right?
And if there’s more physical details like speed, how physical their hands are at the catch point, etc. then that’s just a bonus.
For further reference, here’s all the receivers the Titans have had over the years that stand at 6 feet or taller.
The Titans sure had a type, didn’t they?
These receivers filled a self created quota for the Titans, one that certainly had its high, while also possessing some very depressing lows.
The formula itself wasn’t a bad one in a way, but the Titans took it to the extreme by banking on miscellaneous attributes that weren’t as important as the Titans made them out to be.
As a result, the Titans continuously kept coming up empty whenever they tried to find more depth at the receiver spot, a flaw that killed this offense whenever the annual injury bug made its way into town.
There was also the classic slot role and build the Titans tried to secure, but it hasn’t taken off due to injuries and mismanagement of the role itself.
That’s a conversation for another day though.
The real question is, will the Titans verge away from the formula of the past? Will Ran Carthon merge a new mold for a spot the Titans have misvalued over the years?
We’ll answer that later. First we’ll find out if the formula has changed, even by bits, since Carthon’s arrival.
Has that formula changed?
The short answer is….unknown.
At least roster wise.
Given the fact Carthon has only been here just under 12 months, plus with limited financial leeway, there’s little chance he’d have been able to truly make his own mark on the position by now.
We’ll get a better idea how Carthon wants his receiver room to look during the off-season, when money will be available to spend and draft position will be high. Then we’ll be able to get an idea.
Right now though, we just don’t have enough evidence to prove one point or the other.
Scheme wise, there’s obviously been a big change offensively, with the run/pass split percentages running at around 45%/55%, the highest difference since the 2017-2018 season — which was Matt LaFleur’s first and only season as Titans OC.
But the puzzle remains incomplete.
Now the Titans, whether they like it or not, will have to change some things regarding the receiver spot over the next few years. There’s been too many injuries, ineffectiveness, and too little dynamism at receiver lately.
Especially this season, where it seems like DeAndre Hopkins is the only receiver producing.
If you feel the same way, then this next question will be even easier to answer than the last one.
Does it need to change?
Obviously yes, the formula absolutely needs to change one way or another.
For too long, the Titans have been stuck in an outdated mindset when it comes to one of the most explosive positions on the field.
Being physical and showing a tendency to try more than others is helpful, but when you base that around your entire corp, then you’ll be met with the results we’ve seen previously.
Less explosiveness and more stagnation.
Philosophical stubbornness has been a root cause of that as well, which falls in line with the way the Titans have viewed the receiver spot as a hole. This franchise has more so devalued the position, as evidenced by the team’s de facto dismissal of the two best receivers the franchise has had in its modern history.
As well as the franchise’s lack of urgency when it came to filling those spots, whether they tried to do so or not.
Or in other words, it’s been a mess and has remained a mess no matter what the Titans have tried to do to fix it.
The Titans have talked about getting faster in previous years, which could be a sign of their willingness to identify the problem and address it. But they haven’t had a chance to properly do so just yet, so we’ll see how it pans out in the near future.
With all this talk though, there has to be a plan when it comes to rounding out
How should it change?
How should it change you say?
Of course, the first thing that should pop into your mind is speed. Like previously mentioned, the Titans have talked about adding more speed to the team in recent years.
That’s just the basic name of the game, more speed means more mismatch opportunities on the field, which leads to more explosive play potential, more points, and eventually more success.
Then everyone goes home happy with bright smiles on their faces.
But it’s more complicated than that.
The Titans have to find more profiles that fit the evolution being led by OC Tim Kelly, not the ones that they believe fits their long running philosophical checklist.
That means more speed of course, but it also means more options that fit in with the modern NFL. For example, a receiver you can simply scheme touches for, allowing them to get out in space and simply make plays happen.
Again, it’s more complicated than that and there’s more profiles than that, but it’s a profile the Titans haven’t had much of in their modern history.
These players don’t really make it to free agency that often, especially if they’re proven success stories. That’s why names like Tee Higgins are thought of as dreams instead of potential realities.
But you can find them in the draft, in fact they’re a lot easier to find in the draft because so many are looked over due to scouting errors or simple overthinking from front offices.
That’s how the Titans secured AJ Brown in the second round, which is still an insane bargain when you look back.
There’s plenty in the upcoming draft that can realistically be Titans — if they decide to pass on a tackle or can’t get one, which would be disastrous — like Washington’s Rome Odunze, LSU’s Malik Nabers, or even Nabers’ teammate Brian Thomas.
Even in the later rounds there’s Adonai Mitchell and Xavier Leggette, two big bodied receivers that can still fit what the Titans traditionally want from their receivers, while bringing an added dimension of dynamism and explosiveness.
I’ve talked about this more here, with more names as well. But with how much talent that’s within this receiving class, the Titans don’t really have a choice but to add one that can bring a different element to the team.
Not just a profile that excels in one area, but one that can bring multiple to the table.
There’s always room to stock up on additional players with the same profile, but the Titans have to avoid overstocking and lacking other ones that can help the offense in other ways, a problem this team has been dealing with a lot over the last few seasons.
If the Titans can do that, then this offense will be in a much better place next season and beyond.
Overview
Once the off-season begins, and the Titans begin to get linked with some players, we’ll possibly get an idea on what the Titans might want to do with the receiver spot in the future.
Maybe not a full idea, but one good enough to where we can draw a conclusion at the very least.
Until then, we’re only left to speculate, but also somewhat hope that this team can reverse their wrongs and recognize the changes that need to be made.
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