[FREE] The Titans have an EDGE Problem

After Brian Callahan's comments in Orlando, the Titans have an EDGE problem and need to fix it.

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So far, so good for the Titans in free agency.

They’ve locked down their WR1 in Calvin Ridley, added more offensive pieces in Lloyd Cushenberry and Tony Pollard, and by securing L’Jarius Sneed, they’ve created a boundary corner duo that should cause headaches for opposing offenses across the entire league.

For any team, this would be considered a great period, one that saw many team needs filled and only a few other roster problems left to be be solved.

And don’t get me wrong, for the Titans, this has been a great period.

But it wasn’t perfect.

For all the good work the Titans have done so far, there’s still one glaring hole that needs to be filled — aside from inside linebacker, tackle, and safety — and that hole resides on the defensive line.

More specifically, edge rusher.

You can bet your bottom dollar that Ran Carthon and the rest of the team want to address that spot and fill it out as soon as possible.

But there’s one teensy little problem…or two: the best options have all signed deals elsewhere and the Titans might not have the draft capital to bring in an impact player to improve the overall look of the group.

So, how will this issue even be addressed given the obstacles in the Titans’ way? Will the Titans even truly think about addressing it this off-season?

Well, I can’t answer both questions at once, so let’s just take a seat at our hypothetical table, relax, and talk through this together like adults.

The Full Rundown

Let’s piece everything so we can get a full idea of the situation.

I mentioned the top edge guys all going elsewhere. Jonathan Greenard, Danielle Hunter, those two went elsewhere on big money deals.

The Titans weren’t going to spend a chunk of their available money on a big time edge rusher anyways because of other roster holes, but I just wanted to mention it. The sweet spot for the Titans was one full of names that were supposedly going to sign for cheaper, like Denico Autry, like Chase Young, like Arik Armstead — more of an interior disruptor.

But the Titans didn’t get a single name from that list.

Autry went to the Texans, Young signed a fully guaranteed one year prove it deal with the Saints — has neck issues, so there’s some strings attached — and Armstead signed a big money deal with the Jaguars.

Suddenly, the Titans were left with crumbs at the table. Or in other words, guys that you can sign to fill in as depth, but aren’t better than the current options you have now in Harold Landry and Arden Key.

With that, a free agency solution for EDGE wasn’t really in the cards, unless a surprise market value popped its way onto the scene.

It was a shame, since there were multiple options that the team could’ve brought in. Mostly to solidify depth, which the team lacks big time right now.

Landry is still a good player, but he’s not the game breaking dynamic EDGE talent this defense could use right now. And Key had his moments in 2023, but he appears to be more of a rotational outside linebacker rather than a starting level one that you can count on to produce.

Add in the fact that the depth behind those two is underwhelming and you can understand why this was such a need coming into the off-season.

With free agency in the rearview mirror, it’s time to look ahead to draft as a possible solution for the Titans’ EDGE troubles.

But can that route even be deemed a fair option either?

So what’s the plan?

We’ve gone over this a good amount of times.

The Titans only have 2 top 100 picks, they need a tackle, another inside linebacker — although the positional value isn’t all that high, especially with more significant needs pending and the prospect pool being kind of…meh — and quite frankly another receiver.

So where does that leave EDGE on the list of positions of need?

No matter where you place it, it doesn’t look like the Titans will have the capital necessary to secure a player worth caring for. Well, maybe that came out a little wrong, or rude even.

What I meant to say was, it doesn’t look like the Titans will have the capital necessary to secure a player that elevates your current situation at EDGE.

Of course, I say that assuming the Titans take a tackle or receiver at 7.

In the top, let’s say 25 picks of the first round, there are 3 EDGE prospects that could be taken. If everything goes well, all 3 of them should be selected in the first round, but we know how draft night can go so let’s practice a little caution here.

The top guys are of course Dallas Turner, Jared Verse, and Laiatu Latu.

The Titans could theoretically fall in love with one of these guys, ignore the tackle need, and eliminate the EDGE problem. But they’d be opening another can of worms that could throw off what they have planned for Will Levis.

And any betting man will say the team won’t do that, so let’s just cross first round EDGE possibilities off the board. That then leaves the Titans at 38, a spot that’ll surely have some intriguing prospects the Titans can choose from.

However, this is the range where a good bit of the prospects possess some traits to build on, but aren’t as complete or all around as the top guys. Names like Chop Robinson — who could be a first rounder himself — Darius Robinson, Adisa Isaac, these are the guys you’d be targeting at 38 if you want to bring in a rookie EDGE rusher.

The question at that point becomes, are you confident enough to bring along said rookie EDGE rusher to a point you can cross off EDGE as a major need, while holding on to precious money and draft capital that would be spent on or used to acquire a proven one?

If you are, then you take whatever prospect you like, no questions asked. But if you aren’t, then you’re putting yourself in a tough spot.

Overview

It’ll be pretty interesting to see how the Titans move to squash this little problem they have on their hands.

Funny enough, they could decide this isn’t a significant problem, and take some measures to prevent the problem from spiraling into a larger one.

One way you can do that is by blitzing.

The secondary has improved enough to where you don’t have to worry a great deal about a lack of pass rush hurting the back end. But you’d still love a pass rush that can ultimately take pressure off the secondary, right?

Because good coverage can only get you so far in this league defensively. Sooner or later, you’re going to need pass rush help.

But that’s a schematic conversation for another day, more so when/if the Titans add another pass rusher and when we get some game film from Dennard Wilson’s defense in 2024-2025.

Or the Titans could simply balk at the idea of adding a pass rusher with upside. Now they’d only do that if they value other positions more, like receiver and maybe inside linebacker — which should be a fun little development, so we can see which positions Ran Carthon and the team value the most — but we don’t fully know what they prefer, so it’s assuming is pretty meaningless right now.

This is what’s going to make the Titans’ pre-draft process so fun to watch.

They still have holes, but we don’t know how they’ll address them. Maybe this sounds boring to you, but being able to connect the dots and get the answers you want, is a feeling that never gets old.

Anyways, the EDGE topic should be a hot one, whether you like it or not. Enjoy it, savor in it, indulge in the conversation and put your two cents in.

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