Tennessee Titans: 2019 Offseason Outlook

This isn’t your daddy’s NFL anymore. As the Tennessee Titans learned, 9-7 doesn’t guarantee you a playoff spot these days. On the outside looking in, it’ll be back to the drawing board as the team couldn’t string together back to back postseason visits. Just in their division alone, even the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans fought it out for the division with 10+ wins. The remaining team still had to fight until the end just to remain in contention for the post season.

With the offseason to think about it, the Tennessee Titans can now start planning their future. After an early injury to Marcus Mariota, the team found more creative ways to win football games. Their offseason is already heading in a different direction as offensive coordinator Matt Lafleur accepted a head coaching job with the Green Bay Packers. The Titans had a solid rushing attack with Derrick Henry and Dion Lewis leading the way, but their air attack struggled all season. With Mariota never fully living up to his potential, could the Titans go in another direction this offseason?

With a stout defense allowing the third-least amount of points this season, the Titans will surely focus on an offense stuck in neutral. Injuries plagued Mariota all season but he wasn’t the primary reason for their struggles. If injuries were a major concern for the Titans then the blame falls on the front office for not attempting to right the ship. Forcing an injured quarterback out on the field for 13 out of 16 games won’t have your offense firing on all cylinders. This year’s draft could hold the key to Tennessee’s future. While the draft class isn’t full of big-name potential, there’s plenty of passion projects that could turn into future stars with enough development.

The Tennessee Titans have the 19th pick overall, and while there are plenty of holes to fill most of their needs can be addressed in the second round or later. Reaching for a developmental quarterback in the first is almost unheard of, but as the Bengals, Dolphins, and Jaguars have learned, hitching your wagon to potential doesn’t always work out. Mariota might one day be the next big quarterback or he could be the next Ryan Tannehill or Andy Dalton, all potential and no peak. The Titans might want to start finding his successor now, or next draft they could end up throwing another rookie to the flames. If their defense stays intact, the Titans are already set up to control football games. Having depth to challenge Mariota might be exactly what they need to get him over the hump. If he never makes that leap, then they have a backup plan. Receivers and running backs don’t have to be a day one reach. If they have an extra ace in the hole, they can always trade in the offseason for later picks. It’s better to be holding all the cards instead of having none.