Bring Them Back: Tennessee Titans Offensive Linemen Who Need to Come Back in 2024
Ahead of their Monday Night Football game against the 9-3 Miami Dolphins—who own the best record in the AFC and one of the most potent offensive units in the NFL—the Tennessee Titans are 4-8. The likelihood of the 2023 Titans making a postseason run is low, so it’s best to focus on 2024. Who can support this team in 2024 should be the focus of the remainder of the season. The remaining games should be viewed as tryouts for the squad that will play in the following year. In light of this, who do we currently know will or ought to rejoin the Titans? Now let’s examine the offensive line.
OFFENSIVE LINE: DILLON RADUNZ, JAELYN DUNCAN, AND PETER SKORONSKI It wouldn’t be shocking to see only Peter Skoronski return given how badly the offensive line needs to be overhauled, but chances are good that a few young players on rookie contracts stay. Skoronski is a given, but even if Duncan isn’t ready to start and can play third tackle for the Titans the following season, he has demonstrated enough to merit additional development time. In the last year of his rookie contract, Radunz should have the opportunity to compete for a spot on the interior while offering more depth at tackle. He appears to be the team’s preferred guard.
That leaves me with a long list of names that I don’t absolutely need. Daniel Brunskill has performed admirably, but with a healthy offseason, I believe a healthy Radunz could be competitive. I could understand, though, if Brunskill was brought back for a low price. As a starter this year, he has been reliable and not at all problematic. At his age, he simply doesn’t offer much upside, and Radunz would be less expensive.
Though Aaron Brewer is one of the smallest linemen in the NFL, he can be a liability when it comes to pass blocking. That being said, he may have his moments as a run blocker. A cheap return for Brewer might be in the cards because the Titans have more urgent needs, but I wouldn’t be shocked if they tried to add some serious competition. I won’t be shocking anyone at tackle if I say I don’t think Andre Dillard will return. He’s obviously not the player the Titans had hoped for, and it doesn’t appear like he has the mindset Mike Vrabel is seeking.
Chris Hubbard, a 33-year-old late signing before training camp, was a productive player for the Titans in nine starts. If he is fully healthy, Hubbard may return. The Titans should set higher goals and search for a longer-term fix if they truly want to improve this offensive line.
My only hesitation was with Nicholas Petit-Frere. It’s been an awful season for the former Buckeye. After serving a four-game suspension, he returned but struggled to play and soon after suffered a season-long injury that sidelined him for the duration. After dominating as the team’s full-time right tackle in 2022, his place on the roster is currently in doubt. It’s possible that Petit-Frere will return and be given the opportunity to contend for a roster spot. In his rookie season, he did manage to edge out the more seasoned Radunz for that right tackle position. Though I think Radunz has more potential at guard, Petit-Frere could prevail if he can outshine Radunz in that area as well.
STORIES ABOUT TITANS TITANS SIGN NEW PUNTER: In Week 13, the Tennessee Titans suffered a string of injuries against the Indianapolis Colts that resulted in the season-ending loss of punter Ryan Stonehouse. The Titans moved to add Stonehouse’s replacement and other players on Wednesday. CLICK THIS LINK RICE IS GONE FROM TITANS: In a somewhat unexpected move for this early in the season, third-year linebacker Monty Rice of the Tennessee Titans announced his departure on Tuesday. CLICK THIS LINK
SIMMONS SHOULDN’T RETURN: Mike Vrabel reports that star defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons will be out of the Tennessee Titans lineup for a few weeks at the latest. However, if the Titans are wise, Simmons shouldn’t play the remainder of the season. CLICK THIS LINK WEEK 12 TITAN UP, TITAN DOWN: The Tennessee Titans faced the Indianapolis Colts in Week 13, and while there were some disastrous moments, there were also many positive ones, which resulted in a varied list of winners and losers in this week’s Titan Up, Titan Down. CLICK THIS LINK
VRABEL FIRES AUKERMAN: The Tennessee Titans’ 13-point loss to the Indianapolis Colts included two punts that were blocked and injuries to three of their best players: Ryan Stonehouse, Derrick Henry, and Jeffery Simmons. On Monday, Mike Vrabel provided updates on all of those, including Craig Aukerman’s firing as special teams coach. CLICK THIS LINK
