After two weeks of free agency, the Tennessee Titans still have several needs to address, a list that includes left and right tackle, defensive line, outside linebacker, linebacker and safety.
While down at the NFL annual league meetings in Orlando, Callahan talked about the situation at most of those positions. The ones he didn’t touch on were defensive line and left tackle.
As far as right tackle is concerned, Callahan mentioned Nicholas Petit-Frere and Jaelyn Duncan as potential in-house solutions, but also didn’t rule out another addition at the position.
“There are some guys who I think played well for us that are young and need development, is probably the best way to put it,” Callahan said, per Paul Kuharsky. “Between JD (Jaelyn Duncan) and NPF, those guys have some skills, they need some development, they’re going to compete. We might end up adding a tackle in the draft, we might end up adding another tackle later.
“There are a lot of different ways. I would say there are still veteran options available at some point. But I do like what those guys have shown. I think they are young and talented. They need some development on top of it. They’ll have a chance to compete.”
The Titans are expected to address the left tackle position in the 2024 NFL draft, and the hope is the solution will come in the form of Notre Dame left tackle Joe Alt at No. 7 overall.
However, the Titans need to have an insurance policy in place just in case he isn’t on the board in that spot, or just in case whoever they do draft to play the position isn’t ready to go in Year 1.
One name Callahan didn’t mention for right tackle was Dillon Radunz, who finished out the 2023 campaign as the starter there and played well. The Titans head coach said the team views Radunz as a guard.
“I see Radunz starting off as a guard,” he said. “Not that he can’t play anywhere else but we wanted to give him a place to start out and his best chance to help us is going to be starting out inside. If we need to bump him out we will. He’s done both, he’s got flex which I think is important but I see him starting out inside.”
Assuming the Titans ultimately decide not to move Radunz to the outside, his best shot at a starting job comes at right guard, where Daniel Brunskill was the starter in 2023 and is still under contract.
Left guard is already spoken for with 2023 first-round pick, Peter Skoronski.
Tennessee entered the offseason needing two starters at inside linebacker, but so far the team has only signed Kenneth Murray while also losing Azeez Al-Shaair.
Murray is joined by a group of players that figure to be backups, at best. The room also includes one of last year’s starters, Jack Gibbens, as well as Otis Reese, Chance Campbell, and others.
Callahan didn’t rule out more additions at the position in the near future.
“We’ve got some guys on the roster that have played there,” Callahan said. “There are still chances to add guys as well, particularly in the draft. It’s not solidified yet. The acquisition period for us isn’t over. It’s certainly a position where we’re still looking to keep adding to that group. We need numbers there as it is, need players there. It’s on the forefront.”
Like linebacker, Callahan noted that the team needs to make more additions at safety, where Tennessee has a question mark next to Amani Hooker. He also mentioned Elijah Molden, who converted to the position in 2023.
“I think Molden has played well, he’s got some flex too, he’s played nickel, he’s played some safety,” Callahan said. “There is definitely room to add there as well. Add for competition, add for depth. Rarely do you see all your safeties, with the way the position is played, make it through the year. So you’re going to try to keep adding players there.
“There have been guys we’ve explored. Those doors aren’t closed yet. There are still possibilities to add there as we move forward.”
Last but not least, Callahan said ideally the Titans want to add one or two more outside linebackers on top of Harold Landry and Arden Key, but described the team’s current situation as “good.”
“I think good, I think with Harold (Landry) we’ve got a guy with proven ability to rush,” Callahan said. “I think Arden (Key) is a proven situational rusher. I think he played really well last year. I think we still need more. You can never have enough pass rushers, I think we’ve got guys who have proven themselves, with the ability to do it.
“You’d like to have three of them. You’d like to have four of them. I think we do have some guys that can rush the passer and we’ll keep trying to add guys to the position.”
Tennessee’s need at outside linebacker certainly isn’t as dire as some of the others listed, but they do need to at least add more depth, with only Caleb Murphy and Rashad Weaver behind Landry and Key.
According to Over the Cap, the Titans have $45.7 million in cap space left, but that figure does not include the contracts for L’Jarius Sneed, Nick Folk and Sebastian Joseph. However, there will still be ample room to make additions even after they are factored in.