Tennessee Titans

Some NFL teams were reportedly concerned about wide receiver Treylon Burks' conditioning during the lead-up to the 2022 NFL draft last month.

According to Albert Breer of The MMQB, Burks had a "weight issue" during predraft private workouts and "labored to get through some" of them, which was a "red flag" for some teams.

The reported issues didn't scare off the Tennessee Titans, who used the No. 18 overall pick to select the 6'2", 225-pound wideout from the University of Arkansas.

Aside from simply using the No. 18 overall pick on Burks, the Titans invested heavily in him as the de facto replacement for A.J. Brown.

Tennessee traded Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles for the 18th overall selection and the 101st overall pick in the third round after being unable to come to terms on a long-term contract with Brown.

Whether fair or not, Burks will be compared to Brown moving forward since the Titans used the pick from the Brown trade to take him.

In terms of his size and the explosiveness he displayed during college, Burks seems to compare favorably to Brown, who averaged just shy of 1,000 yards per season and recorded 24 receiving touchdowns over three years with the Titans.

Burks is coming off an exceptional season with the Razorbacks that saw him record 66 receptions for 1,104 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also rushed 14 times for 112 yards and a score, drawing some comparisons to San Francisco 49ers wideout Deebo Samuel.

Conditioning never seemed to be an issue for Burks at the collegiate level, as he averaged 16.4 yards per catch during his three seasons at Arkansas, proving his status as a downfield threat.

There will be instant pressure on Burks to perform at a high level for the Titans in 2022 given some of the team's losses on offense.

In addition to trading Brown to the Eagles, Tennessee released veteran receiver Julio Jones, leaving it without its top two wide receivers from last season.

The front office tried to address those departures by drafting Burks, acquiring wide receiver Robert Woods from the Los Angeles Rams and signing tight end Austin Hooper.

Since Woods is coming off a torn left ACL suffered in November, Burks will likely be looked upon as the No. 1 option in the passing game from Day 1, which will give him plenty of opportunity to eliminate any lingering concerns regarding his predraft performance.

Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill turned heads earlier this month when he told reporters, "I don't think it's my job to mentor him," when discussing rookie signal-caller Malik Willis.

The veteran clarified his previous comment Tuesday, telling reporters, "I meant no disrespect to Malik." He added he was "disappointed in how things got spun and twisted a little bit":

.@Titans QB @ryantannehill1 with a long, heartfelt comment about wanting to be a great teammate to @malikwillis.

Said he meant no disrespect to Malik and is disappointed with how things got twisted over his quote on mentoring.

🎥 pic.twitter.com/4nhdlxSXhU

— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) May 24, 2022

Tannehill also said he reached out to Willis after his initial comment generated so many headlines and said he would be an ideal teammate.

For his part, Willis seemed to indicate he has a positive relationship with Tannehill as "somebody you can look up to":

"Definitely somebody you can look up to."

-Malik Willis when asked about his relationship with Ryan Tannehill

(via @PaulKuharskyNFL)pic.twitter.com/sQfBz3sFVN

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) May 24, 2022

Tannehill was right that his job description isn't to mentor someone who could take his job. That is especially true since he has a potential out on his contract for 2023 and may not be the long-term answer for the Titans considering he turns 34 years old in July.

Tannehill isn't Patrick Mahomes or Aaron Rodgers under center, but he helped lead the Titans to the No. 1 seed in the AFC last season even though star running back Derrick Henry played just eight games.

Yet Tennessee used a third-round pick on Willis, which brought some uncertainty to Tannehill's long-term future with the team.

The starter's comments about it not being his job to mentor his replacement brought the situation even more scrutiny months before the season is set to begin. It might be a topic of discussion if Tannehill makes a mistake or if Willis plays well during preseason games.

Willis can also make plays with his legs, so it wouldn't be surprising if the Titans utilized that skill set in certain situations much like the San Francisco 49ers did with Trey Lance last season.

For now, Tannehill made sure to clear up confusion about his comments, even if he may be fighting for his job at times this season.       

Tennessee Titans CEO Burke Nihill says Nissan Stadium would need $1.839 billion in renovations to bring the building up to NFL standards by the time its lease is up in 2039, per Jon Styf of the Center Square.

However, the wheels are already in motion for the construction of a new $2.2 billion stadium that could be ready as soon as 2026.

As far as the Titans' current home goes, Nihill called it one of the worst stadiums in the NFL and badly in need of repair:

The Titans CEO says years of neglect at Nissan Stadium has put it in serious disrepair. He says it's now known as one of the worst stadiums in the NFL. Titans estimate it would cost $1.8 billion to bring the stadium up to standard with the city's lease thru 2039. @FOXNashville pic.twitter.com/lsB9oNXvmi

— Jackie DelPilar (@jsdelpilar) May 19, 2022

Nissan Stadium, which is located in Nashville, opened in 1999.

The Tennessean reported that the domed stadium could take 31 months to build.

Styf reported that there's a new Metro Nashville budget request for $2.2 billion for the new stadium. He also noted how the Titans plan to fund the project.

The project will not be funded by general obligation bonds but instead will be funded through revenue bonds based on sales and use taxes, $500 million from the state of Tennessee and unnamed funding from Titans ownership that would amount to an estimated $700 million.

As Chelsea Beimfohr of WKRN-TV noted, either a completely new stadium or a renovation would cost a lot of money, but parts of the stadium are "literally starting to crumble."

Per Teresa Walker of the Associated Press, Nihill said during the Nashville Sports Authority meeting Thursday that the steps are crumbling and that the Titans have worked for the past seven years to repair expansion joints.

The status quo doesn't seem like a viable option given the state of the stadium, but economist J.C. Bradbury of Kennesaw State University tweeted that $1.8 billion for renovations is an exorbitant figure:

Titans and government officials insist that Nissan Stadium needs $1.84 billion in renovations. The Buffalo Bills are building a brand new stadium right now for $1.4 billion. Again, if you believe that $1.84 billion number, it's because you want to believe it.

— J.C. Bradbury (@jc_bradbury) May 20, 2022

The Titans' current home was built soon after the team moved from Houston to Nashville following the 1996 season. They played in Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium (1997) and Vanderbilt Stadium (1998) before settling into their current home. Known as Adelphia Coliseum then, Nissan Stadium was built for $290 million after breaking ground in 1997.

The Tennessee Titans are reportedly open to discussing a contract extension with running back Derrick Henry.

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported the Titans would consider adding a year or two to his current deal in order to help lower his cap hits the next two seasons ($15 million in 2022, $15.5 million in 2023).

Henry, 28, was limited to eight regular-season games because of a foot injury in 2021. He was the NFL's leading rusher with 937 yards and 10 touchdowns before suffering the injury; he returned to rush for 61 yards and a score in the Titans' AFC Divisional Round loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Negotiating an extension with Henry would be a bit of a risk given his advancing age and recent injury history. It would be an against-the-grain move from the Titans, though Henry has been an outlier-level performer throughout his career.

It's possible the Titans offer a contract that has a lower base salary for 2024 and 2025 in exchange for more upfront money now. None of Henry's salary for this season or next is guaranteed, so an arrangement that protects him against potentially being cut a year from now might be worth taking a pay cut in a few years.

That said, asking a player who remained the most dominant runner in the NFL last season to agree to a pay cut isn't exactly an easy ask. 

In the NFL, a team's playoff window can close over the course of an offseason. With a couple of key losses and a star player coming off a serious injury, the Tennessee Titans will disappoint anyone with high expectations for them in 2022.

Multiple AFC teams added Pro Bowl or All-Pro talent. The Los Angeles Chargers acquired edge-rusher Khalil Mack and signed cornerback J.C. Jackson. The Denver Broncos acquired quarterback Russell Wilson. The Miami Dolphins inked a deal with left tackle Terron Armstead and traded for wide receiver Tyreek Hill. The Cleveland Browns made a move to bring in quarterback Deshaun Watson. The Indianapolis Colts acquired quarterback Matt Ryan.

All five of those AFC teams could make a push for the postseason after failing to clinch a playoff berth in 2021.

What about the Titans? 

Most importantly, their star player has to stay healthy. Last season, running back Derrick Henry missed nine games because he fractured his fifth metatarsal and had to undergo surgery. Though the bruising ball-carrier returned for a divisional-round matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, he recorded 20 rushing attempts for just 62 yards and a touchdown.

While it's premature for anyone to say Henry will continue to battle injuries, one has to wonder if he's headed down the same path as Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey, who had a tremendous workload for consecutive campaigns before his body started to break down in 2020.

Between 2018 and 2019, McCaffrey recorded 729 touches for 4,357 yards and 32 touchdowns from scrimmage. For comparison, Henry logged 681 rushing attempts for 3,567 yards and 33 touchdowns between 2019 and 2020.

Though McCaffrey handled slightly more touches in a two-year span as a dual-threat playmaker on the ground and in the passing game, Henry takes a lot of physical punishment as one of the league's few workhorse running backs. The latter led the NFL in carries in 2019 and 2020.

Henry has a workload that isn't sustainable at an optimal level. Through eight appearances in 2021, he averaged 4.3 yards per carry, which is a notable drop-off from his 2019 (5.1) and 2020 averages (5.4).

Tennessee selected Hassan Haskins in the fourth round of the 2022 draft, but he doesn't compare to a 6'3", 247-pound two-time rushing champion. If the rookie cuts into Henry's touches, the Titans' run-heavy offense could take another step back. 

In a glass-half-full outlook, Henry could bounce back from an injury-riddled campaign, and Haskins may help keep him fresh through a 17-game slate. With that said, both running backs could struggle to find holes between the tackles and on the perimeter of the Titans' zone run-blocking scheme.

Tennessee released Pro Bowl guard Rodger Saffold. Even though he'll turn 34 years old in June, the club doesn't have a clear-cut replacement for him.

During the NFL owners meetings in March, head coach Mike Vrabel expressed confidence in Jamarco Jones.

"This is a player we feel his best football is in front of him," Vrabel said. "We've been able to evaluate him against some very good opponents. This year he played left guard against the Saints, and we’re hoping he can start there and compete at left guard. But he has versatility as well and has played all across the line."

The Seahawks selected Jones in the fifth round of the 2018 draft, and he's only started in seven out of his 36 contests. He's played every position except center, though the 25-year-old offensive lineman didn't establish himself at any position. The Ohio State product may win the starting job through training camp, but he needs more experience against starting-caliber players. 

Among last year's starting offensive linemen, the Titans also moved on from David Quessenberry, who signed with the Buffalo Bills. While the 31-year-old had plenty of lapses in pass protection, allowing 11 sacks through 1,184 snaps, per Pro Football Focus, he often sealed the outside lanes for ball-carriers. SI.com's John Glennon provided some insight.

"Quessenberry's forte is the zone-blocking run game, which works well for the Titans," Glennon wrote. "His PFF run-blocking grade last season was 86.5 in 2021, sixth-highest among all NFL tackles."

Dillon Radunz, a 2021 second-rounder, could succeed Quessenberry at right tackle, but he lost a battle for the position last offseason and played in a reserve role at guard and left tackle. 

For the sake of the running game, the Titans need Radunz and perhaps Jones to fill big roles. If not, quarterback Ryan Tannehill may have to shoulder a bigger load for the offense, which isn't a promising alternative outlook. 

In two years under former Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, Tannehill earned his first Pro Bowl nod and won Comeback Player of the Year, throwing for 2,742 yards, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions through 12 contests (10 starts) in 2019. He also threw for a career-high 33 touchdowns and just seven interceptions in 2020. 

Last offseason, Smith took the head-coaching job with the Atlanta Falcons, and Tannehill's passing production dropped significantly under new offensive coordinator Todd Downing. He threw for just 21 touchdowns and 14 interceptions—his most turnovers through the air since his 2013 term with the Miami Dolphins. 

Perhaps Tannehill needs an extended adjustment period in Downing's system, but the Titans play-caller doesn't have a good track record. In 2017, he served in the same position for the then-Oakland Raiders, overseeing an offense that ranked 23rd in scoring and 17th in yards. Last year, his Titans unit was 15th and 17th for those offensive categories, respectively.

Downing must keep the ground attack on track despite changes along the offensive line and put Tannehill in a position to flourish without his best wide receiver from the previous three years.

The Titans traded A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles during the first round of the 2022 draft. General manager Jon Robinson said that the team didn't have a contract offer close to the Pro Bowl wideout's contract demands. 

"The trade thing kind of manifested itself from them, and we really started working on that over the last 18, 20 hours," Robinson said, per ESPN's Turron Davenport. "I dealt with [Brown's agent], went back and forth really over the last two to three weeks and just realized that the gap was really too far for us to bridge."

After Tennessee sent the Brown to the Eagles, the club selected Treylon Burks with the No. 18 overall pick acquired in the deal. The Arkansas product models his game after versatile wideout Deebo Samuel. But do the Titans have the offensive coordinator to maximize his talent? Most people would trust an accomplished play-caller such as Kyle Shanahan to get the most out of a dynamic playmaker, but Downing hasn't earned the benefit of the doubt.

Robert Woods, whom the Titans acquired from the Los Angeles Rams, can provide a reliable veteran presence with a 63.5 percent catch rate, but he's 30 years old and coming off a torn ACL.

Going into the 2022 season, the Titans have uncertainty in various areas of their offense. Will Henry bounce back? Can the offensive line create holes for him? How quickly can Tannehill develop a rapport with two new projected starters at wide receiver and incoming tight end Austin Hooper? Is Downing fit to put all those playmakers together for a viable offensive attack? 

In a scoring shootout, Tennessee may need its defense to keep the opponent's scoring opportunities at a bare minimum, and even that comes with a big question mark.

Cornerback Caleb Farley hasn't been able to stay healthy, playing 60 defensive snaps through his rookie campaign. Since March of 2021, he's undergone back surgery and torn his left ACL. If the first-rounder cannot stay on the field, rookie second-rounder Roger McCreary may have to take on a big role on the boundary right away. 

The Titans have one too many voids amid noteworthy offensive changes to replicate their strong runs as AFC South champions in each of the last two seasons. You can close the window on their playoff aspirations this year. 

               

Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.

The Malik Willis hype is already building in Tennessee.

"I've talked to some teams who believe that they will have a package somewhere down the line for him in actual game action, even though he's largely considered a project, needs some time, but he can have some goal-line work as a way for the Titans to use his running game. I'm told he had a really big day yesterday, looked the part in a major way in their day two of minicamp," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said Sunday on SportsCenter. 

The Titans drafted Willis in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft after he surprisingly slipped into Day 2.

While Willis' combination of speed and arm strength garnered comparisons to Josh Allen, he fell down the draft board in large part because he'll likely take at least a year or two to catch up to adjust. Liberty's strength of competition pales in comparison to the NFL, and Willis did not put up bonkers numbers. He threw for 2,857 yards and 27 touchdowns against 12 interceptions while adding 878 yards and 13 touchdowns as a runner.

Titans starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill made waves earlier this month when he said it wasn't his "job" to mentor Willis, but the rookie says he and the veteran are already off to a good start as teammates. 

"It was never anything negative," Willis told reporters. "Ryan's a good dude. Everything is cool. He had us over [to] the house the other day and gave us a little bit of game regarding what comes with this process."

Tannehill has two years and $56 million remaining on his contract. 

The Tennessee Titans "simply weren't comfortable" with paying former star wide receiver A.J. Brown what he wanted before the Philadelphia Eagles traded for the ex-Ole Miss star during the NFL draft.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler shared details Monday:

In the weeks leading up to Round 1, we were hearing that the Titans were adamant about keeping Brown long term. There was no tangible feeling about him leaving. But things became clear during draft week—and most definitely on the night before the trade—that the Titans simply weren't comfortable paying Brown what he wanted. As rapper Fat Joe says, yesterday's price is not today's price. Brown 's value was only going up. The Titans were probably resigned to this fate earlier but held out hope until Philadelphia got aggressive in the 18 to 24 hours or so before the draft. I'm told that Brown largely did not expect to be traded until the day of the draft.

The Eagles dealt the No. 18 and No. 101 overall draft picks to Tennessee for Brown and signed him to a four-year, $100 million extension (including $57 million guaranteed).

Brown was entering the final year of his rookie contract. He caught 185 passes for 2,995 yards and 24 touchdowns over his three years in Tennessee, per Pro Football Reference.

Both Brown and Titans general manager Jon Robinson said that money was the primary obstacle prior to the trade.

"This wasn't my fault," Brown told ESPN's Turron Davenport. "I wanted to stay, but the deal they offered was a low offer. The deal they offered wasn't even $20 million a year."

Brown told Davenport that the Titans' best offer was for $16 million per season with incentives that could have raised it to a $20 million average.

Robinson told reporters that the gap between what the Titans offered and what Brown wanted was too big to get a deal done:

These are the decisions I am faced with, and they are hard decisions. There's a lot of discussion that goes into them, a lot of thought that goes into them. At the end of the day, we have to make—I have to make—the hard decisions. And there's a lot of things that impact those decisions. Certainly, the finances impact the decisions and trying to get value when we can. And that's the decision we made today.

In Philadelphia, Brown will pair with DeVonta Smith to potentially form one of the NFL's best wide receiver duos. Brown already has a great off-field rapport with Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts.

The Eagles made the playoffs last year at 9-8, but adding Brown along with some key defenders (Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean, Haason Reddick) upgrades their 2022 outlook.

With the 18th pick, the Titans selected Treylon Burks out of Arkansas to help reload at wide receiver following the Brown deal. Tennessee also added Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Robert Woods in free agency and UCLA's Kyle Philips with a fifth-rounder.

The Titans offense will look drastically different with two of their biggest weapons in Brown and Julio Jones (released) gone. Tennessee also may have its future franchise signal-caller on the roster after adding Liberty's Malik Willis in the third round.