Best, worst offseason moves for the Tennessee Titans

The 2023 NFL Draft will be held in Kansas City from April 27-29. New Titans GM Ran Carthon has spent his first offseason reshaping Tennessee's roster and laying the foundation for future success. Nevertheless, some of his decisions have been questionable. Here are his best and worst moves so far.

BEST | Cutting dead weight

After entering the offseason with the fifth-worst cap situation in the league, Carthon cleared out most of the terrible contracts signed under former GM Jon Robinson. Tennessee now ranks fifth in cap space available over the next five offseasons (before accounting for the Titans' second-best move from this offseason). 

Since making his cuts, Carthon has been strategic with his spending, signing multiple free agents on short-term contracts, including outside linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair and cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting. Carthon will surely take advantage of the additional financial flexibility and establish himself as a significant player on the free-agent market.

BEST | Extending defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons 

If there's one lesson that Carthon learned from his San Francisco days, it's that an elite defensive front is the mark of a true contender. Simmons' new four-year, $94 million contract will take up a considerable portion of the freed cap space. The price is steep, but among the players Carthon inherited, the two-time second-team All-Pro is irreplaceable.

Since Tennessee made him the No. 19 overall pick in 2019, Simmons has developed into one of the premier defensive talents in the NFL. In his four seasons, he has recorded 21 sacks, 28 tackles for loss and 72 quarterback pressures.

The recent signings of outside linebackers Arden Key and Al-Shaair should allow Simmons to improve on last season's 7.5-sack total. 

WORST | Not re-signing linebacker David Long Jr. 

Although Key and Al-Shaair are solid signings, Long's departure to the Dolphins is a major blow to Tennessee's defense. Long, the team's second-leading tackler last season, recorded more tackles (86) than Tennessee's two newest linebackers had combined (71). 

Miami signed Long to a team-friendly contract, exactly what Carthon should have done. The 26-year-old's two-year, $11 million deal is the 11th-highest contract a free-agent linebacker earned this offseason.  

As if the loss of Long wasn't significant enough, he later took issue with HC Mike Vrabel's comment about his durability, claiming it created an inaccurate perception of him. Money is the obvious selling point in free agency, but criticism of this nature may not bode well for Tennessee in future negotiations.

WORST | Signing offensive tackle Andre Dillard

Because last season's offensive line allowed the fifth-most sacks in the NFL (49), it was clear the unit needed an overhaul. However, ex-Eagle Dillard is hard to consider an upgrade, especially at his price. His three-year, $29 million contract is the fifth-highest a tackle received on the open market this offseason. 

Pro Football Focus' Brad Spielberger named the former first-rounder one of the biggest boom-or-bust signings of free agency. He only has 714 career snaps, including 37 last season. Dillard's contract has an out for 2025, so Tennessee can cut ties if he fails to perform, but doing so would reflect poorly on Carthon's decision to sign him.