ClutchPoints
The Tennessee Titans finally have some hope for the future after the 2025 NFL offseason. Tennessee made some big moves over the past few months. None were more important than drafting QB Cam Ward with the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Now the Titans have a franchise quarterback who they can build the team around.
Tennessee also made a host of improvements at nearly every other position on the roster. The Titans loaded up on wide receivers in the draft, upgraded the offensive line in free agency, and added a handful of starters on defense.
When looking at the offseason in its entirety, the Titans added enough talent to prove that they are no longer the worst team in the league. Now the Titans need to focus on turning the team into a contender in the AFC South.
Tennessee’s coaching staff already had a chance to see their young players in action during rookie minicamp, OTAs, and mandatory minicamp. The next big milestone on the NFL calendar is training camp later this summer.
I spent a lot of time praising the Titans already, but there here are still a few areas of the roster that could be improved ahead of the 2025 NFL season.
Below we will explore one roster move the Titans need to make before the start of training camp in July.
Tennessee’s biggest roster need heading into training camp is off-ball linebacker. And it is the biggest need by a wide margin.
The Titans have invested heavily in their defense during the past few offseasons. They now have talented players like L’Jarius Sneed, T’Vondre Sweat, and Jeffery Simmons who can be the backbone of the unit moving forward.
To be fair, the Titans have not completely neglected the off-ball linebacker position. They simply have not hit on many players in recent years.
Tennessee drafted both Cedric Gray and James Williams as well as signing Otis Reese IV as a UDFA. Reese has some promise, but both Gray and Williams have not yet lived up to expectations.
The Titans added Cody Barton on a three-year, $21 million contract during free agency. Barton, who recorded 106 total tackles in 2024 with the Broncos, should be an immediate starter and a huge upgrade in the middle of Tennessee’s defense.
But Barton cannot do it alone.
The Titans would be wise to add another veteran off-ball linebacker before training camp. There are a handful of established veterans who could slot in perfectly to Tennessee’s 3-4 defense.
The best fits for Tennessee could be either Ja’Whaun Bentley or Eric Kendricks.
Bentley blossomed into a starting off-ball linebacker in 2020 in New England and was a capable starter ever since. In fact, Bentley posted over 100 total tackles each season between 2021 and 2023.
Unfortunately, Bentley suffered a season-ending pectoral injury that forced him to miss almost the entire 2024 season.
The Patriots decided to move on...
