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The Tennessee Titans inked new quarterback Cam Ward to a big deal, even though the NFL doesn’t consider the rookie as prime-time material. But the Titans’ riskiest offseason move of the 2025 NFL offseason is what they did in an attempt to protect Ward.
Tennessee shelled out $82 million to bring in offensive tackle Dan Moore Jr. in a four-year deal. It’s a move that received criticism, according to espn.com.
Pamela Maldonado, sports betting analyst for ESPN, called it a head-scratching decision.
“Giving him a four-year, $82 million contract feels like a massive gamble,” Maldonado wrote. “Moore is now among the league’s top-paid tackles despite his consistent struggles in pass protection. By committing substantial cap space on potential rather than proven performance, Tennessee risks limiting its ability to address other roster needs. If Moore doesn’t dramatically improve, the Titans will be dealing with the costly consequences of this deal for years.”
Moore graded out at 67.2, according to Pro Football Focus. His pass-blocking (66.2) and run-blocking (61.7) grades were nearly identical. And neither put him in the top tier at his position. They ranked No. 65 and 66, respectively.
So, what were the Titans and head coach Brian Callahan thinking? Moore allowed the most sacks in the NFL last season. Also, he allowed 55 pressures in 2023, the second most in the NFL that season. That couldn’t have been what they were thinking when they offered the big deal.
Maybe Moore convinced them with his comments, according to yahoo.com.
“I’m always looking to get better regardless of what the numbers say,” Moore said. “I thought I played well last season. The Titans thought I played well last season. The film that I looked at, numbers say I gave up however many sacks. But if you look at technique, you look at the film, I’m in front of defenders. That’s what I’m focused on.
“I would like to say my expectations are higher than whatever anybody else has for me. Whoever is back there, whether it’s Cam or whether it’s not, I’m going to still do my job regardless.”
Or maybe the Titans can rest on the positive comments of ESPN’s Turron Davenport.
“The value of the deal is steep at $82 million, with $50 million guaranteed,” Davenport wrote. “At 26 years old, Moore’s best days are probably ahead of him, especially with top-level offensive line coach Bill Callahan as his position coach. Tennessee is banking on Moore’s upside.
“But, if the deal doesn’t pan out, the Titans will have made a major financial commitment that will also impact Latham, (whom) they selected seventh overall last year. Latham was once considered the future at left tackle for the Titans. Adding Moore changed that. Fortunately for the Titans, Latham played right tackle in college before switching to left last season.”
Titans head coach Brian Callahan identified the tackle position as a major need at the end of the 2024 season, according...
