Don’t look now! Even though the offseason has just started for the NFL, football is right around the corner. March 14th free agency will begin and decisions have to be made. I’m going to attempt to put my GM hat on and take a look at a few key unrestricted free agents currently on the Titans offense and decide their fate. Here we will keep them or sweep them.
Eric Decker, WR
The buzz last season about such a proven red zone threat being added to the Titans roster was absolutely deafening. It might have been so deafening that maybe Eric Decker didn’t hear himself. Decker caught a decent 54 of 83 targets for 563 yards. Decker averaged 10.4 yards per catch on the season. That isn’t a bad stat line on the season. Conveinently missing from that stat line is the magic number, the number Decker was brought in to provide…one. Decker caught only one touchdown on the season. If Decker was a rookie or even maybe just a free agent the Titans took a flyer on then there would be plenty of reasons to be optimistic. Tennessee signed Decker as a high profile touchdown target for a $4M price tag. That level of production, barring injury, is unacceptable. Broom, please
Verdict: Sweep
Harry Douglas, WR
Harry Douglas has spent the last three seasons with the Titans. The Titans signed Douglas to pair with quarterback Marcus Mariota. A veteran presence to give Mariota a safety blanket option. To say that Douglas has been a disappointment seems to be fair. In 2015, Douglas’ and Mariota’s first seasons with the Titans, Douglas produced disappointing numbers. It didn’t improve from there. Douglas caught 36 of 72 targets for 411 yards and two touchdowns. Things only went downhill from there. Douglas’was plagued by injuries in the 2016 and 2017 campaigns . He only played 13 games the next two seasons, including two in 2017. Hand me the broom.
Verdict: Sweep
Josh Kline, G
Josh Kline’s tenure with the Titans came filled with promise. The Titans offensive line rated as one of the top few in the NFL. Mariota routinely had plenty of time to make effective decisions in the passing game and lanes to run through when he wanted. The Titans ground game was even better than that. Running backs DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry were quite the tandem in 2016. Those two highlighted a Titans rushing attack that ranked third in the league, providing 2187 yards, 16 touchdowns, and averaging 136.7 yards per game.
2017 was still a successful year for Kline and the Titans offensive line, but there were obvious regressions. Tennessee rushed for 1833 yards and averaged 114.6 yards per game but did rush for 18 touchdowns. There was a noticeable difference in the interior push this season. Overall, Kline has been very effective in Tennessee. His market value commands a lofty price tag averaging around $10.2M per year. Begrudgingly, I ask for the broom.
Verdict: Sweep
You can find Matt hanging out around the FPC_Titans office or hit him up on twitter @iDuck14. Let him know what you think.
