Mike Vrabel won’t rule out Titans adding TE during training camp
2 min readThe Tennessee Titans have stressed the need for versatility from their tight ends this offseason, but right now it remains to be seen if Anthony Firkser and/or Geoff Swaim can check that box adequately.
Firkser has proven to be an excellent pass-catcher during his career, but the jury is still out on if he can block well enough to be an every-down player. Swaim, on the other hand, excels as a blocker but doesn’t offer much as a pass-catcher.
Beyond those two, there isn’t much, at least on paper.
Guys like Tommy Hudson, Jared Pinkney, and 2021 UDFAs Briley Moore and Miller Forristall all lack experience and are wild cards at best, leaving the competition for the bottom spots on the depth chart wide open.
Shortly after the conclusion of mandatory minicamp on Thursday, head coach Mike Vrabel said he believes the team’s group does have versatility, but noted that he wouldn’t really be able to fully evaluate until the pads go on at training camp. At that point, the team could decide to make an addition.
Vrabel said tight end group has versatility, but won’t be able to fully evaluate until pads go on in training camp. Would determine then if additional help might be needed.
— Terry McCormick (@terrymc13) June 17, 2021
On the higher end of moves, the Titans could explore a trade for Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz, but such a move would be expensive, costing draft capital on top of the $8.5 million Tennessee would have to pick up.
Another potential trade option could be the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ O.J. Howard, who would come cheaper at $6 million but might be more expensive in terms of draft capital than Ertz.
On the lower end, the Titans could look to free agency, where Delanie Walker and Tyler Eifert are still on the market. Both would be serviceable options for the role and won’t cost a lot to bring to Nashville.
Whatever the Titans decide to do, they might want to add to the competition sooner rather than later instead of delaying what seems to be the inevitable. The longer Tennessee waits, the less options there will be.
