The Tennessee Titans will have big expectations going into the 2020 season after making it all the way to the AFC Championship in 2019, but on a smaller scale the team will have certain players with more to gain than others.
For the most part, the players who fall under that category are in a contract year and are trying to show they are worth big money in 2021 and beyond.
Here’s a look at seven Titans with the most to gain this coming season.
Corey Davis
After three years of lackluster production for a receiver who was taken with a top-five pick, there’s nowhere to go but up for Davis.
The Titans declined the Western Michigan product’s fifth-year option after his production took a step back in 2019 and he took a backseat to rookie standout, A.J. Brown
Davis is now in a contract year in 2020 and is auditioning for teams that will be in the market for a wide receiver in 2021. If Davis can have the breakout year we’ve all been waiting for, he could shed the bust label en route to securing a lucrative, long-term deal next offseason.
And he has a great chance to do so, with opposing defenses likely to focus on stopping Brown, which should open things up for Davis. Adding to that, quarterback Ryan Tannehill has talked about improving his chemistry with Davis, and if successful it could lead to a huge season for the wideout.
Adoree’ Jackson
The Titans’ No. 1 cornerback dealt with some inconsistency over the first two years of his career, but we saw Jackson take a step in the right direction in 2019, which led to the Titans picking up his fifth-year option.
Of course, Jackson still has another year on his deal after this season, so there’s no rush to extend him, however there’s a good chance the Titans would want to get it done before he hits the open market in 2022.
Building off what he did last season would no doubt go a long way to making the Titans’ decision easier and forcing their hand to get something done sooner rather than later.
DaQuan Jones
The future of Jones with the Titans is murky to say the least.
He’s in a contract year in 2020 at the age of 28 and after seeing Jurrell Casey get traded this offseason, he has to be wondering if he’ll be the next victim of the team’s defensive line rebuild.
Jones is coming off arguably his best season as a pro in 2019, as he was a force on the Titans’ defense, particularly in the run game. He’ll have a chance to do the same in 2020, as he’s one of the locked-in starters.
It’s possible Jones could eventually re-sign with Tennessee, but if not he’s going to have to put his best foot forward for his potential suitors next offseason in what could be his last opportunity at a big contract.
Vic Beasley
Beasley’s career has been marred by inconsistency. After leading the NFL with 15.5 sacks in 2016, the former No. 8 overall pick has totaled 18 in the past three years.
Beasley did have a bounce-back season in 2019 with eight sacks, two less than he had in the two previous years combined. It was enough to land him a one-year, $9.5 million deal with incentives from the Titans earlier this offseason. That deal is very much a “prove-it” deal for Beasley, who like all players desires a long-term deal at some point down the road.
He’ll have his chance to dispel the notion that he’s inconsistent and prove he’s worth big money before he hits the open market in 2021 — and he’ll do so with more help around him than he has ever had during his career.
Jonnu Smith
Smith is one of two top candidates to get an extension prior to the 2020 season as he enters the fourth and final year of his rookie deal.
However, after general manager Jon Robinson hinted that the uncertain future of the league’s salary cap could prevent the team from handing out extensions before the season, it looks as though Smith won’t get one.
The good news for the tight end is that the stars are aligning for him to have his best season at the perfect time.
Not only does he not have Delanie Walker in his way anymore, he has also spent the offseason working out with Tannehill, which should lead to improved chemistry and better production — and in turn, more money in a new contract, whether it’s with the Titans or another team.
Jayon Brown
Brown is the second of the two top candidates to get a new contract before 2020, and I’d argue the more likely of the two to get one between he and Smith.
Brown has emerged as one of the best young linebackers in the NFL since taking over the starting job in 2018, and his ability to play in coverage is truly elite. His importance to this defense can’t be understated.
If the Titans can’t lock him up now, Brown will undoubtedly be far more expensive to secure in 2021 after he inevitably posts yet another great season in 2020.
Isaiah Mack
Once the Titans traded Casey to the Broncos, there was an immediate hole on the defensive line to fill, opening the door for Mack to get significant snaps in his second season.
Mack will have to compete for those snaps alongside Jones and Jeffery Simmons, though. Veteran Jack Crawford and 2020 fifth-round pick Larrell Murchison are just two players who will also be vying for playing time.
However, if Mack can stand out above the rest in training camp, he’ll become a starter and propel his career to new heights, while also proving teams made a mistake by not drafting him in 2019.
