The Tennessee Titans will return much of their 2019 starting offense in 2020, which gives the team a huge advantage over other squads in what will be an abbreviated offseason that doesn’t leave much time for preparation.
While that’s a definite positive for the Titans, each offensive starter will have a question to answer during the 2020 campaign.
Here’s a look at one question for each and every Titans offensive starter for this coming season.
QB Ryan Tannehill
Is Tannehill worth the money?
Despite having his best season as a pro with the Titans in 2019, plenty of doubters still remain, and those doubters got even louder once Tannehill signed his new contract.
Apparently they didn’t watch the 10 games Tannehill played during the regular season, nor have they seen the countless metrics that showed he was more than just a guy who hands the ball off to Derrick Henry.
Instead, Tannehill’s detractors have decided to focus on the two playoff games in which Henry dominated and Tannehill didn’t have to do much.
In 2020, the biggest opponents of Tannehill’s extension will be looking for every chance they can get to poke a hole in the idea that he actually deserved it.
The good news for those who believe Tannehill is worth it is that he’s still in a quarterback-friendly offense that uses a dominant running game to set up the play-action, where Tannehill really thrived last season.
If there was ever a situation in which Tannehill can re-create his 2019 success, it’s in this offense.
RB Derrick Henry
Can Henry contribute more in the passing game?
We already know Henry is one of the most fierce runners in the NFL today, but the one thing holding him back from getting a mega deal the likes of which Christian McCaffrey got from the Carolina Panthers is his lack of involvement in the passing game.
Henry caught just 18 passes on 24 targets in 2019, and while some of that has to do with the Titans not doing enough to get him involved and the utter dysfunction of the offensive line in the screen game, Henry also didn’t help his own cause after dropping a few easy passes.
Considering his history as an elite play-maker, getting the ball in Henry’s hands in space by any means necessary is vital to the Titans’ offense. The Alabama product becoming a more active pass-catcher not only helps the team, but it also helps his case for getting the biggest contract possible.
WR A.J. Brown
Can Brown avoid a sophomore slump?
You’re going to hear “sophomore slump” a lot this season when analysts talk about Brown after the standout year he had in his rookie season — but there is plenty of reasons to be optimistic that he’ll avoid that slump.
Brown really took off when Tannehill became the starting quarterback, and he really didn’t fully take off until Week 12 on, as he compiled four of his five 100-yard games in that span.
Even if Brown fails to produce the kind of elite efficiency he did in 2019, having a full 16-game season with Tannehill and getting a bigger target share than the 18.7 percent he saw in his rookie campaign should more than make up for it.
The biggest thing Brown will have to overcome is the extra attention he will inevitably receive from opposing defenses, but thankfully the Titans have enough talent in the receiving corps. to keep defenses honest.
WR Corey Davis
Is this the year for Davis?
This is a familiar question for Titans fans, who have been waiting for Davis to really break out since the Titans drafted him in 2017.
As we just mentioned, Brown is going to draw more attention from opposing defenses after his sensational rookie season, which should help open things up more for Davis in 2020.
The only problem for Davis is that he didn’t seem to have great chemistry with Tannehill last season, as the Titans quarterback missed Davis on several occasions when he was open. That issue was also prevalent when Marcus Mariota was under center.
Tannehill has actually acknowledged that he needs to work on his chemistry with Davis. That, along with the fact that these two actually have a season of games under their belt together, should no doubt help Davis get more looks and produce more in 2020.
The former No. 5 overall pick will also be playing in a contract year after the Titans declined his fifth-year option, so Davis will be extra motivated to have his best season as a pro before he hits free agency.
WR Adam Humphries
Will Humphries be utilized more?
Even before missing the final four games of the regular season and two of the three playoff games, Humphries simply wasn’t being utilized enough, especially if the Titans are going to justify paying him $9 million per year.
The chances of Humphries living up to that number are slim and none if you’re basing it on raw totals. The Titans simply don’t throw the ball enough for him to match his career-best production from 2018, which occurred in a pass-heavy offense.
However, Humphries still brings plenty of value as a safety valve who can help move the chains on a consistent basis. Now all the Titans have to do is give him more opportunities to do so.
TE Jonnu Smith
Is Smith the long-term answer at TE?
We got a glimpse at just how good Smith can be in 2019, but the 2020 season will really be the deciding factor in answering this question.
Smith is in the final year of his rookie contract and has big shoes to fill after the team cut Delanie Walker, who was one of the best and most beloved players in franchise history.
While the jury is certainly still out on if Smith is the long-term answer in Tennessee, the former third-round pick is doing everything necessary to put himself in the best position to succeed, including working out extra with Tannehill to help improve their chemistry and get ready for the season.
The Titans might be wise to lock Smith up before 2020, as a great campaign might make him too expensive to keep when he hits the open market in 2021.
LT Taylor Lewan
Can Lewan take a bigger leadership role?
Once Lewan got his act together after a rough start to the 2019 season that saw him get suspended and then commit a ton of penalties upon his return, he once again became one of the elite left tackles in the sport.
But Lewan’s success in 2020 will be about more than just his play on the field. The Titans need Lewan to take a larger leadership role with the team having parted ways with a few key leaders of years past.
Lewan seems up for the challenge, as he recently stated learning from his past mistakes and being a better leader was important to him this season.
LG Rodger Saffold
Will Saffold get off to a better start?
The entire left side of the Titans’ line was a mess for most of the first half of the 2019 season. Saffold was getting beaten regularly, and it was clear he and Lewan simply weren’t in sync.
Saffold and Lewan recently admitted as much, but the good news is that both began to find their stride near the middle of the season and it resulted in better chemistry and play overall.
Now that he’s got a full year under his belt in the Titans’ offense and playing next to Lewan, Saffold believes his play and communication with his line mates will be better in Year 2.
C Ben Jones
Will Jones continue his elite play?
While everything went to hell around him, Jones remained one of the few constants on the Titans at the beginning of last year. That isn’t easy to do when the rest of the offensive line is crumbling around you.
And Jones didn’t let up, either. As the Titans’ offensive line rounded into form, the center continued his top-notch play, and ultimately finished as one of the best players at his position in 2019, per Pro Football Focus.
A lot of people questioned why the Titans would prioritize Jones’ extension prior to last season before some others, but it’s clear general manager Jon Robinson made the right move to lock Jones up through 2021.
RG Nate Davis
Can Davis build off his strong 2019 finish?
Davis’ career got off to a rocky start. Not only did an injury force him to miss most of training camp and then the first three games of his rookie season, his play left a lot to be desired upon his return.
According to Pro Football Focus, Davis’ overall grade through Week 14 was an abysmal 30.1, but from Week 15 through the playoffs the third-round pick saw a major improvement with a grade of 71.5.
If Davis can build off that latter grade and put together a full 16-game slate of solid play, the Titans will officially have their right guard of the future and one less question mark along the offensive front.
RT Dennis Kelly
Can Kelly adequately replace Jack Conklin?
There’s no guarantee that Kelly will even start, as the Titans are set to have a competition at right tackle between he and rookie Isaiah Wilson; however, as we’ve said numerous times before, the edge definitely goes to Kelly based on experience, thus we have him pegged as the starter here.
After answering the question of if he’ll be the starter, Kelly will then have to answer the question about if he can come close to or match what Conklin was able to do last season, which won’t be easy.
Fortunately for Tennessee, there is reason for optimism here, as Kelly performed well as the starting right tackle in 2018 when Conklin went down to injury.
And what makes Conklin’s shoes easier to fill is the fact that he wasn’t great in pass protection, so it’s possible Kelly gives the Titans a boost in that area.
