Titans create brand new need at the worst possible time by cutting Lloyd Cushenberry during NFL Combine

The Titans just created a big new need on their already needy roster…

Easton Freeze — Tennessee Titans Beat Writer
Add as preferred source on Google

The Tennessee Titans have officially started the spring cleaning of their roster ahead of free agency.

A matter of hours after media met with GM Mike Borgonzi here at the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, his office released C Lloyd Cushenberry and S Xavier Woods. Cushenberry is the move that is the biggest splash, both in terms of finances and immediate impact.

He had a rough 2025, his first season after returning from a torn achilles. Plenty of fans wanted to see the team strive for a better solution. But the timing of this decision raises more questions than answers, and it creates another need for a team with more than their fair share.

Titans decision to cut C Lloyd Cushenberry creates more questions than answers

This move saves the Titans $3.4 million against the cap and $20 million in un-guaranteed cash he was set to make in 2026 and 2027. He now counts for $9 million in dead cap, the vast majority of the $10.6 million in total dead cap on their books.

The Titans led the league in cap space before this move. They now lead it by slightly more. this does not strike me as a move motivated by wanting to create more space.

Was Cushenberry the worst of the Titans’ starting offensive lineman last year? Yes. He was the weak link throughout the majority of the front end of the year. He stabilized a bit when he returned from mid-season injury to join a gelling run game towards the end, though. And given the fact that continuity is key on the OL and he was going to be a “year after the year” guy in 2026 with his achilles, I thought the Titans might just keep it moving with this group.

So while I understand this likely being a performance-based decision based on a lackluster 2025, I’m not sure I yet understand the plan going forward. The Titans picked one heck of a time to create a need at center.

Free agency is a tough scene. Ravens C Tyler Linderbaum would be a dream solution and a significant upgrade, but he’s the caliber of player you’d be wise to assume will sign a deal with their team to stay put. It’s already been reported this offseason that the Ravens intend on keeping him locked up. Bills C Connor McGovern would be a fine option if he comes free, or Panthers C Cade Mayes could be worth a swing. And perhaps a veteran option gets cut to sweeten the pool in the coming days. But beyond that, anybody who needs a starting center is arguably out of luck.

Meanwhile in the draft, things are… also a tough scene. The top option is Auburn’s Connor Lew, who would have been a first round pick if he hadn’t suffered an October ACL tear. Perhaps the Titans take him on Day 3 and use a bridge option like Corey Levin (more on him in a moment) while their future at the position gets himself right? That’s a fine plan if you can ensure you pull it off, but you absolutely cannot ensure that. So it it a bad plan.

There are others like Kansas State’s Sam Hecht, Florida’s Jake Slaughter, Kentucky’s Jager Burton, and Iowa’s Logan Jones. But they make up a class that falls off in a hurry, lacks top end talent, and poses a serious supply and demand problem that probably leads to them being over-drafted.

Perhaps the Titans’ plan is to stick internal. The two names on the candidate sheet are veteran Corey Levin and 2025 rookie Jackson Slater. Slater was a Day 3 pick with a lot of developmental promise, and he could very well be in the mix to win this job. He has cross-training experience all across the interior offensive line, so he’s been doing a lot of snapping of footballs already this offseason. Could you just hand him the reigns today and go through free agency and the draft like he’s the guy? No. But could you set up a competition for him to potentially win in the summer? Certainly.

I suspect the most popular answer will be Corey Levin, who filled in very admirably for Cushenberry in Weeks 12 and 13 last season. Cushenberry’s shortcomings were highlighted by how well Levin stepped in and immediately took command. But this is not a suitable answer in my opinion.

I love Corey Levin on this football team. I think he is a tremendously valuable swing interior lineman. He’s a steady and reliable hand in the storm when you need him for a stretch. He was taking names and kicking butts in the run game when he filled in!

But making him your starter going forward is a bridge too far. I do not think that is wise. I have not talked to people in the OL space who are smarter than me who think it would be wise either. As badly as I do not want to be the Levin hater on this, I just don’t think fans (or this team!) should be getting out over their ski’s on a pair of nice starts last year.

I think Levin is a suitable bridge starter option if needed to begin the year, and I think he could even be a decent budget option for a team in a financial pinch. But the Titans are as far from a financial pinch as you possibly can be, and the protection of a young QB is what is on the line here. In the modern NFL, with OL protections so complicated (I’ve heard some argue broken) thanks to defensive advancements, the brains of your OL shouldn’t be taken lightly. Strive for better!

So in conclusion… I really don’t know what Mike Borgonzi’s plan is on this one! I trust that he has one, but unless I’m failing to see another plausible option that isn’t laid out here, I’m probably going to need to hear a very strong sales job on what comes next.

Related Articles