How the Tennessee Titans could still make a splash at the tight end position
The Tennessee Titans badly need to add a tight end (or two) to their roster. But the longer they wait, the thinner the tight end market becomes. Tennessee re-signed tight end Geoff Swaim to a one-year deal earlier this week. Swaim is a solid player to have on the roster, but he shouldn't enter the […]
The Tennessee Titans badly need to add a tight end (or two) to their roster.
But the longer they wait, the thinner the tight end market becomes.
Tennessee re-signed tight end Geoff Swaim to a one-year deal earlier this week. Swaim is a solid player to have on the roster, but he shouldn't enter the 2022 season as the Titans' top tight end option.
Unfortunately for Tennessee, most of the top tight end options this offseason have already signed elsewhere. A few of the viable options remaining on the free agent market are Gerald Everett, Austin Hooper, and Kyle Rudolph.
Hooper, who was released by the Cleveland Browns this week, is the most intriguing of those options. But he wouldn't be a "splash" addition to Tennessee's roster.
There is still one "splash" move, however, the Titans could make at tight end.
They could trade for Miami Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki.
The Dolphins placed the franchise tag on Gesicki earlier this month. And Gesicki has already signed his deal.
But a trade is still possible.
For starters, the idea of Miami tagging Gesicki and then trading him was floated earlier this offseason. Gesicki isn't a great fit in new Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel's offense. Miami could've decided to tag Gesicki and then trade him, just so they get something out of him instead of simply letting him walk. It's a smart tool for NFL teams to use.
The other reason a trade is possible is because there are still rumblings of Gesicki possibly filing a grievance against the Dolphins and maybe even demanding a trade. Gesicki wanted to be tagged as a wide receiver this offseason (the difference between the wide receiver tag and tight end tag is around $8 million).
He might have a case. Gesicki was used last year mostly as a wide receiver — he pass blocked on just 11 snaps all season. He was also one of just three tight ends who ran at least 75 percent of their routes from either out wide or in the slot (92 percent of his routes). The other tight ends, interestingly, were Titans tight end Anthony Firkser (87 percent of his routes) and Kyle Pitts (80 percent of his routes).
(Firkser is a free agent this offseason.)
The Titans could trade for Gesicki and then work out an extension. They have a hole to fill in the passing game with the release of Julio Jones this week, so there's a need for another pass catcher. While Gesicki may not be a true tight end, he could be paired with Swaim and another low-budget blocking tight end. That would give the Titans another big weapon in the passing game (one that can be used in a creative way) and also provide the team with much needed pass-blocking tight ends (I would envision Swaim and Gesicki on the field at the same time a lot)
As far as the fit? The Titans could line Gesicki up like they did Firkser last season — just on a larger scale. Firkser lined up in-line on just 12.4 percent of his snaps last season. Gesicki was in-line on 7.4 percent of his snaps.
The Titans desperately need some help at the tight end position. Trading for Gesicki and locking him down with an extension could solve Tennessee's tight end issue for years to come.
It's probably a longshot that this move will happen, but I don't think you can rule it out with Titans general manager Jon Robinson running the show. He can be a bit of a wild card at times.
Featured image via USA TODAY Sports
