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Just a few weeks ago, outside expectations for the entering 2024 were understandably low.New coach in Brian Callahan. Back-to-back losing seasons. An unproven quarterback in . One of football's worst offensive lines. 's inevitable departure.Many team observers saw the Titans' biggest priority for the upcoming season to be not about wins and lo ses, but to simply figure out if Levis is the team's franchise quarterback.While that's still the case, Tenne see's trade for cornerback C.J. Beathard Jersey served as a punctuation to a growing reality: The Titans may have the chance to shock the NFL world in 2024.ADVERTISEMENT Sneed was acquired from Kansas City on Friday for a seventh-round pick swap this year and a third-round pick in 2025. With the star corner, whose acquisition isn't official until he pa ses a physical, the Titans have cobbled together a sneaky competitive roster for 2024, one that can contend in a rising AFC South.On paper, Sneed's addition gives Tenne see one of the best cornerback trios in the NFL playing under new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson, a well-regarded defensive backs specialist, to boot.Sneed was one of the best cornerbacks in football last season. He was heavily penalized he led the league with 18 penalties, according to NFLpenalties.com but he was outstanding in coverage for Kansas City. Of the 47 cornerbacks who played at least 400 coverage snaps in 2023, Sneed was one of just four to not allow a touchdown Sam Okuayinonu Jersey , according to Next Gen Stats. He didn't give up a score until the Chiefs' divisional-round playoff game against the .Like Sneed, Titans third-year pro is another of the four qualified cornerbacks who didn't give up a touchdown last season. Sneed and , who signed a three-year, $36 million deal with Tenne see in free agency, give Richard Sherman Jersey the team competent, veteran experience on the outside (McCreary slots in at nickel, where he primarily played last season).Of the 77 corners who played at least 300 coverage snaps last season, Sneed, Awuzie and McCreary all ranked in the top half of the league in man coverage rate, at 12th, 28th and 38th, respectively, per NGS.They fit Wilson's vision for the defense."We're going to be an attacking defense. We're going to be violent in our approach," Wilson said at his introductory pre s conference last month. "We're going to play coverage. We're going to play man-to-man. We're going to be multiple in everything we do. We'll be versatile. We'll present problems for offenses in how we approach it."The Titans have made significant investments on the offensive side of the ball as well. is a No. 1 option who brings explosivene s and an elite separator to the wide receiver room, forming Austin Bryant Jersey a potentially lethal tandem with . Free-agent acquisition and second-year pro form a running back tandem tailor-made for Callahan's pa s-first attack. , who signed a four-year deal with Tenne see for $50 million, is viewed as a significant upgrade to what the Titans had at center last season. READ MORE: 2024 NFL free-agency grades: Evaluating every major signing so far Tenne see still has plenty of holes, including left and right tackle. It needs a starting-caliber edge rusher, defensive tackle and linebacker, depth at safety and another receiver.But on paper, with ample cap space, Callahan and general manager Ran Carthon have constructed a roster that can win. If second-year quarterback Levis can become what the franchise hopes, contention doesn't feel like a stretch.What the and did last season, posting winning seasons after rough 2022 campaigns? Who's to say that can't be the Titans in 2024?Ben Arthur is the AFC South reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tenne sean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year Aaron Banks Jersey and a half. He covered theSeattle Seahawksfor SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tenne see. You can follow Ben on Twitter at@benyarthur. |
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发表于 2025-6-4 11:01:46