Four players from Super Bowl LVIII the Tennessee Titans should target in free agency

Jauan Jennings May not be the star wide receiver Titans fans are clamoring for this offseason, but he is a valuable rotational receiver from Kyle Shanahan's system that does the little things that help a football team.

Jennings is one of the best receivers in the league at blocking downfield, and while he only had 265 receiving yards on the 2023 season, I feel strongly that he'd be capable of more in an offense that doesn't have Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle, and Christian McCaffrey getting all the targets.

With four catches, 42 yards, one receiving touchdown, and one passing touchdown in Super Bowl LVIII, Jennings showed off his versatility on the game's biggest stage. He's now a restricted free agent that will likely have the "right of first refusal” tender placed on him this offseason.

According to overthecap.com, that tender is projected to pay Jennings $2.828 million in 2024. Any team who wants to sign him may have to pay him a bit more than that if they want the 49ers to let him walk. 

For an outside to sign him, they'd have to be extremely confident in their evaluation of the 26-year-old. But I'll remind everybody that Titans GM Ran Carthon comes from San Francisco where he had his hands on the later rounds of every draft class. Jennings was seventh-round pick by the 49ers, so if anyone knows the value he can bring to an offense, it would be Carthon and the Titans.

QB Sam Darnold

Sam Darnold looked like a serviceable NFL quarterback in one start and 130 offensive snaps with the San Francisco 49ers in 2023. 

Darnold completed 28 of his 46 passes for 297 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception for the Niners this past season. He also ran for a touchdown in a Week 18 loss to the Rams. 

Yes, Darnold was serviceable and still has a lot of intriguing physical traits. But the former third overall draft pick out of USC did nothing to show teams he's deserving of another shot as an NFL starting quarterback.

I think Darnold takes another deal to be a backup somewhere with A to Z Sports projecting his free agent contract at one-year, $5 million. Perhaps that's back with the 49ers, which would make sense, but I think every team needing a reliable backup QB should be giving Darnold a phone call this offseason.

As far as I'm concerned, the Malik Willis experiment is over in Tennessee. The Titans should bring him to training camp and give him a look this fall, but I don't think anyone can have much confidence in Willis as the backup to Will Levis at this point.

The Titans need a reliable and serviceable backup option who can operate their offense if Will Levis goes down in 2024. I think Darnold could be a good fit at the right price.

 CB L’Jarius Sneed

L'Jarius Sneed is a former fourth-round pick that has turned into one of the best players on the Kansas City Chiefs defense. Over his four-year NFL career, Sneed has 10 interceptions, 6.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, and over 300 tackles in 57 games.

Even casual NFL fans may know this name from watching his clutch forced fumble on the goal line against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game.

If Jaylon Johnson is franchise tagged or extended by the Chicago Bears, Sneed may end up being the best cornerback on the market this offseason. He won't come cheap, but given the Titans' need for a lockdown corner, he's probably worth it.

A to Z Sports projects Sneed's free agent contract to be for $64 million over four years with $35 million fully guaranteed. That's an average of $16 million per year, which is just more than what Carlton Davis got from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2022.

With both Kristian Fulton and Sean Murphy-Bunting hitting free agency, there is no debating that the Titans need to add to their secondary this offseason. I'd like to see them find some long-term solutions, and I think Sneed would be a wise use of Tennessee's abundant cap space.

LT Donovan Smith

There is a very good possibility that the Titans get their left tackle with the 7th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and start a rookie in Week 1. 

If it's Joe Alt or Olu Fashanu that goes to Tennessee in the draft, there won't be a need to sign a veteran left tackle in free agency. But if the Titans go with a wide receiver in the first round and roll the dice on a mid-round tackle, I'd like to see the Titans sign a veteran offensive tackle.

Donovan Smith has played over 9,000 snaps as an NFL left tackle since 2015 and won the Super Bowl twice in four seasons. He allowed just two sacks of Patrick Mahomes in 12 starts for the Chiefs last season and should be more than affordable for the Titans.

Smith was one a one-year, $3 million deal with Kansas City in 2023. So even if the Titans need to pay above market value to get him, they have the cap space to do so. Especially when you consider how big of a need there is on the offensive line.

Tennessee won't have five All-Pro offensive linemen starting next season. But my hope is that the group is at least serviceable - let's not forget Bill Callahan is the new offensive line coach in Nashville. Donovan Smith is a reliable veteran. An upgrade over the Titans' situation in 2022 and 2023. I'll sign up for that on a one-year contract all day.