This season, the Titans introduced four new Week 1 starters on the offensive line, and they appear to be planning at least one major change for the 2024 season.
Andre Dillard, who was benched during his Tennessee debut, is expected to return to free agency soon. According to ESPN.com’s Turron Davenport, the Titans are likely to release the former first-round draft pick.
The team had relocated Nicholas Petit-Frere from right to left tackle shortly after his gambling suspension ended early, but his season-ending injury paused that experiment. Stopgap RT Chris Hubbard is also unsigned for 2024, creating questions. In addition to ranking Dillard 73rd overall among tackles, Pro Football Focus slotted rookie Jaelyn Duncan (five starts) last at the position.
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Dillard signed a three-year, $29MM deal to become Tennessee’s Taylor Lewan replacement at left tackle. Amid a cost-cutting spree last year, the Titans cut both Lewan and center Ben Jones. They also let four-year right guard starter Nate Davis sign with the Bears. The team brought in low-cost starters Hubbard and Daniel Brunskill but gave Dillard a midlevel accord despite his failure to commandeer an Eagles starting job. After Dillard gave up 12 sacks in just 297 pass-blocking snaps, the Washington State alum should not be expected to factor into Tennessee’s 2024 O-line plans.
Due to the Titans adding void years to Dillard’s deal to lower the 2023 cap hit, a post-June 1 cut might be the best way to go here. Should Tennessee release Dillard without that designation, it would cost nearly $8MM in dead money. Cutting Dillard with a post-June 1 designation would save the team $6.5MM this year.
GM Ran Carthon mentioned the idea of Peter Skoronski moving from guard to left tackle, his primary college position, as a potential solution. That would create a guard need — during an offseason when Brunskill and center Aaron Brewer are also unsigned — but sliding last year’s No. 11 overall pick to the highest-profile O-line post would be a rather important move through a big-picture lens. Skoronski being moved to LT would likely prompt the Titans to slide Petit-Frere back to the right side. Petit-Frere worked as the team’s primary RT starter throughout his rookie season, seeing a gambling suspension and a November shoulder injury stall his progress.
For now, Skoronski and Petit-Frere appear to be the only locked-in starters for the Titans moving forward. For a second straight year, the team has many questions to answer along its offensive front.
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