Positive: No DeAndre Hopkins gives the Titans the potential to play faster

The trio of Ridley, Hopkins and Boyd gave the Titans plenty of experience and skill, but limited the offense when it came to verticality. Hopkins and Boyd are hardly speed threats at this point in their careers, leaving Ridley as the only option who can stretch the field.

The Titans now have the opportunity to transform their passing offense into a more varied attack that will destroy opponents further down the field. This would mean relying more heavily on some of the Titans’ younger playmakers or adding someone off the street. Simply promoting Westbrook-Ikhine to the Hopkins role doesn’t change anything. But this opportunity could free up space against restrictive secondaries and make it easier for Levis and the Titans’ quarterbacks to generate some of the explosive plays the Titans have been missing so much.

Tennessee Titans Trade Rumors: Will This Make the Titans Trade Deadline Sellers?

This question shouldn’t be new to Titans fans. When the Titans dealt veteran safety Kevin Byard a few weeks before the deadline last year, it sparked a flurry of speculation about who would be next. Despite near-constant rumors about running back Derrick Henry’s trade status, the Titans didn’t budge or make any further moves.

Of course, that doesn’t mean the Titans won’t make moves this year. Veterans like Boyd, linebacker Ernest Jones IV and safety Quandre Diggs are on one-year deals and could be valuable to candidates seeking experienced help in a short-term rental. Outside linebacker Harold Landry III is under contract through 2026, but there is a break in his contract this offseason that may make him a more attractive player for a team that doesn’t want to invest in three years of his service time. The same applies to full-back Arden Key, who is still under contract for two more years but has a possible exit in his contract after this year.