Tyron Smith, a former left tackle for the Dallas Cowboys, and the Tennessee Titans are a match made in free agency heaven.
According to reports this morning, the Dallas Cowboys are letting go of future Hall of Famer Tyron Smith this summer as he becomes a free agency. Although he is entering the market for a cause, this is only a minor surprise.
Smith is at a point in his career where he can’t play through a complete 17-game season, even though he only missed 4 games the previous year. Smith is better suited for a role as a bridge starter because it will be difficult for anyone to commit to him as their left tackle starter.
Why would the Tennessee Titans rank him higher on their free agency wish list than proven starters at other positions if he is only going to be a bridge starter at left tackle?
The Tennessee Titans’ first domino would be Tyron Smith.
Being a “bridge starter” typically carries a bad connotation, implying that a player’s abilities may be deteriorating, but Smith does not fit that description. He is still the greatest pass-blocker on the field and a Pro Bowl (or better) talent when he’s on the field. He merely buys a team more time to figure out at left tackle; that’s the only reason he won’t land a big contract in free agency. Teams are aware of this going into the season.
But for the Tennessee Titans, a guy like that might be a dream come true.
The Titans, who will choose seventh in the 2024 NFL Draft, have made it clear that they want to improve greatly at wide receiver. Although they would add much-needed skill to the position if they selected a receiver with the seventh pick, who would start at left tackle in Week 1 if they pass on Joe Alt and Olu Fashanu?
With Smith signed, the Titans can safely hold off on selecting a tackle like Tyler Guyton, Kingsley Suamataia, or Patrick Paul until the second round of the draft. Rather of having to rush into a situation where one of those guys has to be ready to play right away, they have months to adjust to the NFL before being called upon. That would be akin to the procedure that Will Levis underwent prior to taking over as the Titans’ starting quarterback midway through the season.
The youngster would get the opportunity to observe Tyron Smith during the off-season and preseason under Bill Callahan’s coaching, gaining insight into the methods of a potential Hall of Famer. Speaking of Callahan, Smith and the Tennessee Titans’ new offensive line coach have links that date back to Smith’s first three professional seasons.
The coaching staff would undoubtedly approve of Smith, so the only thing left to decide on a possible signing would be how much money Smith would demand from the Tennessee Titans and if they would be open to paying an older tackle that much to start between four and thirteen games this season.
Surprisingly, the Tennessee Titans are a team that ought to feel very at ease with this concept. When Trent Williams, then 32, was acquired by the San Francisco 49ers through trade, Ran Carthon was the team’s director of pro personnel.
Do you know how many times Trent Williams missed a single game in a season throughout his 14-year career? Twice, and before to being acquired by the 49ers, he had missed time for five consecutive seasons. The 49ers had no issues with any of it, and I don’t believe the Tennessee Titans would be deterred by it either.
When all of that is considered, the Tennessee Titans have every reason to be the team that pursues Tyron Smith the hardest. Conversely, Smith would be entering a scenario in which he would be reunited with the greatest coach he has ever worked with and would also be receiving a sizable, tax-free salary.
This kind of move might not seem like a big deal, but it’s the kind that can help you improve the offensive line and position yourself to select an outstanding player with the seventh overall choice. If Joe Alt is that, then fantastic; he can play swing tackle or right tackle, just like Taylor Lewan did in his debut campaign, when he had to step in to replace an injured Michael Roos.
It’s also fantastic if it means that Malik Nabers or Rome Odunze will be mentoring the first and second round draft picks, as you will witness future Hall of Famers Tyron Smith and DeAndre Hopkins guide them. It really is a win-win situation, and if the Titans are aggressive in their offer, they can make it happen.
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