New Titans GM continues to gut roster

New Tennessee Titans general manager Ran Carthon is not wasting any time in overhauling his roster, and there is no telling where it all might end. 

The latest player on the chopping block is veteran center Ben Jones, who is expected to be released on Friday. 

Jones has been the starting center for the past seven years and earned his first career Pro Bowl nod during the 2022 season despite missing five games due to a concussion. 

Jones will join a Titans cut list that already includes Robert Woods, Taylor Lewan, Zach Cunningham and Randy Bullock, with Bud Dupree expected to join them in the coming days. All of that comes just one year after the team traded star wide receiver A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles. 

That is a lot of veteran talent going out the door, and it makes you wonder who could be next this offseason and what the 2023 opening day roster will ultimately look like.

Given the direction of the offseason and the release of two veterans on the offensive line, it would still make a lot of sense for the Titans to gauge the trade market on superstar running back Derrick Henry, and it is also worth asking if starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill could be on the way out. 

If the Titans are positioning themselves for a rebuild, it might make sense to find out what they have in 2022 third-round pick Malik Willis. If he fails? You might position yourself for Caleb Williams or Drake Maye in the 2024 draft. 

The Titans were a massive disappointment in 2022, finishing with a 7-10 record after losing each of their final seven games of the regular season to let the AFC South slip away. 

That came after a three-year run where the Titans won 32 regular-season games and made three consecutive playoff appearances. Even when they were winning, the Titans were never one of the flashier teams in the league, grinding out wins with average quarterback play, a dominant running game and a tough defense. They seem to have hit their ceiling with that approach. 

Carthon is obviously using that as an opportunity to clear out as many people from the previous front office as he can and put his stamp on the roster.