Expert Reveals Titans Smartest Free Agent Move

During the opening motions of this year's free agency, the Tennessee Titans made a statement with their massive spending spree on the offensive line.

A considerable amount of that money was dealt to now-former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Dan Moore Jr., the 26-year-old former first-round pick who found his way to a four-year, $82 million deal as an attempt to shore up Tennessee's left side of the line –– the most critical part of their unit upfront.

However, the Titans also made a bit of an underrated signing to add a starter in their offensive trenches as well, bringing in Detroit Lions guard Kevin Zeitler on a much more team-friendly one-year, $9 million deal as a veteran plug on the interior of Tennessee's line.

The Zeitler contract is not one to generate the same headlines as Moore's deal, but in the eyes of many, it's one of the best moves Tennesee's made this offseason.

Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport called the Titans' signing of Zeitler the smartest of their offseason so far.

"If the Tennessee Titans do add a quarterback with the first overall pick in this year’s draft, they will do so after investing over $90 million in improving the protection in front of him," Davenport wrote. "They spent the majority of that money on tackle Dan Moore... That's an example of why it's tricky to address the offensive line in free agency — it often leads to panic-buys of average talents by teams that are desperate to upgrade their leaky lines. However, Tennessee also added veteran guard Kevin Zeitler on a one-year, $9 million deal. That contract makes a lot more sense... Zeitler remains a quality interior lineman. His experience and success should be valuable to a Titans team lacking in both right now."

The Titans' acquisition of Zeitler is a low-risk, high-reward factor for their interior offensive line and one that could inevitably pay major dividends for whoever the starting signal caller becomes, especially an inexperienced rookie.

Zeitler is not only a consistent and stable force as a guard and was a solid part of one of the best offensive lines last season with the Detroit Lions, but he comes at a great price too. At 35 years of age, it's hard to see him in the mix for an extensive amount of time, but while he's on his deal and still playing at a high level, it's hard to dislike Tennessee's decision here.

Sometimes, the best free agency moves don't come with a high price tag attached. For Tennessee, their addition of Zeitler onto their line for the 2025 season could be just that.