Titans Must Re-Sign Veteran Guard At All Costs

In an offseason such as the one that the Tennessee Titans are currently enduring, it's easy for folks to lose focus on the finer things in favor of all the spotlight moves a franchise is making. Under the newly instilled influence of Robert Saleh, the Titans have spent big on playmaking free agents on either side of the ball. That's a fun and, more importantly, necessary process.

But what is equally necessary is ensuring that those playmakers have the opportunity to be impactful beyond their own individual explosiveness. Cam Ward is and has always been the key to Tennessee's rebuild, and what good is a great quarterback if he doesn't have time to get the ball out?

Having been sacked 55 times in his rookie campaign, Ward made a strong case for himself in spite of a weak performance from the offensive line in front of him. Now, after the occasional addition to that unit this offseason, the Titans face a crucial re-signing, for lack of better candidates on the market. Right guard Kevin Zeitler is an absolute must-keep.

Zeitler is a Must-Keep

Zeitler (36) is exactly the sort of long-term veteran presence that any team (and any unit therein) could use, and his efficiency speaks for itself. With high-shelf grades across the board, even gracing the top 10 at his position in pass-blocking (per PFF), the guard's age only seems to better his diehard consistency on the offensive line.

For a quarterback like Ward - young, bound to make mistakes and still developing - protection from the likes of Zeitler serves as the perfect antidote to his potentially erratic behavior in the pocket.