Titans prioritize C Lloyd Cushenberry in free agency

Tennessee's second-year passer is the biggest reason that Carthon and his staff prioritized Cushenberry in free agency. Levis was sacked 28 times in nine games as a rookie behind one of the league's worst offensive line units. The franchise's plan to go all-in on the Kentucky quarterback in the immediate requires competency and durability up front.

Adding Cushenberry alongside 2023 first-round left guard Peter Skoronski is the start of exactly that.

"(Levis) spent the earlier part of the season as the inactive third, and then when he got his opportunity to play, he took off and ran with it," said Carthon at last month's NFL scouting combine. "So, for him, it's continuing to get time on task, and especially now coming into a new offense, getting him in that, getting him knowledgeable of it. And for Will (Levis), it's about creating that consistency."

Cushenberry started in 57 of a possible 66 games during his four seasons with the Denver Broncos.

Denver ranked 8th in Pro Football Focus' offensive line pass blocking efficiency metric, which measures pressure allowed on a per-snap basis with weighting toward sacks allowed. Cushenberry was a standout as a part of that group. Allowing only one sack in the Broncos season finale against the Las Vegas Raiders and 14 total pressures on the season made him one of the league's most efficient centers last year. 

The former 2020 third-round selection will replace Aaron Brewer, a former undrafted rookie free agent.

Brewer allowed 34 pressures in 2023, ranking him as No. 35 out of 37 qualifying NFL centers, according to Warren Sharp. Investing in Cushenberry benefits Levis, Skoronski and second-year running back Tyjae Spears, who all appear to be foundational pieces of these next-gen Titans. Coach Brian Callahan needs someone grounded like Cushenberry to help guide the amount of young talent his offense will feature in Callahan's first year on the job. 

Cushenberry had multiple suitors for his services on the open market. The opportunity to be the leader of Tennessee's offensive line was a selling point for the veteran, according to a source. 

There was been a notable void in the Titans locker room since longtime center Ben Jones was released in 2023. Levis and the rest of Tennessee's youth movement depend on Cushenberry stepping up on the field and off of it.