After a 20-13 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday in the AFC wildcard game, the Tennessee Titans’ season is over, and that means their focus is now on free agency and the NFL Draft.
The team has some attractive free agents and one New England Patriots writer believes Bill Belichick should go shopping for the Top 2 on the list.
In a recent tweet, CLNS’ Evan said Titans free-agent WR Corey Davis and TE Jonnu Smith would look nice in a Patriots uniform.
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Lazar isn’t the Only One Matching Davis With the Patriots
Pats’ Pulpit’s Brian M. Hines also named Davis as an attractive free agent for the Patriots. It makes sense considering the Patriots’ need for weapons in the passing game, Davis’ age (26), and where he is in his career.
Davis had a career-year in 2020 but fell short of the kind of season that would put him in a position to garner an upper-echelon free-agent deal. His 65 receptions for 984 yards and 5 touchdowns would have led the Patriots’ anemic receiving corps by miles, but it would make him a low tier-2 or high tier-3 option league-wide. Because he’s just entering his prime, there is every reason to believe he still has room to improve, and that’s why he’s an attractive free agent.
The team that signs Davis could be inking him just ahead of the best seasons in his NFL career, only they won’t have to pay him like an elite wide receiver on this contract.
Hines projects Davis to garner a 4-year, $50 million deal. An annual average of $10.25 million should be doable for the Patriots considering they are projected to have just under $60 million in cap space.
Davis was called the Titans’ “Robin” to the team’s “Batman” AJ Brown, but perhaps he’s ready for an upgrade in responsibility.
Jonnu Smith Would Be an Immediate Difference Maker at TE
Needless to say, the Patriots didn’t get much production out of the tight end spot in 2021. Between the team’s two 2020 third-round picks Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene, and veteran Ryan Izzo, Patriots tight ends combined for a total of 18 catches for 254 yards and one TD. Smith was in a different system, of course, but in 2020, the 25-year-old had 41 receptions, 448 yards and 8 touchdowns in 14 games.
It goes without saying, he would be a significant upgrade over Asiasi, Keene and Izzo. There has been speculation about the Patriots going after the Los Angeles Chargers’ Hunter Henry, a noted Bill Belichick favorite. However, Smith is a year younger, and he hasn’t had the same kind of injury history Henry has endured. Henry tore his ACL back in 2018 and missed the entire season. He’s missed only 6 games since, but it’s something to consider if the Patriots had to make a decision on the two players.
Patriots fans would be happy with either one, but perhaps inking Davis or Smith would make it easier to convince the other to sign. Stay tuned, it should be an interesting offseason.
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Free-Agent ‘Robin’ WR Could Be the Patriots’ Batman, Says Analysts