I was afraid Daniel Loper would sign with another team and now that it’s happened we can speculate about how the Titans will try to replace him.
The ideal candidate, in my mind, would be someone who has the footwork and technique to play tackle, especially left tackle, and also be physical enough to play guard. I don’t know if there’s anyone in free agency who meets those requirements.
Mike Otto is the Titans’ remaining reserve tackle and I’m not sure he’s what Tennessee needs. He was a left tackle in college but can he also play right tackle? Probably. I doubt if he can also play guard though, which made Loper so valuable.
Either Leroy Harris or Eugene Amano will be the backup guard this year, but if Kevin Mawae can’t make it through the season again, which seems likely, then one of them will have to replace Mawae at center, leaving no reserve guard.
Perhaps the Titans will just need to pick up another guard, if they’re confident in Otto’s ability to play tackle. If that’s the case, they might well depend on the draft to fill that hole.
If Mike Munchak is looking for an upgrade over Otto, I can see the Titans going either free agency or the draft for another tackle.
We’ll find out in the next few days if the Titans are bringing anyone in for a visit. If they don’t, we can surmise that the team will be drafting either one or two offensive lineman in April.
Are there any free agent o-linemen that you like? What are your thoughts about how the Titans add some depth to the o-line?
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