The Tennessee Titans are in full rebuild mode. Rookie quarterback Cam Ward had his moments during his rookie season, but it’s clear he needs help.

The Titans’ offseason will be focused on putting the right pieces around their young quarterback. While Tennessee won’t be the most intriguing destination for free agents, its league-leading $99 million will definitely help.

We’ll be rebuilding the 3-14 Titans using StickToTheModel, a new NFL general manager simulator. Here we’ll simulate free agency and the NFL draft.

Who to Cut?

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We won’t be cutting too many players. With enough cap space to do what we’d like, we’ll only attack big cap hits for minimum production.

Our first cut was safety Xavier Woods. Cutting the veteran safety saves us $4 million and allows us to get younger at the position. Woods had a disappointing season in 2025 and ended the year on the injured reserve.

Our next cut is a big one: wide receiver Calvin Ridley. The veteran wide receiver had a decent season with Tennessee in 2024, but a combination of injuries and poor performances in 2025 makes him expendable. Ridley played in seven games for the Titans in 2025, ending the day with 30 or fewer receiving yards in five of them.

Designating Ridley as a post-June 1st cut gives us an extra $21.8 million to use in free agency.

Tony Pollard was under consideration to be cut due to his significant cap hit. But when evaluating the free agency pool and wanting to address premier positions in the draft, we opt to keep the 1,000-yard rusher on the roster.

Who to Re-sign?

The Titans won’t be losing many stars in free agency, as you have to have stars to lose stars.

We first turn our attention to tight end Chig Okonkwo. The 26-year-old tight end has developed into a reliable receiving threat from the tight end position, putting up 450+ receiving yards since his rookie season. We resigned him to a three-year deal.

We also make moves to bring veterans back. Wide receiver Van Jefferson comes back on a cheap deal, and we keep guard Kevin Zeitler for two more seasons.

On defense, we bring back Arden Key, Jihad Ward, Anfernee Orji, and Sebastian Joseph-Day. These are key producers that we retain on good contracts.

Free Agency Signings

Big Ticket Free Agents

Our big free agent target is a former AFC South rival, former Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce. It may seem counterproductive to cut a wideout to sign a wideout, but Pierce’s age and growing production make him an intriguing target. He signs a four-year contract worth $29 million per season.

Another interesting young target is Greg Newsome II. Newsome is entering his sixth season in the NFL and has shown flashes of potential. He played well in Jacksonville, and with the cornerback position being a desperate need, we got him on a two-year deal worth $10 million per season.

Roster Fillers

The Titans still need one more acquisition in the secondary. After cutting Woods, I have the Colts targeting Geno Stone at free safety. After coming off a disappointing season with the Bengals, Tennessee takes a chance on the 26-year-old. A one-year prove-it deal for $8 million.

Adding a running back felt like a necessity. Tyjae Spears has yet to breakout into the running back we thought we’d see, and injury concerns make him not reliable. Instead, we added a versatile back in Kenneth Gainwell. The 26-year-old running back adds an extra layer to the offense and joins the team on a friendly two-year, $7 million deal.

Our final noteworthy free agent signing is a quarterback. No, not here to compete for the starting job, but a veteran presence to help mentor Ward: Kenny Pickett. The former first-round offers veteran leadership and is a solid backup option.

The Draft

Nailing the NFL Draft is the best way to rebuild a roster. The Titans luckily have good positioning in this year’s draft, sitting with the fourth overall pick.

With the fourth overall pick, the Titans select Rueben Bain Jr. from the University of Miami. This was a pretty easy choice. Ohio State edge rusher Arvell Reese had already come off the board, and the only other player I considered was Caleb Downs.

Tennessee desperately needs help getting to the quarterback, and snagging Bain puts one of the draft’s top pass rushers in our hands.

The second round didn’t come as easily. Cornerback felt like the biggest need, but the better half of corners have already come off the board. After some back-and-forth, we take San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson.

Our final draft selection is Texas A&M offensive lineman Chase Bisontis in the third round.

How This Helps

Our rebuild is obviously centered around developing Ward. Adding a young and solidified WR1 helps keep reliable targets on the field for our young quarterback. Resigning Okonkwo to a sizeable contract may be controversial, but with significant cap space, keeping another target available for Ward helps continue his development.

A theme of the offseason was defense. Apart from the obvious signing of a defensive-minded head coach in Robert Saleh, the 2025 season has proved how vital a good defense is in developing a quarterback. From the Denver Broncos with Bo Nix to the New England Patriots making the Super Bowl with Drake Maye, making sure Ward isn’t constantly playing from behind will do wonders for his confidence and development.

Final Roster

Offense

QB: Cam Ward

RB: Tony Pollard, Kenneth Gainwell III

WR: Alec Pierce, Elic Ayomanor, Chimere Dike, Van Jefferson

TE: Chig Okonkwo, Gunner Helm

OL: Chase Bisontis, Kevin Zeitler, Lloyd Cushenberry III, Peter Skoronski, JC Latham

This is a great start for an offense centered around Ward. Three young offensive linemen with high potential, while keeping a veteran presence in the receiving game. I would’ve loved to improve running back in free agency, but Kenneth Walker III, Breece Hall, and Travis Etienne are all projected to make more than I was willing to spend. Pollard has put up a consistent 1,000 yards in each of the last four years and will be serviceable. Adding Gainwell adds explosiveness to the offense as a runner and receiver.

Defense

DL: Sebastian Joseph-Day, T’Vondre Sweat, Jeffery Simmons, Reuben Bain Jr.

LB: Arden Key, Jihad Ward, Cody Barton, Cedric Gray

CB: Greg Newsome II, L’Jarius Sneed, Chris Johnson

S: Geno Stone, Amani Hooker

Adding to the defense was a major priority. The Titans had a bottom-10 defense in yards per game and points allowed in 2025, making life harder on their rookie quarterback. With a rebuilt defense that includes youth and veterans, Saleh gets the firepower he needs to build his scheme.