At the beginning of the offseason, I was not on the re-sign Corey Davis train. Now, I am all aboard! It makes sense for the Tennessee Titans to do whatever they can to keep him around.
Passer rating when targeted this season:
🔹 A.J. Brown: 133.4 (4th)
🔹 Corey Davis: 123.6 (7th)Only WR duo in top 10 pic.twitter.com/2pK4cjmkd8
— PFF (@PFF) February 19, 2021
The privilege of having two productive wide receivers should convince the Titans. Having Davis on the field gives Ryan Tannehill more options and keeps defenses honest with A.J. Brown and Derrick Henry.
A report has surfaced on Twitter that Davis bought a house in Nashville and that money isn’t his primary motivation in free agency.
Take this how you will.
2 things I’ve heard on Corey Davis & his impending free agency:
1) He recently bought a large, new house in Nashville.
2) Money isn’t the most important thing. A chance to win & targets in the passing game are what he’s mostly after. #Titans
— Justin M (@JustinM_NFL) February 18, 2021
Him purchasing a home in Nashville probably means nothing, so let’s not read too much into that. But the money statement could be huge.
If money isn’t the motivating factor, he may stay loyal to Tennessee on a cheaper-than-expected deal.
However, here are the main factors that will keep Davis from staying in Tennessee.
MORE ATTRACTIVE TEAMS OUTBID
A man can say money isn’t the main motivation, but who’s to say that man won’t choose the job that pays him the most? Besides, money is what you need in life to pay bills, buy necessities, and provide for your family.
A team with a pass-happy offense could swoop through and offer Davis more money and a more prominent role. Why would Davis, who has a daughter, turn down more money for his family?
The Tennessee Titans will be penny-pinching this offseason having to decide between many good free agents of their own and having to free up cap space. If the Titans find themselves in a bidding war for a wide receiver, they would be wise to back out and move on.
TITANS SEE VALUE IN A CHEAPER PLAYER
Jon Robinson will be working with a slim salary cap this offseason. That means the Titans could sacrifice so the team can fulfill more critical needs.
Corey Davis could be that sacrifice.
The Titans could find value in another receiver, or there could be a receiver in the draft they feel can come in and make an immediate impact. Ryan Tannehill’s former teammate, Kenny Stills, is an under-the-radar option for the Titans.
We know the Titans won’t just let Davis walk without giving him some offer. In his press conference on Tuesday, Robinson stated that the Titans would be competitive in trying to keep him.
Robinson said that he’s proud of both Corey Davis & Jonnu Smith. He mentioned that he had the same conversation with them as he did with Jack Conklin last year. The #Titans will try to keep them, but understands they’ll have suitors & decisions to make regarding their futures.
— Titans247 (@NFL_Titans247) February 16, 2021
However, it doesn’t mean they will panic and pay him $15M a year.
WR TANDEM OR PASS RUSH?
The General Manager position is a tough job. A lot of the time, it comes with pivotal decisions.
Jon Robinson could end up with one of those this offseason.
In a perfect world, the Tennessee Titans free up loads of space, re-sign all their main pieces, and signs the best pass rusher in free agency. But life isn’t that easy.
Instead, Robinson may have to make the tough decision of keeping Davis and continuing one of the best wide receiver tandems in the NFL or saving that money and using it on a pass rusher.
Robinson would be very wise to choose the latter. It would hurt splitting the offensive tandem, but you can shoot for a guy in free agency and hope for the same results as I mentioned in point two.
As I said in the beginning, I wasn’t on the re-sign Corey Davis train at all. But I’ve been convinced that it makes too much sense to keep him around.
Yet, these are valid reasons why we will see Davis walk. It will be heartbreaking, but that is the life of being a Tennessee Titans fan.
Featured image by Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports
