The Tennessee Titans have been busy in free agency thus far. With legal tampering beginning on Monday, the Titans got to work immediately. Before the first day of tampering was over, it was announced that the Titans had reached deals with Tony Pollard, Lloyd Cushenberry, and Chidobe Awuzie.

Immediately crossing running back, center, and cornerback off of the list was huge for the Titans. Next, the team went and added young linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr. and offensive lineman Saahdiq Charles. Finally, on Wednesday, the team reached an agreement with backup quarterback Mason Rudolph and star receiver Calvin Ridley. The Ridley deal made waves, with many categorizing it as an overpay. However, the Titans desperately needed another receiver and Ridley immediately raises the offense’s floor.

With that being said, let’s dive into each signing and give a grade.

RB Tony Pollard

Tony Pollard has big shoes to fill. The back will take over for Derrick Henry and will split carries with Tyjae Spears. The Titans now have a pair of elusive, shifty backs. This is a big deal, considering how one-dimensional the offense has been in recent years.

In 2023, Pollard rushed 252 times for just over 1,000 yards. The back also caught 55 passes, showing his ability to impact both phases of the offense. The deal is reportedly a three-year, $24 million pact. This may seem steep, but Pollard is still young and essentially doubles as a receiver. Pollard also grades well as a pass blocker.

Grade: B

C Lloyd Cushenberry

Lloyd Cushenberry was one of the highest-rated centers in the league in 2023. The lineman allowed just one sack in over 1,000 snaps. Cushenberry immediately improves one of the weakest positions on the roster and should improve Will Levis’ quality of life.

The deal is a four-year pact worth $50 million with $26 million guaranteed. This is the most amount of guaranteed money ever given to a center. Again, this may seem like an overpay, but the Titans had to make this move. Cushenberry will help protect Levis and hold his own in the run game as well. This is one less line spot to worry about for the foreseeable future.

Grade: A

CB Chidobe Awuzie

Chidobe Awuzie is a solid veteran corner. The Titans desperately needed to add the corner room even before Sean Murphy-Bunting signed with the Arizona Cardinals. Awuzie will step into the veteran outside corner role and should be an improvement immediately.

Awuzie spent the previous few seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals and Titans coach Brian Callahan. Callahan knows exactly what kind of player he’s getting in Awuzie.

As for the financials, Awuzie is reportedly getting a three-year deal for $25.5 million with $17.5 million guaranteed. This is a nice deal for the Titans who need stability in the secondary.

Grade: A

LB Kenneth Murray Jr.

Kenneth Murray has all the physical traits you would want in a linebacker. The former first-round pick has great size and speed, but he lacks football instincts and struggles in coverage. For much of the 2023 season, Murray was a liability in pass coverage. The linebacker received a 52.9 PFF grade in 2023.

Murray is a tackling machine, however, as the former Oklahoma Sooner finished with 107 tackles and three sacks last season. Murray is essentially a younger Azeez Al-Shaair who is slightly worse in coverage. Murray got a two-year, $18 million deal, which will look like a bargain if he plays to his potential. However, there were more sure options available, such as Jerome Baker

Grade: C-

QB Mason Rudolph

Mason Rudolph is an average backup QB. He’s spent his entire four-year career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and will now join the Titans on a one-year pact. The deal is for a maximum of $3.62 million. Some backup QBs make way more money than this, so I’m okay with the signing.

Rudolph has completed 63.5% of his career pass attempts for 3,085 passing yards with 19 TDs and 11 interceptions. Could the team have done better by signing Jameis Winston, Jacoby Brissett, or Gardner Minshew? Sure, but that would cost much more money. Hopefully, Rudolph doesn’t even have to get on the field. If he does, the Titans should be able to survive.

Grade: C

G Saahdiq Charles

Charles is a former college teammate of Lloyd Cushenberry, the other newcomer to the offensive line. Charles has started games at both left and right guard for the Washington Commanders. Charles also got some spot starts at tackle as a rookie. The versatile lineman will give the Titans some depth and should battle Daniel Brunskill for a starting guard spot.

This is just a one-year flyer on a young lineman. He should make the team and be a solid piece for the Titans in 2024.

Grade: B

WR Calvin Ridley

This was the big signing we were waiting for. Since taking over, Ran Carthon has now added DeAndre Hopkins and Calvin Ridley. If that doesn’t show a dedication to modernizing the offense, I don’t know what does. Ridley caught 76 passes for 1,016 yards last season and has gone over the 1,000-yard mark twice in his career.

Ridley signed a massive four-year deal worth $92 million with $50 million guaranteed. The deal is huge, and many will call it an overpay. However, Justin Jefferson, Ceedee Lamb, and Ja’Marr Chase are just some of the receivers who are due for extensions soon. After these extensions, Ridley’s salary won’t even be top 10 at his position. Sure, it’s a lot of money, but the Titans need playmakers and Ridley is a playmaker. This is a move that the Titans had to make.

Grade: A