Training camp is around the corner and the Tennessee TItans will have to make some difficult cuts. A roster of 90 players must get cut down to 53 by Week 1, and some surprising moves may be made along the way.
Looking at where the Titans added a lot of talent this offseason and the current depth chart layout, I think third-year cornerback Tre Avery could be one surprising cut candidate for Tennessee.
Avery was an undrafted free agent that made the Titans' roster in 2022 and ended up getting significant playing time in each of the last two seasons. But now Avery may be on the outside looking in.
2023 struggles
2023 was a bad season for Avery. After exceeding expectations as a rookie, he took a step back in his production and was consistently picked on by opposing offenses.
Avery was the second most targeted cornerback in the NFL last season, being thrown at on 21.32 percent of his coverage snaps. That was just behind Dolphins CB Eli Apple for the most.
But of the five most targeted corners, Avery allowed a completion percentage of 76.19%, that was the worst mark my a wide margin. He was also the league's most targeted corner while lined up on the perimeter and the second most targeted in "late down" situations.
While 49ers CB Charvarius Ward was also one of the more tested perimeter defenders, Ward consistently shut down his opponents in 2023. Avery, however, did not. He's what Pro Football Focus had to say about Avery's 2023 season.
"If [Charvarius] Ward is the example of making the most of the situation, Tre Avery is the opposite. The undrafted Avery took a sizable step back in Year 2, which was especially troubling for the Titans’ defense on late downs.
While Avery just barely qualified for this list, his inclusion is warranted. His 34.1 coverage grade on late downs ranked 128th out of 131 qualifying cornerbacks, a grade attributed to his allowing of 2.64 yards per coverage snap, the second-highest mark at the position. That metric stems from his inability to limit chunk yardage, as he allowed a reception of 15 or more yards on 8.6% of his coverage snaps on third and fourth downs, the worst rate at the position."
A reception of 15+ yards on 8.6% of Avery's late-down coverage snaps is...Awful. And it really hurt a Titans secondary in 2023 that couldn't' seem to limit explosive passing plays.
2024 Defense
The 2024 Titans have a new defensive philosophy under defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson and a lot of new faces in the secondary that could displace someone like Avery.
L'Jarius Sneed, Chidobe Awuzie, and Roger McCreary are all locks to make the roster. Tennessee drafted Jarvis Brownlee Jr. in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft for his physicality and ability to bully receivers at the line of scrimmage. That fits the mold of what Dennard Wilson is looking for in his corners.
Then there's Eric Garror, who had some success in the slot and as a punt return option as a rookie, and Gabe Jeudy Lally. Jeudy-Lally had a wildly succesful training camp and climbed the depth chart very quickly.
The Titans kept just five cornerbacks on their initial 53-man roster in 2023. When you start to crunch the numbers with that in mind, it's hard to see where Avery's spot on the 53 is.
