NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Titans are finalizing a deal to make Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan their subsequent head coach, replacing Mike Vrabel.
Callahan seemed to be Tennessee’s selection from the begin to grow to be its sixth coach. After spending 5 seasons in Cincinnati, Callahan was the primary candidate Tennessee submitted a request to interview and the primary the Titans met with nearly and in particular person.
Taking a better look, Titans reporter Turron Davenport solutions among the large questions surrounding the rent, nationwide reporter Dan Graziano dishes on what he is listening to about Callahan and draft analyst Matt Miller spins it ahead to the draft. Lastly, entrance workplace analyst Mike Tannenbaum grades the Titans’ rent.
Why did the Titans go along with Callahan?
Davenport: Callahan’s monitor file of success dates again to his time with the Denver Broncos as an offensive assistant beneath Gary Kubiak which included the Tremendous Bowl 50 victory with quarterback Peyton Manning. Though he did not name performs for the Bengals because the offensive coordinator, Callahan was liable for orchestrating the sport plan and implementing the offense, based on Cincinnati coach Zac Taylor. Callahan’s capacity to seek out success regardless of having points alongside the offensive line ought to bode effectively for the Titans, who’ve shortcomings there as effectively. After having 4 offensive coordinators in six seasons beneath Mike Vrabel, the Titans had been desperately in want of stability, so bringing in Callahan ensures they will have the identical scheme over the time he is in Tennessee.
How does this affect quarterback Will Levis?
Davenport: Levis would be the subsequent in an extended line of quarterbacks seeking to be coached up by Callahan. Former Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford had back-to-back 4,000-plus-yard passing seasons in 2016 and 2017 with Callahan as his place coach. Callahan’s subsequent cease with the Raiders helped Derek Carr attain his first profession 4,000-yard passing season. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow threw for not less than 4,400 yards in his two full seasons with Callahan because the offensive coordinator.
Callahan will present stability for Levis, who will likely be studying his fourth offense in 4 seasons, heading into 12 months 2 after he was taken within the second spherical of the 2023 draft. There will likely be some crossover for Levis since Callahan’s offense will likely be much like what Taylor ran with the Bengals. Taylor and Levis’ offensive coordinator Liam Coen labored collectively for one season with the Rams. It is perhaps sensible for Callahan to think about Coen because the offensive coordinator and to retain present Titans quarterbacks coach/go recreation coordinator Charles London to supply continuity for Levis in his second season.
Does this sign a brand new course for the Titans with an offensive head coach?
Davenport: The Titans are getting one of many vibrant younger offensive minds within the NFL. The Bengals’ offense was seventh in factors per recreation (26.1), eighth in yards per recreation (360.5) and fifth in passing yards per recreation (265) with Callahan because the coordinator. Outdoors of 2020, Tennessee surpassed that scoring common solely as soon as in six seasons beneath the earlier regime. Callahan’s offense will embody a extra pass-reliant scheme, which is a change for the Titans’ run-heavy offenses that revolved round pending free agent operating again Derrick Henry.
What are you listening to across the league on the rent?
Graziano: Callahan wasn’t the playcaller in Cincinnati, however as has been identified to me a number of instances, Taylor wasn’t the playcaller in Los Angeles earlier than the Bengals employed him — and issues appear to have labored out fairly effectively for him as a head coach. Callahan has been with Taylor since he received the Bengals job in 2019, and other people in Cincinnati say Callahan has had an excessive amount of duty for game-planning and administrative parts of the offense. He will get lots of credit score for his work with Jake Browning, who has been a Bengals backup quarterback for 3 years and carried out effectively following Joe Burrow’s season-ending wrist damage.
There will likely be lots of hypothesis about whether or not Callahan’s father, former Raiders coach Invoice Callahan, will be part of him in Tennessee. The elder Callahan is considered as one of many high offensive line coaches within the league and presently occupies that place with the Browns.
Callahan had two elite receivers in Cincinnati. Which pass-catcher would match greatest with Tennessee in Spherical 1 of the draft?
Miller: At No. 7 total, the Titans may not have their selection of the highest three wideouts, with a number of groups needing pass-catching assist forward of them within the draft order. However they do have an ideal likelihood to land both LSU’s Malik Nabers or Washington’s Rome Odunze, with Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. doubtless off the board within the high 5.
If accessible, Nabers might be the very best match, because of his game-changing yards-after-catch capacity that allowed him to common 17.6 yards per catch and get 14 scores in 2023. He jogs my memory of Stefon Diggs. Contemplating DeAndre Hopkins will likely be 32 years previous subsequent season, the Titans’ large receiver room wants work, and both Nabers or Odunze could be an ideal addition. However the pace and agility of Nabers mixed with Levis’ arm energy might flip the Tennessee offense round in 2024.
If Tennessee would not go WR within the first spherical, it’d contemplate filling wants on the offensive line or at cornerback.
How would you grade this rent?
Tannenbaum: B+. It is a robust rent if you look by way of the lens of quarterback growth and the excellent play of Burrow in Cincinnati. Titans followers needs to be excited Levis will now profit from studying beneath Callahan, who will emphasize method and fundamentals. Along with Burrow, Stafford and Manning, Callahan has labored with many different quarterbacks as effectively.
