Titans send message to AFC South with signing of Tyler Boyd

The Tennessee Titans signed wide receiver Tyler Boyd to a one-year contract on Tuesday, their latest move in what has been an offseason full of improvement for the Titans.

The Tennessee front office has been widely criticized in recent years, and some have even questioned what the Titans have done in recent months.

I guess trying to improve your roster doesn’t make sense to some people.

The Titans are sending a very clear message to the AFC South with the addition of Boyd: They are coming.

It’s not just because Tennessee signed Boyd. It’s because of everything the franchise has done this offseason.

The Titans stole the spotlight from Calvin Ridley under the noses of the Jacksonville Jaguars – a division rival – and the New England Patriots. They also added one of the best offensive linemen on the market, Lloyd Cushenberry. They brought in running back Tony Pollard to replace Derrick Henry. They traded for high-profile cornerback L’Jarius Sneed and further solidified their position by acquiring Chidobe Awuzie.

In the NFL Draft, Tennessee selected one of the most highly regarded offensive tackles in JC Latham. He fortified his interior defense by landing T’Vondre Sweat.

Now the Titans have signed Boyd and suddenly boast one of the most fearsome receiving corps in football. Not only do they have Ridley and Boyd on the outside, but they also have DeAndre Hopkins.

Hopkins may no longer be the same dominant force he was during his Houston Texans days, but he clearly showed he has something left in the tank in 2023 by posting a 1,000-yard campaign.

Listen: I know Tennessee has some questions. Will Levis hasn’t really proven himself as a quarterback, and there are some who really don’t like him at all. But he was at least useful last season, and he deserves a chance. the Titans also weren’t very good defensively in 2023, finishing 18th in the league. But they revamped their defense this offseason and should improve next year.

Additionally, other teams in the AFC South have major question marks of their own. How will Stefon Diggs really fit in in Houston? Will Trevor Lawrence bounce back in Jacksonville? This will also essentially be Anthony Richardson’s rookie season for the Indianapolis Colts after playing in just four games last season.

Am I saying the Titans will win the division? No, but it wouldn’t surprise me at all if they were competitive, and anything can happen.

Hell, the Texans were expected to finish in the cellar last year, but instead they won 10 games to capture the division crown.

Tennessee has only won five games in 2023. It would be pretty shocking if it wasn’t a little better next season given all the additions it made.

At the very least, the Titans will represent a ball club that no one will want to play in 2024.