By Anthony Licciardi
When the NFL zigs, the Tennessee Titans zag. They’ve been bold time and time again, and it has paid off in the form of three consecutive playoff appearances.
They’ve doubled down on an elite running back with the workload of Atlas. Derrick Henry may not be the youngest running back on the block. Or the freshest. Or the healthiest. But he’s their guy and they’re going to run him until the wheels fall off.
It’s certainly not the approach the nerds like, but screw ‘em. It’s the Mike Vrabel way.
In pursuit of the ground and pound pleasantries and playing football the way God intended, A.J. Brown was deemed expendable. He was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles and in turn replaced by the 18th overall selection in the 2022 draft, Treylon Burks.
Trading away an awesome receiver like Brown is a good move…until it’s not. Without a big year from the rookie, Tennessee could be left in the riptide of mediocrity.
Burks has big shoes to fill.
It goes without saying, but replacing a guy coming off a 63/869/5 season is rather difficult. If Burks can replicate Brown’s Titan tenure, complete with 185 catches, nearly 3,000 yards, and 24 scores in three years, Tennessee will square dance their way to the playoffs for years to come.
Unfortunately, that’s far from a guarantee. Burks is in many ways similar to Brown, though. Both are slippery, strong, and hard to tackle. They are natural separators that match size and speed with ample technique. Schematically speaking, a Ryan Tannehill-based offense works well for Burks.
Burks will also be the beneficiary of the Robert Woods signing. Not only can he learn from the talented veteran. He can also operate with a little more breathing room due to Woods’ gravity.
Woods isn’t the same caliber of target as Brown and won’t create big plays at the same rate, but he’s far from irrelevant. With that said, Woods won’t make or break the offense. If Tennessee plans to retain its potency through the air and punish teams for stopping Henry (or at least trying to), Burks will have to be the dynamic weapon Brown was.
Without him, the Titans are a sprained ankle away from seeing the Jacksonville Jaguars in the rear-view mirror.
DraftKings currently has Burks’ receiving yards line set at 795.5 yards. With -115 odds, a big year from the rookie can land you an extra $86.95 on a $100 bet. Tennessee’s offensive X-Factor can be a moneymaker for his team and your wallet.