The Tennessee Titans announced the release of three players on Wednesday, including left tackle Taylor Lewan and wide receiver Robert Woods. The cuts were made to free up cap space, as the Titans were over the salary cap at the time. While they may have been on bloated contracts, Lewan and Woods can both still be effective NFL players. Seeing as they both play positions of need, the Chicago Bears would be foolish to not look into the two former Titans.
Taylor Lewan
A former first round pick, Taylor Lewan was a cornerstone left tackle for the Titans in the early days of his career. From 2015 to 2018, he missed only two games and was named a Pro Bowler in three consecutive seasons. However, he has struggled with injuries in recent years; the soon-to-be 32-year-old missed 11 games in 2020 due to a torn ACL and only played in two games this past season due to another knee issue. The myriad of injuries certainly factored into Lewan’s release and have even made him contemplate retirement. Thus, his health will be a major concern for any team looking to sign him.
Despite this, Lewan could be a good flier for the Bears at the right price. His age and injury concerns should drive down his price, and if he can string together a somewhat healthy season — as he did in 2021, when he missed only four games —he could be a bargain for a Bears team that needs significant help on the offensive line. But a player at Lewan’s age with a substantial injury history cannot be the Bears’ only solution to the left tackle issue; if they bring the former Titan in, they will need to have a very secure backup plan in place.
Robert Woods
Like Taylor Lewan, wide receiver Robert Woods also recently suffered a torn ACL, doing so in the middle of the 2021 season while playing for the Los Angeles Rams. Unlike Lewan, however, Woods seems to have recovered from his knee injury, as he did not miss a game this past season.
The primary concern with Woods is not his health but his production. After putting up 556 receiving yards in nine games during his injury-shortened 2021 season with the Rams, he only had 527 yards this past year despite playing in all 17 games. But the Titans’ passing attack as a whole was abysmal this past season: The three quarterbacks who started for Tennessee this year — Ryan Tannehill, Malik Willis and Joshua Dobbs — combined for only 3,223 passing yards. Overall, Tennessee’s air attack was incredibly disappointing this season. While Woods’ production certainly did not help matters, it may have been more of a byproduct of the Titans’ offensive struggles than a leading cause. In his three seasons with the Rams prior to his injury, he accumulated nearly 3,300 receiving yards on just under 90 receptions per year. He was a model of consistency, and despite being on the wrong side of 30, there’s a considerable chance that he can return to his previous form on the right team.
The Chicago Bears can use all the receiver help they can get, and Robert Woods could be a solid addition to their receiver room. While he is not the top-flight receiver the Bears so desperately need, his consistent veteran presence could provide a nice, secure target for young quarterback Justin Fields. Woods is a reliable route runner who can play both on the outside and in the slot, making him a good, versatile fit into whatever receiver room Chicago fields next year.
Woods and Lewan’s releases add some familiar names to the free agent market, and as the beginning of the free-agent period nears, more teams will need to cut ties with players who can still contribute to other franchises. With no shortage of needs and the bountiful cap space needed to fill them, the Chicago Bears can leave no stone unturned this offseason, and examining just about every name that hits the market in the coming weeks can be a recipe for success.
