NFL Team Needs: Prioritizing Every Roster’s Biggest Weaknesses Before Week 9

The Titans are bad. Their 52-14 loss to the Detroit Lions was just the latest reminder of that. It’s why Tennessee was wise to get what they could out of a deal for DeAndre Hopkins.

That trade brought about one of the few rays of hope for the Titans. With Hopkins out of the picture, Calvin Ridley looked like a true No. 1 receiver. He had 10 catches for 143 yards. The only other positive takeaway might be that the defense wasn’t as bad as the score would indicate. They only gave up 225 yards despite giving up half-a-hundred on defense.

Biggest Weaknesses:

1. Right Tackle
2. Interior Defensive Line
3. Tight End
4. Quarterback
5. Wide Receiver

Add Now: S Caden Sterns

It’s clear the Titans are still early in a rebuild under Brian Callahan. Trading away DeAndre Hopkins was just a manifestation of that fact. If the Titans have any more veterans on expiring deals that aren’t part of their future, it would be worth looking into trading them. However, this would also be a good time to roll the dice on any reclamation projects on the free agent market.

Caden Sterns might be one of those. The Titans starting safety pairing of Quandre Diggs and Amani Hooker aren’t likely to be long-term answers. Sterns had four interceptions in his first two years with the Broncos and he’s only 25 years old.

2025 Free Agency: EDGE Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Titans need more on the edge than Harold Landry III and Arden Key. They are both solid players with specific roles, but they need other role players to come alongside them for the Titans front to be more functional.

Joe Tryon-Shoyinka isn’t going to help the pass rush much. He’s had four years to develop into a good pass-rusher and it just hasn’t happened. He remains on the field for the Bucs because of his ability to set the edge and stop the run and that’s a skill set that would pair well with Arden Key who is more of a pass-rushing specialist.

2025 NFL Draft: DT Mason Graham, Michigan

The Titans need talent regardless of position at this point. It’s becoming clear every week that the roster isn’t where it needs to be compete in addition to having a bad quarterback situation. So while drafting a quarterback would be nice, the Titans also just have to add talent.

Mason Graham feels like one of the safer prospects at the top of the draft class. His elite athleticism for his 6’3″, 318-pound frame, makes him a strong candidate to become a pass-rushing 3-technique. The Titans need defensive pieces to build around and Graham would team up with T’Vondre Sweat to form a dangerous duo inside.

It took a little magic/a prayer, but a Hail Mary from Jayden Daniels that was tipped and eventually found Noah Brown in the front of the end zone was enough for the Washington Commanders to get the job done against Chicago on Sunday.

The win pushes Washington to 6-2 and keeps the team in first place in the NFC East with a matchup against New York next week.

Biggest Weaknesses:

1. Cornerback
2. Defensive Tackle
3. Edge-Rusher
4. Wide Receiver
5. Offensive Tackle

Add Now: Trade for CB Jonathan Jones, New England Patriots

The Commanders have a legitimate shot at winning the division or at least making the playoffs as a wild-card team this year. But the defense’s cornerback room could ruin those hopes, so it’d be smart to add a veteran ahead of the trade deadline and Jones was recently paired with the club.

“The Washington Commanders, who continue to have issues on the back end, may want to give New England a call. “Though Washington’s defense has shown improvement under new head coach Dan Quinn, the Commanders still rank 26th in net yards per pass attempt allowed.”

2025 Free Agency: LB Robert Spillane, Las Vegas Raiders

Bobby Wagner is set to become a 35-year-old free agent in the offseason, and if he doesn’t return, Washington will have a big hole to fill at linebacker, especially against the run.

While Spillane certainly doesn’t have the résumé Wagner does, the 28-year-old has been good against the ground game and a tackle machine over the last two years in Las Vegas. In 24 games with the Silver and Black heading into this weekend, he’s logged 215 total tackles with 12 TFL.

2025 NFL Draft: TE Tyler Warren, Penn State

Zach Ertz’s and John Bates’ contracts are about to expire which could put the Commanders in the tight end market during the NFL draft even after using a second-round pick on Ben Sinnott last year. Also, Sinnott was known for his position versatility and run-blocking at Kansas State, so he and the Penn State product could complement each other well.

“Warren is a versatile playmaking tight end with traditional height, weight, and athleticism,” offensive skill positions scout Damian Parson said. “Warren possesses strong ball skills to attack passes at its highest point. The former HS quarterback plays with good contact balance to fight for yards after the catch.

“Warren has room to grow with functional strength and run-blocking technique. If he improves these areas, he will be a three-down impact player at the TE position.”