Titans Release Dion Lewis

After two unproductive seasons in Nashville, the Tennessee Titans are cutting running back Dion Lewis. The Titans informed Lewis that he’ll be released, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Lewis signed a four-year, $20 million deal in 2018.

Due to the emergence of Derrick Henry, arguably the NFL's most dominant running back, Lewis became an afterthought in the Titans' offense.  Lewis amassed just 209 yards on 54 carries and caught only 25 passes for 164 yards last year.

Lewis played 61 percent of the snaps in his first season in Tennessee, but that percentage shrunk to 37 in 2019. 

Lewis was a non-factor in the Titans' offense last season. (James Kenney/AP)

Releasing Lewis clears just over $4 million from the salary cap, making this a no-brainer move for the Titans. The release of Lewis gives the Titans more funds to negotiate with Henry, a free agent. The Titans may place the franchise tag on Henry if the two sides cannot come to terms on a deal.

The Titans are rumored to have interest in free agent QB Tom Brady, but could opt to bring back Ryan Tannehill instead. After leading the Titans to the AFC Championship in his first season with the franchise, Tannehill could ink a long-term deal to remain in Tennessee. Tannehill made his first career Pro Bowl in 2019, won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors and led the league in passer rating.

Lewis enjoyed his best seasons with the New England Patriots. A member of the Patriots for three years (2015-17), Lewis helped the Patriots win Super LI. He played a crucial role in the team's run to Super LII during his impressive 2017 campaign.

Lewis forced 49 missed tackles in 2017 and registered 3.17 yards after contact, both team-highs, according to Pro Football Focus. Even more impressive, Lewis ranked first in Pro Football Focus’ “elusive rating,” which combines missed tackles and yards after contact.

A force in the passing game, Lewis did not drop a single pass (35 targets) in 2017, one of only 11 players to see more than 30 targets without dropping a pass. In terms of catch rate, he ranked first (91.4%) in the league among qualified players.

Unable to replicate that level of success with the Titans, the 29-year-old Lewis will look to join a new team this offseason. Lewis, a fifth-round selection in the 2011 NFL Draft, has collected 19 TDs (11 rushing, seven receiving, one kick return) in his nine-year career. He has accumulated 2,310 rushing yards, to go along with 172 catches and 1,281 receiving yards, in 85 games played.

Tannehill's Future with Dolphins in Doubt?

Ryan Tannehill’s short-term status is clear. The Miami Dolphins quarterback will miss at least the next two weeks of action to heal his throwing shoulder, before he returns at some point this season. However, Tannehill’s long-term status in Miami—even just beyond 2018—remains in “doubt,” according to The Miami Herald.

For Tannehill to stay with the Dolphins, he would have to take a pay cut from the $26.6 million he is owed for the 2019 season. If the two sides cannot agree on a revised contract, the Dolphins will ultimately cut ties with the quarterback they selected eighth overall in the 2012 NFL Draft. The Dolphins can save $13.2 million in cap space if they release Tannehill this offseason.

Is this Ryan Tannehill's final season in Miami? (AP)

Backup quarterback Brock Osweiler played terrific in place of the injured Tannehill last week, throwing for 380 yards and three TDs in the overtime win against the Chicago Bears' vaunted defense. Osweiler will start on Sunday versus the Detroit Lions and is expected to be the signal-caller the following week against the Houston Texans, his former team.

Tannehill started in every possible game in the first four seasons of his career (2012-15), before injuries derailed him the past three years. Tannehill suffered a partially torn ACL towards the end of the 2016 season. Tannehill posted an 8-5 record in 13 starts before his season-ending injury in December, helping the Dolphins reach the postseason. He was unable to suit up for their lone playoff contest—a loss in the Wild-Card round to the host Pittsburgh Steelers. Tannehill missed the entire 2017 campaign after again partially tearing his ACL, this time getting hurt during the team’s first non-contact 11-on-11 practice of the season in early-August.

The Dolphins won their first three games of the 2018 season under Tannehill, who threw for seven touchdowns with just two interceptions in the team’s 3-0 start. But Tannehill and the Dolphins came crashing down to earth in Week 4 with a humiliating 38-7 defeat to the perennial powerhouse New England Patriots. Tannehill failed to record a TD, firing one interception in the loss. The following week he threw two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown, in Miami’s 27-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Even if the backup slinger Osweiler can lead the Dolphins to victories versus the Lions and on the road against the Texans, the starting QB gig will almost certainly be handed back to Tannehill when he returns from injury. That will give Tannehill one final chance to impress the Dolphins’ brass enough to retain his services beyond this season.