23 Tennessee Titans questions for the 2023 NFL offseason, including Tom Brady

The next six months should be one of the most telling stretches in recent history for the Tennessee Titans.

The Titans' offseason began earlier than scheduled when they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2018. What could be a volatile and turbulent offseason is ahead, already with the Titans filling vacancies at two of the most important positions in the organization.

With so much change ahead in the front office and coaching staff, and even more available on the roster, there are more pressing questions than usual for a franchise that had grown accustomed to winning.

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Here are The Tennessean's 23 big picture questions for what the Titans will do in the 2023 offseason.

23 Titans questions for 2023

1. What changes does Ran Carthon make to the organization as the new general manager? Is his hire a chance for the Titans to reinvent themselves, or the missing piece that launches the Titans as they exist to the next level?

2. How does Carthon work with coach Mike Vrabel? Does more power shift into Vrabel's hands when it comes to personnel decisions?

3. Who replaces Todd Downing as offensive coordinator? Does Vrabel promote an internal candidate such as Tim Kelly, or does he look outward to give his coaching staff some fresh ideas?

4. Does a new offensive coordinator come with a new scheme and new philosophy, or do the Titans stick to the run-first, under-center, play-action-heavy offensive approach that worked before Downing?

5. What does the franchise do with quarterback Ryan Tannehill? Is he brought back for the final year of his contract? Do the Titans cut or trade him after June 1 to save $27 million against the salary cap? Is his contract restructured to add more years and more financial flexibility?

6. Do the Titans bring backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs back after his two-game audition from the end of the season? Does he have a chance to win a starting job somewhere, or would he content to compete in Nashville?

7. Do the Titans put their names in the Tom Brady sweepstakes again if he hits free agency this spring? Would adding someone like Brady to the locker room help the Titans achieve their goals or just be a distraction?

8. How involved are the Titans in the quarterback market in free agency? If not Brady, would the Titans be interested in someone like Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Jimmy Garoppolo, Teddy Bridgewater or Jacoby Brissett? Would the Titans be one of the teams Lamar Jackson considered if he doesn't resign with the Baltimore Ravens?

9. Will the Titans draft another quarterback one year after picking Malik Willis in the third round? What do the Titans decisions this offseason say about Willis' future with the franchise?

10. How does receiver Robert Woods' choice to restructure his contract midseason change what the Titans do at receiver this offseason? Could Woods be a salary cap casualty in June like Tannehill?

11. How much receiver help do the Titans need? With Vrabel saying the Titans need to get faster, are they willing to draft or sign receivers with a more diverse skillset and less of an emphasis on physicality, size and blocking acumen?

12. Do veteran offensive linemen Taylor Lewan and Ben Jones retire? Do the Titans release them if they don't? What could the absence of their veteran presences mean for Derrick Henry and the offense?

13. How do the Titans view offensive linemen Aaron Brewer and Nate Davis in free agency? Is Davis in the Titans' price range, or does he command too big of a deal on the free market as an unrestricted free agent?

14. Do the Titans get a long-term extension done with defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons while he's still on the fifth-year option of his rookie deal? Would the Titans let Simmons go into next season without a contract? Would Simmons consider holding out?

15. Are veteran linebackers Bud Dupree and Zach Cunningham players the Titans might cut to save money? How does the new front office value experience versus cost-effectiveness on defense?

16. How does the market for free agent linebacker David Long Jr. unfold? Will the Titans offer Long enough money to stay with the team, or does he look elsewhere for his second contract?

17. What role does the new regime see defensive back Caleb Farley having with the team after back-to-back season-ending injuries to start his career? Does Farley's rehab put him in position to improve in Year 3?

18. What is Carthon's draft philosophy? Do the Titans focus more on picking the best players available or drafting for need? Is there more of a focus on drafting players who can contribute right away or picking players who have the chance of developing into something more?

19. Do the Titans stay put at No. 11 in the first round? Are they willing to move into the top 10? Would they trade back to get more picks?

20. How much progress gets made with new stadium plans this offseason? Do the Titans start next season with a clear timeline for the future of where they'll be playing?

21. How do the Titans look compared to the rest of the ascendant AFC South? How do new coaches (and potentially new quarterbacks) in Indianapolis and Houston shift the power balance? Does Jacksonville's playoff experience cement it as the new frontrunner in the division?

22. Does the season-ending seven-game losing streak cause the Titans to be more aggressive in how they make changes this offseason? Or is the overarching plan about team-building not affected by the failures of November and December?

23. Most importantly: Are the Titans tooling for a rebuild or a reload? Do the Titans make moves to get younger, tear down and try to contend again in a few years, or are the moves designed to hunt for a division title and a Super Bowl berth next season?

Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on Twitter @nicksuss.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Titans: 23 questions for 2023 offseason, including Tom Brady