Grading the best (and worst) moves the Tennessee Titans have made so far in NFL free agency

Based on the first week of NFL free agency, the Tennessee Titans don't seem to be in rebuilding or reloading mode. They're somewhere in between. They seem content to make low-risk, high-reward moves that can either give the team a burst or preserve the status quo.

The Titans' 2023 offseason has been a tricky one to get a read on. General manager Ran Carthon released high-price veterans like tackle Taylor Lewan and linebacker Bud Dupree to clear enough salary cap space to put the Titans among the 10 most cash-flexible teams in the league. But instead of using that money to sign the biggest names on the market, the Titans have mostly nibbled on the margins, signing either unproven, high-upside players or cheaper versions of players allowed to walk away via free agency.

There's still plenty of time to add more free agents, make trades and extend young players looking for their second contracts. And, as always, it's impossible to judge a team's offseason before the NFL Draft in April.

Nevertheless, here are The Tennessean's grades for the Titans' first slew of free agency decisions.

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Signing OT Andre Dillard: B-

Forking over $15 million or more per year for a free agent tackle never felt like a smart move for the Titans. Getting a former first-round pick in Dillard on the cheaper side and betting on his potential makes sense. The move doesn't disqualify the Titans from looking for a franchise lineman in the draft and doesn't guarantee too much improvement from last year sine Dillard is mostly an unproven commodity. But at the very worst it's a smart depth signing that could turn out to be a huge steal if Dillard lives up to his pre-draft evaluations.

Signing DE/OLB Arden Key, letting DE DeMarcus Walker leave: B+

Key might not be an every down player, and the way the Titans line up, he probably won't need to be. What he is is an athletic situational pass rusher who can complement Harold Landry III off the edge and allow Denico Autry to spend more time playing inside. But he also has some experience bumping inside and occupying a similar role to the one Walker thrived in last season. Think of Key as a cheaper, younger rusher brought in to play the role Dupree served when he was healthy instead of paying Walker a similar contract for less versatility.

Signing ILB Azeez Al-Shaair, letting ILB David Long Jr. leave: C+

The Miami Dolphins ended up signing Long for much cheaper than some pundits might've expected his value to be on the free agent market. Titans coach Mike Vrabel voiced some displeasure about Long's nagging hamstring injuries and Long fired off a cryptic tweet about people overemphasizing his injury history shortly after agreeing to play for the Dolphins. Al-Shaair isn't much of a downgrade from Long and the Titans are saving money.

But Al-Shaair missed as many games to injury last year as Long did. He played remarkably in his role over the last two years, but was asked to do a lot less than Long playing alongside standout linebackers Dre Greenlaw and Fred Warner. If Al-Shaair can play that well without the insulation playing in San Francisco's defense provides, he's a great signing and potential defensive cornerstone. If not, he's a seeming downgrade from a homegrown talent who wasn't commanding that big of a deal.

Signing OG Daniel Brunskill, letting OG Nate Davis leave: B-

It wouldn't have been worth it for the Titans to overpay for Davis at a non-premium position the franchise has shown an ability to address with Day 2 and Day 3 draft picks. Brunskill isn't the player Davis is but he seems like a fine enough stopgap who can start at guard or provide depth at all five line positions as the Titans rebuild the unit.

Signing LB/ST Luke Gifford: B

It's a small contract for an athletic special teams ace who might be able to fill in as a third or fourth linebacker option when needed. Teams need players like Gifford and he'll surely justify his role on the roster with tackles on kickoffs and punts.

2nd-round tendering OG/C Aaron Brewer: C+

Brewer was a solid run blocker last year but, like the rest of the Titans' offensive line, he struggled in pass protection. His smaller stature makes him a bit of a long-term concern, but he fared pretty well at center in limited exposure last fall and seems like the likeliest candidate to replace Ben Jones in the middle of the offense.

2nd-round tendering DT Teair Tart: B+

This one was a no-brainer. Tart was one of the Titans' most consistent defenders as injuries swirled around him last season. He's probably not a starter behind Autry and Jeffery Simmons but he's as good of a rotational defensive line piece as the Titans could ask for.

Re-signing WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine: Incomplete

Westbrook-Ikhine is the only experienced player left in the Titans' receiving room. The Titans can do better than Westbrook-Ikhine as a second or third option at receiver, but haven't made a move toward doing so yet. Until the Titans actually start replenishing the receiving corps, this is a tough move to grade. As a depth and experience add down the depth chart, there's no problem with bringing Westbrook-Ikhine back. But if the Titans signed Westbrook-Ikhine instead of a faster, shiftier presence as opposed to doing both, this grade will be awfully low.

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: Grading Tennessee Titans best (and worst) moves in NFL free agency