The Tennessee Titans have been busy making many roster moves ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft. New general manager Mike Borgonzi is remaking the roster in his image, and two more players are getting let go.
The Titans announced that they are releasing veteran defensive back Justin Hardee and outside linebacker/defensive end Khalid Duke.
Both players spent the 2024 season with the Titans, but didn't play significant snaps, and the majority of their playing time was on special teams. Hardee has been in the NFL since 2017 and is a top special teams ace. He even made the Pro Bowl in 2022 for his work on special teams.
At 31, Hardee could decide to walk away from the NFL, but he should still have value to a team out there. He's already played for six different teams since coming to the league as an undrafted free agent.
Duke is a much younger player and signed with the Titans as an undrafted free agent last year. He played in two games for the team, but only had one tackle on the season.
Duke is still a young player at 24, so there may be a team out there willing to give him a chance. He was Second-Team All-Big 12 at Kansas State in 2023 and has been a productive player in the past.
Borogonzi is clearly trying to do some housekeeping before the draft, as the Titans have been making a lot of roster moves before the draft. It'll be interesting to see what his draft plans are.
Trade Idea Has Titans Land Emerging Star RB in Will Levis Deal
While various issues certainly plagued the Tennessee Titans last season, perhaps their biggest shortcoming was incompetence at the quarterback position. The team used a second-round pick on Will Levis in the 2023 NFL Draft, but through two seasons, he has not performed like a franchise player.
After winning only three games during the 2024 season, the Titans earned the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft, where they are certain to select Miami quarterback Cam Ward. After new general manager Mike Borgonzi brought in several veteran backup options this offseason who are familiar with head coach Brian Callahan, many have proposed that the writing is on the wall for Levis.
Given that the Titans no longer have a third-round pick after acquiring cornerback L'Jarius Sneed last offseason, the team could try to trade Levis for a mid-round selection. However, Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox proposed that Tennessee could land a more lucrative return.
Knox's trade idea sent Will Levis and a fourth-round pick (No. 103) to the New York Jets in exchange for running back Breece Hall. While the Titans already have a strong duo of Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears, Hall would immediately become the best running back on the roster.
Hall has played two healthy campaigns in the NFL and has never contributed less than 1,350 all-purpose yards and eight touchdowns per season. With limited offensive firepower to surround their future quarterback, stockpiling another budding star at running back would be worth trading Levis for.
