While the Jacksonville Jaguars have been relatively quiet to start free agency, the Tennessee Titans have wasted no time going on a spending spree. This is understandable when you take into account that the roster was in dire need of upgrades. Moreover, they want to ensure newly hired head coach Robert Saleh is in a position to succeed right off the bat.
The issue is that the Titans have been one of the worst teams in the NFL the past two years, so they had to overpay to convince players to sign with them. That led them to give wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson a bigger contract than analysts projected.
The Jaguars just watched the Titans overpay for Wan'Dale Robinson
Tennessee gave Wan'Dale Robinson a four-year deal worth $70 million with $38 million in guarantees that reunites him with offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, who was the head coach during his stint with the New York Giants.
A second-round pick by the Giants in 2022, Robinson appeared in 54 games with 33 starts the past four years, registering 268 receptions for 2,465 yards with nine touchdowns. All things considered, those are solid numbers. The issue is that the Titans may expect him to take on a featured role, and he could have trouble meeting expectations.
Couple that with the fact that Robinson has only crossed the 1,000-yard mark (and barely) in his career, and it's easy to see why Douglas Clawson of CBS Sports believes he is a bad fit in Nashville. Here's some of what he had to say.
The Titans had no option but to pay retail for Wan'Dale Robinson
Make no mistake, a player is worth what a team is willing to pay. On top of that, the Titans needed to surround sophomore signal-caller Cam Ward with better weapons. Having said that, Robinson's past production doesn't match the contract he signed. Granted, Tennessee may be paying for his upside, but that doesn't make the deal any less risky. The Jaguars, for their part, can afford to be selective in free agency.
After all, the Jags have clear needs to address but also have a talented core in place. Instead of needing to revamp the roster, they have to add reinforcements to certain position groups. That gives them ample flexibility.
Now, there's a chance the Titans exceed expectations. Similarly, Wan'Dale Robinson could turn out to be a game-changer for them, but there's an equal chance that the signing will end up aging poorly.