With the start of free agency a month away, Titans General Manager Jon Robinson sounds like he’s preparing for the departure of a couple of offensive contributors.
Robinson was asked about wide receiver Corey Davis and tight end Jonnu Smith during a Tuesday video conference, and said he’s proud of both of them. But with their rookie deals up, Robinson realizes both could be playing elsewhere in 2021.
“I had the same conversation at the end of the season with those guys that I had with Jack Conklin a year ago,” Robinson said. “I was like, hey, you’ve done everything we’ve asked you here and we’re going to be competitive and try to keep you. But at the end of the day, you’re going to have a decision to make if you have suitors with other teams. And I had that same discussion with those two guys. We’ll see what we can figure out. But at the end of the day, if they choose to capitalize on free agency and the market, I wish them nothing but the best. They’ve done everything we’ve asked them to do.”
Davis has not lived up to his draft status as the No. 5 overall pick in 2017. He registered career highs with 984 yards receiving and five touchdowns in 2020, also tying a career high with 65 receptions. But that means he’s never reached 1,000 yards. The Titans declined to pick up his fifth-year option last spring.
A third-round pick in 2017, Smith has caught 16 touchdowns over the last four seasons — including eight in 2020. He caught 41 passes for 448 yards in 2020, setting a career high in both categories.
Still, Robinson’s reference to Conklin — who signed a three-year, $42 million deal with the Browns last year — makes it seem like Davis and Smith aren’t likely to return to Tennessee.