Tennessee Titans: 8 Free Agents Who Could Leave This Offseason

It's that pivotal time of the year for many teams when they have to start deciding which players they're going to keep and which ones they're going to let go.

The Tennessee Titans have a boatload of free agents this offseason, but these eight free agents are key players that the Titans will spend countless hours deciding what to do with.

Jason Jones, DE

Jason Jones has all the athletic ability in the world that you would want in a defensive lineman, but the problem is those talents haven't translated into impressive results.

His numbers dropped big time in 2011, and he has still yet to make it through a full season in his four-year career.

The Titans could afford to let Jones go if he carries a high price tag. Derrick Morgan lines up on the other side, and it's possible that the Titans could draft a highly-regarded defensive end in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft.

You also have Dave Ball, but he's a free agent as well. It may come down to whom the Titans want more.

Dave Ball, DE

Speaking of Dave Ball, this is another guy that has never hit his full potential. He's mainly been an NFL journeyman that has struggled to put up big numbers despite getting ample opportunities to do so.

Ball had just four sacks in 14 games this season.

The Titans will have to make a major choice on whether to stick with this guy and hope he has a breakout season, or cut bait with him and look towards the draft.

Jake Scott, G

Jake Scott has been a mainstay on the Titans offensive line since 2008, but he didn't have his best year blocking for Chris Johnson.

As much blame as Johnson deserves for his poor play, to be fair the entire Titans run game struggled this season. Javon Ringer didn't look much better.

It's very likely that a veteran like Scott will expect a big contract, and the Titans just can't afford to tie too much money into a guy that didn't play that well.

Lavelle Hawkins, WR

You may not realize, but Lavelle Hawkins has been a part of this organization for longer than any other current Titans wide receiver.

The problem with Hawkins has always been that he simply hasn't gotten enough opportunities to see the field. You can't expect a guy to put up good numbers if he's on the sideline watching a highly-conservative offense.

Finally, Hawkins got to see the field consistently in 2011, and he delivered with 47 receptions and 470 yards. He'll continue to get better.

Hawkins has a ton of athletic upside that the Titans need to do everything in their power to keep. He's a great weapon when it comes to yards after the catch.

Chris Hope, SS

Chris Hope has done a lot of great things since joining the Titans in 2006. There's really no denying that.

Unfortunately, all good things have to eventually come to an end. Hope has gradually been on the decline over the past few seasons.

It may be time for the Titans to go elsewhere and try to get something decent in return for Hope. There are desperate secondaries out there that would love to insert a veteran like Hope into their roster.

As for the Titans, they could stick with Jordan Babineaux for 2012 and draft a guy to work behind him.

Barrett Ruud, LB

It's safe to say that the Barrett Ruud experiment didn't really work out. He got vastly outplayed by rookie linebackers Akeem Ayers and Colin McCarthy.

Ruud barely made it through nine games, and wasn't really much of a factor when he was in the game. Frankly, the Titans don't have room for him anymore since the rookies played so well.

The Titans can move on with Ayers, McCarthy and Will Witherspoon and cut their losses with Ruud. Other teams will be willing to take a chance on Ruud, but the Titans are set without him.

Michael Griffin, FS

It's growing more and more likely by the hour that Michael Griffin has played his last game with the Tennessee Titans.

He's made it apparent via Twitter that he won't be returning next season.

Griffin has had a very inconsistent career. At times he's looked like one of the better free safeties in the NFL, while at other times he's been a ghost on the field.

There's no way you can afford to take gambles on players that only show up part of the time.

The Titans don't have much lining up behind Griffin, so it definitely means the Titans will make a move to sign a veteran on the free agency market or draft a guy to start immediately.

Alabama has two big safety prospects that could end up declaring for the draft, so it will be interesting to see who the Titans have to choose from in that regard.

Cortland Finnegan, CB

Here's the big one of the offseason for the Titans, and at this point, it could really go either way. We all know the Titans and their history of refusing to overpay their star players.

Cortland Finnegan was rumored to have had issues with his contract before the 2011 season, and it will probably come up again. 

Finnegan has even publicly said that he would be open to joining former head coach Jeff Fisher with the St. Louis Rams.

The question is whether the Titans are prepared to pay a hefty price tag for him.

If the Titans do pay a steep price to keep Finnegan, then what does that mean for other key upcoming free agents for this offseason and upcoming offseasons?

Remember the Titans already have a ton of money tied up in Chris Johnson.

You really have to look at what the Titans have without Finnegan at the position. That means they would have to most likely forge ahead with Jason McCourty and Alterraun Verner as starters.

McCourty and Verner are not bad options here if the Titans decide to let Finnegan go. In the end, the Titans probably won't be able to afford want Finnegan is going to want.