NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- There was a buzz surrounding the Tennessee Titans entering last season after they acquired future Hall of Fame wide receiver Julio Jones. The hope was that Jones would balance out the Titans' passing attack while complementing Derrick Henry and the run game.

Unfortunately, injuries kept Jones from having the expected impact, which led to his release last week. Jones would've had a $14.3 million cap hit if he were on the roster this season. Releasing him with a post-June 1 designation gives Tennessee an additional $9.5 million in eventual cap space.

Titans general manager Jon Robison swiftly filled the No. 2 receiver void by sending a sixth-round draft pick in 2023 to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for veteran wideout Robert Woods, who was set to have a $13.5 million cap hit.

A $3.5 million bonus is included in Woods' cap hit. The Rams picked up the bonus, leaving Woods' base salary of $10 million for the Titans to pay.

The move clearly saves the Titans some cap space. How much more is gained from the trade all depends on how Woods recovers from the torn ACL he suffered in November.

For the most part, Woods has been a more durable receiver throughout his career. Before last season, Woods averaged 14.5 games played per 16-game season. However, Woods missed the final eight games after the injury and finished with 45 receptions for 556 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Getting Woods on the field consistently is imperative for the Titans so they avoid some of the issues they had last season. Jones was in and out of the lineup because of lingering hamstring issues preventing him from truly creating the chemistry with quarterback Ryan Tannehill that is essential to achieving success in the passing game.

The Titans believe Woods can still be the player he was before the Week 10 injury.

There didn't seem to be any signs of Woods slowing down before injuring his knee. At 29 years old, Woods was on pace to finish with 85 catches, 1,050 yards and 8 touchdowns last season. He posted a career-high 90 receptions in 2019 and 2020 to go along with 1,134 yards and 935 yards, respectively.

If Woods regains his form, he figures to be an ultra-reliable option for Tannehill and a legitimate threat opposite Pro Bowl wideout A.J. Brown.

According to ESPN Stats & Information, Woods has a 1.3% drop rate over the past five seasons, which is tied for sixth lowest among receivers with at least 200 targets. In that span, his 1,981 yards after the catch is the fifth most among receivers.

For Woods, 49% of his targets from quarterback Matthew Stafford resulted in a first down last season, according to ESPN Stats & Information. That's the fourth-highest rate of any quarterback-receiver combo (minimum 45 targets).

A high catch rate and the ability to get yards after the catch fall right in line with Titans coach Mike Vrabel's charge for the team to "be great around Tannehill."

Gaining a veteran presence in the wide receiver room is another benefit that comes with acquiring Woods. The tenth-year veteran instantly becomes the elder statesman of the receivers.

Woods will also provide much-needed versatility from the receiver position. The veteran receiver is capable of lining up at the 'X' or 'Z' spots as well as the slot.

Offensive coordinator Todd Downing can utilize Woods, who had 58 carries for 473 yards and 5 touchdowns over the past four seasons, as a weapon catching the ball out of the backfield in addition to jet sweeps and more.

Is there any way Sean McVay could also be included in the Robert Woods trade package pic.twitter.com/l1bn0DqY13

— No Flags Film (@NoFlagsFilm) March 20, 2022

Woods is also more than willing to take on the run-blocking role that is expected from a receiver on a team like Tennessee that focuses on the rushing attack.

Over the past five seasons, Woods has 288 run block wins per ESPN metrics using NFL Next Gen Stats and is second among wide receivers in that time, trailing only former teammate Cooper Kupp.

"Woods has always been a player that I personally have respected," coach Mike Vrabel said before the team faced the Rams in Week 9. "I would say that Cooper Kupp and Woods are two of the best blocking wide receivers in the league. It has been impressive just to watch them not only with their route craft and what they do, but the commitment they make to blocking players. I am not talking just DBs, they are trying to block outside linebacker, cut them off or do whatever they need to do in their offense."

The trade for Woods appears to fill the void left by releasing Jones for now. Ultimately, what happens during the season will provide the true answer.