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Tennessee Titans News & Rumors

Deebo Samuel, A.J. Brown, Terry McLaurin Won’t Participate In Offseason Programs

April 18th, 2022 at 9:06am CST by Adam La Rose

Three of the top wide receivers currently on their rookie contracts are taking steps to apply pressure to their respective teams regarding new deals. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Deebo Samuel, A.J. Brown and Terry McLaurin are among the players not expected to take part in the on-field portion of their clubs’ offseason programs (Twitter link). 

Those three were taken in the second and, in McLaurin’s case, third round of the 2019 Draft. As a result, Samuel and Brown are scheduled to make just under $4MM in 2022, while McLaurin is due $2.79MM. Those figures rank each player far lower down the list of wideout salaries than they will be when they sign a second contract, especially given the upward trend seen in the WR market this offseason.

Extensions signed by Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams and Stefon Diggs are chief among the new deals comfortably averaging more than $20MM per season. As a result of other lucrative contracts handed out over the past month, the number of wideouts set to make or eclipse that mark is now nine. Between that fact, and the expected surge in the salary cap ceiling in the near future, a number of young receivers will be requesting sizeable new pacts as early as possible.

Samuel has long been named as a top financial priority for the 49ers. In 2021 especially, he demonstrated his unique ability in both the passing and running games, posting 1,770 scrimmage yards and 14 total touchdowns. That led to a report last week claiming he will be seeking around $25MM per season.

Brown, meanwhile, had his worst statistical season in 2021. In 13 games, he still totalled 869 receiving yards and averaged nearly 14 yards per catch. He has two 1,000-yard seasons and a Pro Bowl to his name, and extension talks have begun between him and the Titans. As for McLaurin, his production despite inconsistent QB play has been impressive; he has recorded 222 receptions for 3,090 yards and 16 scores, making his extension a priority for Washington.

As Schefter notes, McLaurin will still attend the Commanders’ program, which starts today. Still, the fact that he and the others will not be on the field signals their desire to get extended before the final year of their rookie deals begins in the fall.

Contract Details: Brown, Mack, Woods

April 16th, 2022 at 12:37pm CST by Ben Levine

Here are some details on deals recently signed around the NFL:

  • Trent Brown, OL (Patriots): two-year, $11.5MM deal. Brown’s deal includes a $750K weight bonus in 2022 and 2023, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss. He’ll earn $150K if he shows up to the first day of offseason program at 385 pounds or less, another $75K if he’s at or under 375 pounds by June 1, another $75K if he’s at or under 365 pounds by July 15, and $25K weekly bonuses if he’s at 365 pounds or less each Thursday during the season.
  • Marlon Mack, RB (Texans): signed. It’s a one-year, $2MM deal, according to Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (on Twitter). The deal includes a $250K signing bonus, a $1.25MM base salary, and $29K in per-game roster bonuses.
  • Auden Tate, WR (Falcons): one-year deal. The deal includes a $1.03MM base salary and only counts $930K against the cap, according to ESPN’s Michael Rothstein (on Twitter). Tate can also earn $5K per-game roster bonuses.
  • Xavier Woods, S (Panthers): three-year, $15.75MM deal. Deal includes more than $6MM in guaranteed money, per Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (on Twitter). The deal includes a $5MM signing bonus. Woods can earn $250K for each Pro Bowl he makes. The safety will be owed a $1MM roster bonus on the third day of the 2023 league year.
  • Solomon Thomas, DL (Jets): one-year deal. The deal is worth $2.25MM, including $1.9MM in guaranteed money, tweets ESPN’s Rich Cimini (on Twitter). Thomas can earn another $2.5MM in incentives.
  • Will Hernandez, OL (Cardinals): one-year deal. The deal is worth $1.18MM, with $1.04MM in guaranteed money, according to veteran reporter Howard Balzer. The deal includes a $152K signing bonus. As a veteran qualifying contract, the deal counts $1.04MM against the cap.
  • Jesse Davis, OL (Vikings): one-year, $3MM deal. The deal includes a $1.5MM signing bonus, a $1.25MM fully guaranteed base salary, a $50K workout bonus, and up to $200K in per-game roster bonuses, tweets Ben Goessling of the Star-Tribune.. There’s also a void year in 2023.
  • Randy Bullock, K (Titans): signed. It’s a two-year deal worth $4.68MM, plus additional money for incentives, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter).

Steve Wilks, Ray Horton Join Brian Flores’ Lawsuit; Allegations Made Against Cardinals, Titans

April 7th, 2022 at 12:11pm CST by Adam La Rose

Two additions have been made to the class-action lawsuit filed by Brian Flores. Panthers secondary coach Steve Wilks and former NFL staffer Ray Horton have joined the suit, making allegations against the league, but also the Cardinals and Titans, respectively. 

As first reported by Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Wilks’ allegations stem from his time as head coach of the Cardinals. The 52-year-old held that title for one year, the 2018 season. As the new complaint details, Wilks “was hired as a ‘bridge coach’ and was not given any meaningful chance to succeed” (Twitter link via ESPN’s Adam Schefter). It adds that Wilks “was unfairly and discriminatorily” fired after the team went 3-13.

Central to that point is the fact that general manager Steve Keim was away from the team during the preseason leading up to that campaign as a result of a DUI, and has since been given a contract extension. As Florio notes, Wilks also preferred the team trade up to draft Josh Allen that year; it was with the Cardinals’ ultimate selection, Josh Rosen, that Arizona and Wilks had that losing season. The allegation details how his replacement, Kliff Kingsbury, “has been given a much longer leash” during his tenure alongside Kyler Murray, despite the former’s lack of NFL experience and college success.

Horton, 61, alleges that in 2016 he participated in a “sham interview” for the Titans’ head coaching position. He had previously been the defensive coordinator of the team for two seasons, but they hired Mike Mularkey. As noted by the complaint, the latter had already been told he would be hired before the “fake” process of interviews (including with Horton, to satisfy the Rooney Rule) began, and stated as much in a recent podcast interview (audio link via Pro Football Focus’ Ari Meirov). Horton most recently coached in Washington in 2019.

In the aftermath of these developments, Flores (who has himself made changes to his complaint), Wilks and Horton have made brief statements (Twitter link via ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler). Both the Cardinals and Titans have rebuffed the assertion that their respective decisions were discriminatory.

Titans Not Fielding Trade Calls On A.J. Brown

April 5th, 2022 at 1:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

Earlier this offseason, the Titans made it clear they saw signing wideout A.J. Brown to a new contract as a top priority. Despite his name being included in trade speculation, that remains the case, as reported by ESPN’s Dianna Russini (Twitter link). 

[RELATED: Titans, Brown Begin Extension Talks]

As she states, the Titans “are not shopping or taking calls on” Brown, who has one year remaining on his rookie contract. The 24-year-old was one of several noteworthy WRs taken in the second round in 2019, and has established himself as the Titans’ No. 1 at the position. He already has two 1,000-yard seasons and a Pro Bowl appearance to his name.

It came as no surprise, then, when general manager Jon Robinson turned his attention to an extension for Brown following the one given to edge rusher Harold Landry. “A.J. is a Titan, and we want to keep A.J. a Titan” he said, aiming at a new deal “whenever that manifests itself”.

In the short time which has elapsed since those “very, very preliminary” contract talks started, it doesn’t appear as though any significant inroads have been made. At the latest, the two parties have until next offseason to get a new deal done; by that time, though, the likes of Deebo Samuel, D.K. Metcalf and Terry McLaurin could all have second contracts of their own.

Of those three, Metcalf has been the most involved with respect to trade talk, but Seattle intends to retain Brown’s former Ole Miss teammate. If Tennessee does the same, teams in need of help in the pass-catching department will need to look elsewhere.

Titans, A.J. Brown Begin Extension Talks

March 28th, 2022 at 5:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Titans made extending their 2018 second-round draftee their pre-free agency centerpiece item, coming to an agreement with Harold Landry. Their next core task will be extending their 2019 Round 2 pick.

A.J. Brown and the Titans have begun extension talks, according to GM Jon Robinson, who confirmed the team wants the standout wide receiver in Tennessee long-term. While the discussions are “very, very preliminary,” per Robinson, the recent activity on the receiver market injects additional intrigue into the situation. Brown became extension-eligible in January.

“A.J. is a Titan, and we want to keep A.J. a Titan,” Robinson said, via Jim Wyatt of TennesseeTitans.com. “And that’s part of our goal this offseason, or whenever that manifests itself, to come to an agreement to keep him around.”

Despite not using their franchise tag on Landry, the Titans extended their top edge rusher hours after the deadline passed. The team has more time with Brown, but the blossoming pass catcher is going into a contract year. And the wide receiver market has exploded over the past several days, with both Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill topping DeAndre Hopkins‘ 2020 extension.

Brown reaching the Adams or Hill tier might be unrealistic, but his age (24) and production work to his advantage. The Raiders and Dolphins’ extension decisions raised the bar for a 2019 draft class that includes Brown, Deebo Samuel, D.K. Metcalf and Terry McLaurin. Being drafted outside the first round, and thus not restricted by the fifth-year option, this promising quartet will play a key role in where the receiver market goes in the coming months. It will be interesting to see which teams move forward with big-ticket extensions on this recently adjusted market and which clubs hold off. The franchise tag may well come into play with members of this group.

A Metcalf Ole Miss teammate, Brown started his career with two 1,000-yard seasons and is one of the NFL’s top young wideouts. Brown missed four games with chest and hamstring injuries last season but remains Tennessee’s top aerial weapon. He will have a new veteran complement in 2022, with the Titans trading for Robert Woods, who is attached to a deal that runs through 2025. Woods’ Rams-constructed extension calls for a 2022 base salary of $10MM and $13.75MM salaries in 2023 and ’24. Beyond 2022, none of Woods’ money is guaranteed.

AFC Coaching Notes: Titans, Jets, Bills, Steelers, Raiders, Patriots

March 27th, 2022 at 8:15pm CST by Ely Allen

After parting ways with the Panthers early this year, former NFL linebacker Chase Blackburn has joined the Titans as the team’s assistant special teams coach. After playing ten years in the NFL for the Giants and Panthers, Blackburn transitioned into the coaching world working his way up to the role of the Panthers’ special teams coordinator, a position he held for four seasons.

Panthers’ head coach Matt Rhule initially retained Blackburn from former head coach Ron Rivera‘s staff, but fired him this January. He finds second life with fellow former NFL linebacker and current Titans’ head coach Mike Vrabel. Additionally, after season-long tryouts, the Titans have promoted Clint McMillan (defensive line assistant) and Kylan Butler (offensive assistant) to full time positions.

Here are a few other coaching updates from around the AFC:

  • The Jets announced a series of assistant coach hirings including Ben Wilkerson and Dan Shamash. Wilkerson moves from one New York team to another, taking the same position as assistant offensive line coach on head coach Robert Saleh‘s staff. Shamash is a New York native that returns to the tri-state area after five seasons as the Chargers’ assistant tight ends coach to become the Jets’ situational football/game management coordinator. He’s worked with Saleh before in Jacksonville.
  • Elsewhere in New York, the Bills announced that they’ve added Mike Shula as a senior offensive assistant. The former college head coach and NFL offensive coordinator spent the past two seasons in Denver as the Broncos’ quarterbacks coach. They also announced the promotion of Eric Washington. The Bills’ defensive line coach of the past two seasons will have the title of senior defensive assistant added to his billing.
  • The Steelers announced the hiring of their new assistant line coach earlier this month. Isaac Williams joins the NFL coaching ranks after years in college football. Williams has been the offensive line coach at North Carolina Central University (2021), Morgan State (2018-20), and Northern Colorado (2016-17).
  • Las Vegas has hired former college coaching assistant Frederick Walker as a new offensive assistant assigned to work with quarterbacks, according to Myles Simmons of NBC Sports. Walker most recently worked as the quarterbacks coach for the UMass Minutemen. His time in the college ranks saw him working with Giants’ quarterback Daniel Jones at Duke University as well as Cowboys’ quarterback Dak Prescott during his time at Mississippi State. He’ll work underneath new head coach Josh McDaniels and offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi to assist Derek Carr and company on their road back to consecutive playoff seasons.
  • After being passed up by Matt Groh for the director of player personnel promotion, Eliot Wolf was announced as the Patriots’ new director of scouting on Friday, a promotion from his previous title of front office consultant. According to Wilson, the team also announced that Camren Williams would be named college scouting director.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/23/22

March 23rd, 2022 at 7:54pm CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

New York Jets

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Titans S Kevin Byard Reworks Contract

March 23rd, 2022 at 7:40pm CST by Ben Levine

Kevin Byard has helped the Titans open up a chunk of cap space. According to ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter), the All-Pro safety has agreed to a restructured contract.

Specifically, the Titans converted $10.96MM of Byard’s salary into a signing bonus. This move ended up opening $8.7MM in cap space.

Byard reestablished himself as one of the league’s top safeties in 2021, earning his second career All-Pro and Pro Bowl nod. In 17 games, the 28-year-old finished with 88 tackles, 13 passes defended, and five interceptions. Byard has 23 interceptions in 97 games (88 starts), all with the Titans. He was a third-round pick by the organization in 2016.

The safety inked a five-year, $70.5MM deal ($31MM guaranteed) with the Titans in 2019. He restructured his deal last offseason to save the Titans some extra money, and for the second year in a row, Byard has helped Tennessee open some space.

 

Contract Details: Winston, Ward, Fournette, Conklin, Jones, Jewell, Vander Esch

March 22nd, 2022 at 8:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the latest details from recently agreed-upon contracts around the NFL:

  • Charvarius Ward, CB (49ers): Three years, $40.5MM. Of Ward’s $26.7MM in guarantees, $12MM comes via a signing bonus, Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus tweets. The 49ers will keep Ward’s initial cap hit low, with his 2022 figure checking in at $3.8MM. That spikes to $16.3MM in 2023. Two void years are included in Ward’s deal, giving the 49ers a cap charge of $4.81MM in 2025.
  • Jameis Winston, QB (Saints): Two years, $28MM. Winston received a $14MM signing bonus and has a $1.2MM fully guaranteed 2022 base salary, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes. $5.8MM of Winston’s $12.8MM 2023 base salary is presently guaranteed for injury; it will become fully guaranteed on Day 3 of the 2023 league year. Winston can earn up to $16MM in incentives, $8MM in each year, through team accomplishments — as long as Winston is the Saints’ primary starter — and participation rate.
  • Leonard Fournette, RB (Buccaneers): Three years, $21MM. Along with a $4.5MM signing bonus, the Bucs fully guaranteed Fournette’s 2022 base salary ($2MM) and $2MM of his $6.5MM 2023 base, Florio notes. Another $2MM of that amount turns from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee next year. Fournette’s $6.5MM 2024 base is nonguaranteed. Among the deal’s $1.5MM in incentives, which only cover 2023 and 2024, Fournette can collect $250K for finishing a season in the top 15 in rushing yards and $500K for a top-10 rushing finish.
  • Tyler Conklin, TE (Jets): Three years, $20.25MM. The Jets are guaranteeing Conklin $10MM, including $3.9MM of his 2023 base salary. Conklin’s cap hits go $3.4MM, $8.4MM, $8.4MM from 2022-24, Spielberger tweets.
  • Ben Jones, C (Titans): Two years, $14MM. Jones will see $8MM guaranteed, which comes via $6.88MM signing bonus and a guaranteed $1.12MM 2022 base salary, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com tweets. Jones’ deal includes a $1MM roster bonus due on Day 5 of the 2023 league year. His 2023 base salary comes in at $5MM.
  • Josey Jewell, LB (Broncos): Two years, $11MM. The Broncos guaranteed Jewell $6MM, which is present through a $4MM signing bonus and a $1.5MM 2022 base salary, Wilson tweets. His nonguaranteed 2023 base comes in at $4.49MM. An additional $1MM in incentives are also available for the four-year veteran.
  • Leighton Vander Esch, LB (Cowboys): One year, $2MM. The Cowboys are guaranteeing $1.75MM and included an additional $1MM in playing-time incentives, Ari Meirov of PFF tweets.
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