Tennessee Titans News & Rumors

Titans Aiming To Keep OLB Harold Landry

Harold Landry‘s breakthrough contract year will earn him quite a bit of money soon. The Titans would prefer it be their cash the free agent-to-be collects.

Tennessee’s top pass rusher finished with a career-high 12 sacks and made his first Pro Bowl. The former second-round pick also totaled 43 pressures, seventh in the NFL, and a career-best 22 quarterback hits. Landry, who also added 1.5 sacks in Tennessee’s nine-sack divisional-round performance, is poised to be one of the top free agents available come March.

I think Harold wants to be [with us], not to speak for him,” Titans GM Jon Robinson said. “We are going to do everything we can to try and keep Harold, but we understand there’s a lot of other things that need to go down, too. … We have to plan and forecast how we are going to allocate salary cap resources.”

The Titans have the franchise tag at their disposal, but the AFC South champions are projected to be nearly $10MM over the 2022 cap at this point. Though, it is still early here. Ryan Tannehill‘s cap number is set to rise from $11.1MM to $38.6MM, in the penultimate year of his deal, as well. The Titans already gave Bud Dupree a five-year, $82.5MM deal. Dupree missed time due to injury but could only register three sacks and eight QB hits in 11 games coming off his 2020 ACL tear, amplifying Landry’s importance.

While other standout edge rushers are set to hit free agency, Landry’s age (25) works strongly in his favor. Von Miller, Chandler Jones, Jason Pierre-Paul and Jadeveon Clowney are among the other big edge names set to hit the market. Of these, only Clowney (29 this month) is under 31. Among the younger pass rushers set for free agency — a list headlined by Haason Reddick, Derek Barnett, Emmanuel Ogbah and Uchenna Nwosu — Landry appears set to command the top value. Projecting the linebacker franchise tag to land north of $18MM, CBS Sports’ Joel Corry views Landry as a prime tag candidate.

Updated 2022 NFL Draft Order

Championship Sunday has come and gone, and with it, we now know the matchup for Super Bowl LVI. The Rams’ win on Sunday guarantees that the Lions’ other first round pick will be in the bottom two, slightly devaluing it relative to if they had lost. Still, it is one of the bargaining chips they hold if they were to attempt to move up into the top spot, from their current position of second. As one of four teams with multiple picks in the opening round, Detroit will certainly be a squad to keep an eye on in April.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order is determined by the inverted 2021 standings, plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. For playoff teams, the order is determined by their postseason outcome and regular season record.

Here is the updated order after this weekend’s results:

  1. Jacksonville Jaguars: 3-14
  2. Detroit Lions: 3-13-1
  3. Houston Texans: 4-13
  4. New York Jets: 4-13
  5. New York Giants: 4-13
  6. Carolina Panthers: 5-12
  7. New York Giants(via Bears)
  8. Atlanta Falcons: 7-10
  9. Denver Broncos: 7-10
  10. New York Jets (via Seahawks)
  11. Washington Football Team: 7-10
  12. Minnesota Vikings: 8-9
  13. Cleveland Browns: 8-9
  14. Baltimore Ravens: 8-9
  15. Philadelphia Eagles (via Dolphins)
  16. Philadelphia Eagles (via Colts)
  17. Los Angeles Chargers: 9-8
  18. New Orleans Saints: 9-8
  19. Philadelphia Eagles: 9-8
  20. Pittsburgh Steelers: 9-7-1
  21. New England Patriots: 10-7
  22. Las Vegas Raiders: 10-7
  23. Arizona Cardinals: 11-6
  24. Dallas Cowboys: 12-5
  25. Buffalo Bills: 11-6
  26. Tennessee Titans: 12-5
  27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 13-4
  28. Green Bay Packers: 13-4
  29. Miami Dolphins (via 49ers)
  30. Kansas City Chiefs: 12-5
  31. Cincinnati Bengals: 10-7*
  32. Detroit Lions (via Rams)

* = Remaining playoff teams

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/25/22

Here are Tuesday’s reserve/futures deals:

Arizona Cardinals

  • P Nolan Cooney

Green Bay Packers

Miami Dolphins

  • DB D’Angelo Ross

New England Patriots 

Tennessee Titans

Panthers, Titans Coaching Updates

There’s been a few updates with respect to the changes in the Panthers’ and Titans’ coaching staffs. The largest change so far, of course, is the hiring of Ben McAdoo as offensive coordinator for Carolina. On Monday, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport confirmed that the team has made that hire official (Twitter link). 

The 44-year-old comes in with a successful background at the OC level, having helped the Giants to top-ten rankings in 2014 and 2015. That earned him the head coaching position in New York, although it certainly didn’t end the way he would have wanted. Still, there are high hopes he can turn around a Panthers offense that struggled mightily in 2021, leading to the mid-season firing of Joe Brady.

Meanwhile, Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk reported that Carolina is conducting a second interview with Chris Tabor for the special teams coordinator vacancy. The Panthers fired Chase Blackburn earlier this month, and already met with Tabor, who has previously been a ST coordinator with the Browns and Bears. Unlike the first interview, this one will take place in person. Alper notes that the Panthers had offered the job to current Giants ST coordinator Thomas McGaughey, “but the two sides could not agree on a contract”.

As for the Titans, the disappointing loss on Saturday has led to at least four changes on their staff. As Sport Illustrated’s John Glennon tweets, the coaches being let go include: inside linebackers coach Jim Haslett, assistant defensive line coach Kenechi Udeze, assistant ST coach Matt Edwards and assistant strength and conditioning coach Mondray Gee. Tennessee finished the year atop the AFC, but lost in their opening playoff game for the second straight season.

 

Latest On Bears’ GM Search

At least three finalists have emerged for the Bears GM gig. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter), the organization has requested second interviews with Titans director of player personnel Monti Ossenfort and Patriots senior consultant Eliot Wolf. We previously learned that Chiefs director of player personnel Ryan Poles would also be getting a second interview. Colts director of college scouting Morocco Brown could also be a candidate for a second interview, per Rapoport.

[RELATED: Bears Request Second GM Interview With Ryan Poles]

Ossenfort has been the director of player personnel in Tennessee for the past two years. Prior to the Titans, he spent 17 seasons in the Patriots’ organization, acting as the director of college scouting in his last six years in New England.

Wolf started off as a pro personnel assistant in 2004 with the Packers, where his father, Ron Wolf, served as general manager. In eight years with the team, Eliot worked his way into the director of pro personnel role, which he held for three years. In his last two seasons in Green Bay, he spent time in the roles of director of player personnel and director of football operations. He left Wisconsin for the assistant general manager position in Cleveland before taking his current position as a senior consultant in New England.

Brown had a seven-year stint as the Bears assistant director of pro personnel. He’s served as a top executive in Indy for the past five years, with Brown earning credit for his draft evaluation. He interviewed for the Falcons GM gig last offseason.

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/24/22

Here are Monday’s reserve/futures deals:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

New Orleans Saints

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Titans Expect Derrick Henry To Be Fully Healthy In 2022

The Titans were indeed able to get superstar running back Derrick Henry back in the lineup on Saturday, marking an impressive return to the field after suffering what was initially thought to be a season-ending injury. While Tennessee wound up on the losing end of that game, it is expected that he will be fully healthy for the beginning of next season. 

As Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk writes, Titans head coach Mike Vrabel addressed his star’s health status at a press conference on Monday. He said, “I think he’s fully healed. I know he’s fully healed”, referring to the Jones Fracture Henry suffered in Week 8. Vrabel added, “I’m sure he’ll have a great offseason”, paving the way for the 28-year-old to carry on as the league’s preeminent workhouse back.

When asked whether wear and tear led to the injury, Vrabel responded that he “didn’t get that sense from any doctor”. Henry had 219 carries in those first eight games, putting him on pace for the highest total of his career. He was ultimately able to work his way back to full health in time for the Divisional Round, allowing the team to give him 20 carries against the Bengals, although he managed to turn those into just 62 yards.

Considering the production Henry had in less than half of one season (a league-leading 937 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns), it would of course be a huge boost to the Titans if he were to be healed and able to pick up where he left off in 2022.

Updated 2022 NFL Draft Order

The Divisional Round has come to end, and after each game was decided on the final play, the season has come to a bitter end for another four teams. That brings the total number of squads locked into their first round draft position to 28. Interestingly, the Rams and 49ers are still standing after they each parted ways with top draft picks this past offseason. San Francisco’s first choice is currently slated to be 61st overall, while the Rams aren’t projected to be on the board until the 101st pick. For Los Angeles in particular, the decision is certainly paying off so far.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order is determined by the inverted 2021 standings, plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. For playoff teams, the order is determined by their postseason outcome and regular season record.

Here is the updated order after this weekend’s results:

  1. Jacksonville Jaguars: 3-14
  2. Detroit Lions: 3-13-1
  3. Houston Texans: 4-13
  4. New York Jets: 4-13
  5. New York Giants: 4-13
  6. Carolina Panthers: 5-12
  7. New York Giants(via Bears)
  8. Atlanta Falcons: 7-10
  9. Denver Broncos: 7-10
  10. New York Jets (via Seahawks)
  11. Washington Football Team: 7-10
  12. Minnesota Vikings: 8-9
  13. Cleveland Browns: 8-9
  14. Baltimore Ravens: 8-9
  15. Philadelphia Eagles (via Dolphins)
  16. Philadelphia Eagles (via Colts)
  17. Los Angeles Chargers: 9-8
  18. New Orleans Saints: 9-8
  19. Philadelphia Eagles: 9-8
  20. Pittsburgh Steelers: 9-7-1
  21. New England Patriots: 10-7
  22. Las Vegas Raiders: 10-7
  23. Arizona Cardinals: 11-6
  24. Dallas Cowboys: 12-5
  25. Buffalo Bills: 11-6
  26. Tennessee Titans: 12-5
  27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 13-4
  28. Green Bay Packers: 13-4
  29. Cincinnati Bengals: 10-7*
  30. Miami Dolphins (via 49ers)
  31. Detroit Lions (via Rams)
  32. Kansas City Chiefs: 12-5*

* = Remaining playoff teams

NFL COVID-19 Updates: 1/21/22

Here are the COVID-19 updates of the last few days from around the league:

Cincinnati Bengals

Tennessee Titans

  • Placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Greg Mabin

 

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/21/22

Keeping tabs on the latest minor moves:

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

New England Patriots

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans