Titans Have Discussed New Deal With LB Harold Landry
Titans outside linebacker Harold Landry had a breakout season at the perfect time, finishing with a career-high 12 sacks before hitting free agency this offseason. Naturally, the organization wants to keep Landry in Tennessee, as GM Jon Robinson told reporters today.
“I hope so, but there’s a lot of factors that go into that,” Robinson said when asked if he thinks Landry will be back next season (via Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com). “He’s certainly worked hard. He’s been about what we’re about. We’re going to do our best to keep him.”
Robinson also acknowledged that the Titans have discussed a new deal with Landry.
“Yeah, we’ve had some discussions,” Robinson said. “We will continue to have those discussions. We’ve got a meeting later this week. Continue to work through that situation, we’ve got a little bit of time on the tag decision. We’ve got a little more time on hopefully a long-term solution. Continue to work through that. We’ll see how it goes.”
The Titans are a bit strapped for cash at the moment ($8.3MM over the cap), so they’ll have to do some maneuvering to afford Landry’s next deal. This will be especially true if the organization simply decides to tag the 25-year-old, which would be valued at $18.5MM. Wilson estimates that Landry could earn between $17MM and $19MM on the open market.
Landry was a second-round pick out of Boston College in 2018, and he’s spent his entire four-year career with the Titans. After serving as mostly a backup during his rookie campaign, Landry has started all 49 games for Tennessee over the past three years. That includes a 2021 campaign where he earned his first Pro Bowl nod.
Minor NFL Transactions: 2/24/22
Today’s minor moves around the NFL:
Houston Texans
- Re-signed: LB Tae Davis
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: LB Justin Lawler
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 2/22/22
Here are Tuesday’s reserve/futures deals:
Chicago Bears
- LB Noah Dawkins
Cincinnati Bengals
- WR Trent Taylor
Green Bay Packers
Miami Dolphins
New York Giants
Tennessee Titans
- WR Josh Malone
AFC Notes: Raiders, Chiefs, Dupree, Weddle
First-round draft pick Alex Leatherwood had an up-and-down rookie season in Las Vegas. After struggling a bit at right tackle, Leatherwood was moved to guard to fill in after injuries to starters Richie Incognito and Denzelle Good. According to Vic Tafur of The Athletic, the Raiders’ former staff intended to move Leatherwood back to his drafted position next season.
The decision is now out of their hands and in the hands of new offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo. With Kolton Miller set at left tackle and Andre James filling in admirably this season with the loss of center Rodney Hudson in a trade to the Cardinals last year, the Raiders have three offensive line spots with which to play around. Bricillo’s placement of Leatherwood will likely depend on how they choose to address those open positions.
Here are a few more notes from around the AFC, starting with another note from the West:
- Adam Teicher of ESPN reported that Chiefs’ reserve cornerback Chris Lammons is facing charges of battery resulting in substantial bodily harm and conspiracy to commit battery in connection with the incident involving Alvin Kamara. The special teamer was a practice squad member for the Saints back in 2018. Lammons didn’t enter a plea, posting bail after turning himself in. He is set to appear in court again on March 8.
- In other legal action, Titans’ linebacker Bud Dupree turned himself in on a misdemeanor assault charge this past Friday stemming from an incident last month in a Nashville Walgreens, according to Natalie Neysa Alund of the Tennessean. Dupree reported for booking, was fingerprinted, had his mugshot taken, and was released. He will return to court for a settlement hearing on April 22.
- Lastly, former NFL safety Eric Weddle, who recently retired from the league for the second time, has taken on the head coaching position at Rancho Bernardo High School near his old home of San Diego. The team announced the hire on their Facebook page earlier today. I know, I know, technically Weddle was most recently an NFC player, but, having spent 12 of his 14 NFL seasons in the AFC, I’m going to count it. Always known as one of the more cerebral players in the NFL, it will be interesting to see if Weddle pursues coaching beyond the high school level at some point in the future.
Titans Endorse Ryan Tannehill As Starting QB
Before the Titans’ playoff exit in the Divisional Round, there was a great deal of speculation surrounding quarterback Ryan Tannehill and his future with the team. After the loss – and in particular, Tannehill’s performance in the game – sentiment that Tennessee could need an upgrade only increased. 
However, the franchise is publicly backing Tannehill, as ESPN’s Turron Davenport writes. Both general manager Jon Robinson and head coach Mike Vrabel made it clear they have faith in the 33-year-old, despite his struggles in 2021. Tannehill threw for 220 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions in the team’s playoff loss to the Bengals. It marked a disappointing end to the season, given that Tennessee had earned the No. 1 seed in the AFC despite missing Derrick Henry for much of the campaign.
Another reason for fodder that the Titans could be getting a new signal-caller is the fact that Aaron Rodgers, who is “reportedly open to playing for the Titans”, recently purchased property near Nashville. However, the Packers’ QB – who has one year remaining on his current contract – is thought to be on better terms now with the team than he was one year ago. Furthermore, as Davenport notes, “the Titans don’t consider Rodgers to be an option for them” and they have “full intentions of moving forward with Tannehill”.
Specifically, Robinson said, “Ryan’s our quarterback. He’s made a lot of plays for us. He’s a great leader. He’s extremely tough. [We] love what Ryan brings to our football team, love what he stands for. We’re looking forward to him getting back in there, and getting back on track”. Vrabel also added: “He has elite toughness… He has shown signs of accuracy, of decision-making, the ability to extend plays and to scramble and leadership. Those are all things that you look for in a quarterback, and Ryan has shown us that”.
Robinson and Vrabel each signed extensions recently, so they could look to keep Tannehill as a way of maintaining continuity within the franchise. If he does stay in Tennessee, though, his cap hit will jump to $38.6MM as a result of the restructure he agreed to which accommodated the Julio Jones acquisition. If Tannehill is able to return to the level of play he showed in 2019 and 2020 – where he totalled 55 touchdown passed and only 13 interceptions – the team will likely have made the right choice. If 2021 (21 TDs, 14 INTs) is a better indicator of his future, though, sticking with him instead of looking elsewhere could prove costly.
Minor NFL Transactions: 2/14/22
Today’s minor moves:
Denver Broncos
- Claimed off waivers: DB Essang Bassey (from Chargers), P Corliss Waitman (from Steelers)
Detroit Lions
- Claimed off waivers: DB Juju Hughes (from Rams)
Houston Texans
- Claimed off waivers: DL Kingsley Keke (from Packers)
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DE Da’Shawn Hand
Per ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter), the Broncos (with Bassey and Waitman), Lions (with Hughes), and Texans (with Keke) placed their respective claims earlier in their offseasons. Since these players were on playoff teams, they weren’t immediately assigned. Instead, the teams needed to wait for the league year to switch over to 2022, allowing the players to join their new squads.
Updated 2022 NFL Draft Order
With Super Bowl LVI finished, the final two places in the 2022 Draft have been finalized. The Bengals’ top pick is locked into 31st, while the Rams will not have a selection until the third round. For the rest of the league, the focus has already shifted to free agency and the draft, of course, so now all eyes will be on the offseason maneuvering teams do to reshape their rosters.
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.
Pending trades, here is the final first round order of the 2022 Draft:
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 3-14
- Detroit Lions: 3-13-1
- Houston Texans: 4-13
- New York Jets: 4-13
- New York Giants: 4-13
- Carolina Panthers: 5-12
- New York Giants(via Bears)
- Atlanta Falcons: 7-10
- Denver Broncos: 7-10
- New York Jets (via Seahawks)
- Washington Football Team: 7-10
- Minnesota Vikings: 8-9
- Cleveland Browns: 8-9
- Baltimore Ravens: 8-9
- Philadelphia Eagles (via Dolphins)
- Philadelphia Eagles (via Colts)
- Los Angeles Chargers: 9-8
- New Orleans Saints: 9-8
- Philadelphia Eagles: 9-8
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 9-7-1
- New England Patriots: 10-7
- Las Vegas Raiders: 10-7
- Arizona Cardinals: 11-6
- Dallas Cowboys: 12-5
- Buffalo Bills: 11-6
- Tennessee Titans: 12-5
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 13-4
- Green Bay Packers: 13-4
- Miami Dolphins (via 49ers)
- Kansas City Chiefs: 12-5
- Cincinnati Bengals: 10-7
- Detroit Lions (via Rams)
Kelly To Be Titans' Pass-Game Coordinator
- Tim Kelly will serve as the Titans’ new passing-game coordinator, per TennesseeTitans.com’s Jim Wyatt. Kelly, the Texans’ OC from 2019-21, will work alongside Titans OC Todd Downing. Tim Kelly, the older brother of ex-Titans right tackle Dennis Kelly, and Mike Vrabel worked together on Houston’s staff ahead of the latter’s move to Tennessee. The Titans also hired Bobby King to be their inside linebackers coach. King also worked in Houston alongside Vrabel in 2017; he finished his Texans tenure as the team’s D-line coach this past season.
Titans Extend Mike Vrabel, GM Jon Robinson
Although the Titans could not turn their No. 1 seed into a postseason win, they are rewarding the top power brokers responsible for the team earning that first-round bye.
Mike Vrabel and GM Jon Robinson signed extensions with the team Tuesday. Vrabel is entering his fifth year as Titans head coach, while Robinson is going into his seventh as GM.
The Robinson-Vrabel partnership has changed the course of the Titans, who have made the playoffs in three straight seasons. This past 12-5 result gave Tennessee its first No. 1 seed since 2008, and the season could well lead to Vrabel earning Coach of the Year acclaim at this week’s NFL Honors banquet.
Vrabel has yet to have a losing season as Titans HC, and he broke the team’s four-year run of 9-7 seasons by winning the AFC South with an 11-5 record in 2020. He also oversaw upsets of the Patriots and Ravens in the 2019 playoffs, leading the Titans to their first AFC championship game since 2002.
The Titans gave Vrabel a five-year deal when he took the job in 2018, which would have made 2022 a walk year for the former Super Bowl-winning linebacker and Texans defensive coordinator. Vrabel, 46, has solidified himself in this role and is the longest-serving Titans HC since Jeff Fisher. The Titans battled through numerous injuries this season, deploying a historically high number of players due to the various maladies. Vrabel’s team defeated three of the four conference finalists this season — the Chiefs, Rams and 49ers — but its upset loss to the Bengals ended the run early.
Robinson, 46, has been with the Titans since coming over from the Buccaneers in 2016. Robinson’s teams have made the playoffs in four of the six seasons under his watch. Under Robinson, the Titans managed to land a starting quarterback in a trade package headlined by a fourth-round pick. While Ryan Tannehill has not been a top-tier QB, the former injury-prone Dolphins starter has stabilized his career in Tennessee. The Titans also landed Derrick Henry, Harold Landry and A.J. Brown in the second round under Robinson, who has built the most consistently good Titans teams since Fisher’s run in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Steelers To Interview Louis Riddick For GM
The search for a new general manager in Pittsburgh has led the team to Louis Riddick. The ESPN analyst is scheduled for an interview (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network).
[Related: Steelers Interview Three GM Candidates]
The 52-year-old began his front office career as a scout in Washington in 2001. He spent seven years there, then an additional six with the Eagles. The final four seasons of that time, in which he was Philadelphia’s director of pro personnel, represent his most senior job title. He has been out of the NFL since 2013, most recently working as an analyst on Monday Night Football. Last offseason, though, he received GM interest from the Lions, Texans and Jaguars.
A Pennsylvania native, Riddick played college football at Pitt, so he would certainly represent a hometown candidate to replace Kevin Colbert. He will be the fourth external candidate to interview for the role, though there are no details on when the sit-down will take place.
Here is where the Steelers’ GM search stands so far:
- Ryan Cowden, vice president of player personnel (Titans): Interviewed by 2/4
- Ed Dodds, assistant general manager (Colts): Interviewed by 2/4
- Omar Khan, vice president of football and business administration (Steelers): Mentioned as candidate
- Louis Riddick, former director of pro personnel (Eagles): Scheduled to interview
- JoJo Wooden, director of player personnel (Chargers): Interviewed by 2/4