Titans Sign TE Luke Stocker
Luke Stocker is heading back to Tennessee. The Titans have signed the veteran tight end, reports Jim Wyatt of the team’s website (via Twitter). The team also waived defensive back Quenton Meeks and placed offensive lineman Brandon Kemp on injured reserve.
This is a bit of a homecoming for Stocker; the tight end went to college at Tennessee and played for the Titans for two seasons. The veteran has managed to put together a 10-year NFL career, including the past two with the Falcons. Known more for his blocking prowess (Stocker also has experience playing fullback), the veteran has hauled in 83 receptions for 693 yards and five touchdowns during his career.
After losing Jonnu Smith in free agency, the Titans have been looking for some extra depth behind presumed starter Anthony Firkser. Stocker will compete with the likes of Geoff Swaim, Jared Pinkney, Tommy Hudson, and Miller Forristall for a roster spot.
Meeks, a 2018 undrafted free agent out of Stanford, has collected eight tackles in 14 career games. After getting waived by the Jaguars earlier this offseason, he signed with the Titans. Kemp joined the Titans as an undrafted free agent out of Valdosta State in 2020. The offensive lineman reportedly suffered a shoulder injury during practice this week.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/30/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: TE Marcus Baugh
- Waived: TE Dax Raymond
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: C Spencer Pulley, C Patrick Morris
- Waived: OT Elijah Nkansah
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/29/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: OT Kelvin Beachum, G Deion Calhoun, WR Rico Gafford, C Rodney Hudson, WR Andy Isabella, WR KeeSean Johnson, G Justin Pugh
Houston Texans
- Signed: WR Jordan Veasy
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: CB Holton Hill, DT Joey Ivie
Las Vegas Raiders
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Jalen Richard, RB Theo Riddick
- Signed: RB B.J. Emmons, RB Darius Jackson
- Placed on NFI list: RB Kenyan Drake
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on NFI list: K Wil Lutz, CB P.J. Williams
New York Giants
- Released from IR with injury settlement: RB Taquan Mizzell
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: S Obi Melifonwu
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: OT Chidi Okeke
- Waived: OT Calvin Ashley
Tennessee Titans
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Bud Dupree; Dupree remains on Tennessee’s active/PUP list as well
Washington Football Team
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Matt Ioannidis, CB Chris Miller, WR Curtis Samuel
- Signed: TE Nick Guggemos, LB Justus Reed
Titans Sign DB Briean Boddy-Calhoun
Briean Boddy-Calhoun has joined his sixth NFL team. The veteran defensive back is signing with the Titans, reports Aaron Wilson (via Twitter).
After appearing in 43 games through his first three seasons in the NFL, the cornerback has been limited to only four games over the past two seasons. He stayed unsigned for most of the 2020 campaign, but after joining San Francisco’s practice squad in December, he managed to get into one game for the 49ers, appearing exclusively on special teams.
While Boddy-Calhoun‘s recent inability to stick around the league is worrying, the former undrafted free agent showed enough to stick around the NFL during his stint with the Browns. In total, the 28-year-old has seen time in 47 games (22 starts), collecting 151 tackles, three interceptions, and three sacks. The cornerback has spent time with the Jaguars, Browns, Texans, Colts, and 49ers.
This transaction follows the Titans placement of defensive back Chris Jones on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. Boddy-Calhoun‘s ability to play both cornerback and safety provides him a better opportunity at a roster spot, and he could provide some experience to a team that added three defensive backs in this year’s draft (Caleb Farley, Elijah Molden, and Brady Breeze).
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/26/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here.
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: OL Marcus Henry
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: LB Emmanuel Ellerbee, OL Jason Spriggs
- Cut: RB Tony Brooks-James
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: WR Reece Horn
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: CB Kyron Brown
Denver Broncos
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: S Jamar Johnson, CB Kary Vincent
Houston Texans
- Placed on PUP list: OL Marcus Cannon, OL Lane Taylor
- Cut: LS Mitchell Fraboni
Indianapolis Colts
- Placed on IR: DT Rob Windsor (out for year)
Kansas City Chiefs
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LS James Winchester
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: P Corliss Waitman
- Cut: K Dominik Eberle
Los Angeles Rams
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Tutu Atwell
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: TE Carson Meier
- Cut with injury settlement: TE Jibri Blount
Minnesota Vikings
- Placed on PUP list: K Riley Patterson
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DE Kendall Donnerson
- Placed on PUP list: WR Michael Thomas
- Placed on NFI list: OL Derrick Kelly
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DE Eddie Yarbrough
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR Darece Roberson
- Cut: CB Saivion Smith
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: DB Chris Cooper
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DL Kyle Peko, Anthony Rush,
- Cut: DL Bruce Hector
Titans Sign John Simon
The Titans have signed outside linebacker John Simon, per a club announcement. Fellow pass rusher Tuzar Skipper has been cut in a corresponding move. 
Simon has been with the Patriots for the last three years. In 2020, he started in all 16 games and registered 53 stops with two sacks. All in all, he’s got 97 appearances and 52 career starts to his credit for the Ravens, Texans, Colts, and Patriots.
Simon is perhaps best known for the three-year, $14MM deal he signed with the Colts in 2017. That deal didn’t make it to Year Two, but he’s quietly put together a solid career in the NFL. Few know Simon’s ability better than Titans head coach Mike Vrabel, who’s coached the veteran at two different stops.
Skipper, meanwhile, will go to the waiver wire. Teams will have 24 hours to enter claims on him before he reaches unfettered free agency.
Titans Sign Third-Round LB Monty Rice, Wrap Up Draft Class
The Titans became the latest team to finalize their 2021 draft class on Saturday. Tennessee agreed to terms with third-round linebacker Monty Rice, their last remaining unsigned draft pick, the team announced.
Rice was the 92nd pick of this past draft coming out of Georgia. He earned first-team All-SEC honors in 2020 after making second-team the year before. He became a starter in his sophomore season and was a finalist for the Butkus Award this past season.
In nine 2020 games for the Bulldogs he finished with 49 tackles, four for a loss, a sack, and two forced fumbles. The Titans have Jayon Brown, Rashaan Evans, and David Long ahead of him at inside linebacker right now, so they likely won’t be counting on him to play a ton as a rookie. They did recently decline Evans’ fifth-year option, and Brown is entering a contract year as well, so Rice could be looked at as the future.
With Rice under contract, all eight of the Titans’ picks are now wrapped up:
Round 1: No. 22 Caleb Farley, CB (Virginia Tech)
Round 2: No. 53 Dillon Radunz, OT (North Dakota State)
Round 3: No. 92 (from Packers) Monty Rice, LB (Georgia)
Round 3: No. 100 Elijah Molden, CB (Washington)
Round 4: No. 109 (from Texans via Panthers) Dez Fitzpatrick, WR (Louisville)
Round 4: No. 135 (from Packers) Rashad Weaver, DE (Pittsburgh)
Round 6: No. 205 Racey McMath, WR (LSU)
Round 6: No. 215 (from Chiefs) Brady Breeze, S (Oregon)
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/24/21
Here are Saturday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the day:
Denver Broncos
- Placed on active/PUP list: CB Essang Bassey, LB Baron Browning, CB Duke Dawson
Green Bay Packers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Ray Wilborn
- Placed on active/PUP list: RB Patrick Taylor
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Chris Claybrooks
Kansas City Chiefs
- Placed on NFL list: DE Malik Herring
- Placed on active/PUP list: DB Armani Watts
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: TE De’Quan Hampton
- Placed on active/PUP list: TE Cameron Brate, WR Justin Watson
Tennessee Titans
- Placed on NFI list: C Aaron Brewer
- Placed on active/PUP list: RB Jeremy McNichols, OT Ty Sambrailo
Titans Place Bud Dupree On PUP List, Caleb Farley On NFI List
The Titans’ top two offseason acquisitions on defense came with injury tags, and each will begin the team’s training camp out of practice. Tennessee placed Bud Dupree on its active/PUP list and parked first-round pick Caleb Farley on its non-football injury list Saturday.
Both can be removed from these respective lists at any point during camp, and each designation was expected. Dupree is coming off a December ACL tear, while Farley missed Tennessee’s minicamp while recovering from offseason back surgery. Were Dupree to land on the Titans’ reserve/PUP list to start the regular season, he would miss the team’s first six games.
Dupree did not offer any clarity on his rehab timetable recently, and given the recovery time for ACL tears, it would not surprise if the ex-Steeler sack artist was held out of camp. Despite the injury and the pandemic-induced salary cap reduction, the Titans gave Dupree a five-year, $82.5MM deal that included $33.8MM fully guaranteed.
Farley has now undergone two back surgeries, with the second coming in March. The first-round cornerback initially encountered lower-back trouble while training ahead of Virginia Tech’s 2019 season, and after he excelled that fall to vault onto the first-round radar, the malady ended his second and final Hokies season early. Farley opted out of the 2020 season, but the Titans — as they did with Jeffery Simmons in 2019 — bet on talent and selected the standout defender 22nd overall. Farley received an NFI designation because his injury occurred before he entered the NFL.
In better Titans news, both A.J. Brown and Taylor Lewan avoided any injury-related designations heading into camp. Brown underwent surgery on both knees this offseason; Lewan is coming back from an ACL tear.
Titans Place DT Abry Jones On Reserve/Retired List
The Titans signed Abry Jones in early June, but it does not look like the longtime Jaguars defensive tackle will suit up for the team. Tennessee placed Jones on its reserve/retired list Saturday.
Jones played eight seasons with the Jaguars and exited the 2020 season as the team’s longest-tenured player. The now-Urban Meyer-led franchise did not re-sign the veteran defensive tackle this offseason, leading him to the Titans.
This transaction follows Kevin Johnson‘s retirement, which came a day after Jones signed with the Titans. Tennessee signed Johnson in March, but the veteran cornerback opted to retire in June. Jones, 29, appears to be following suit.
A 2013 UDFA out of Georgia, Jones started 52 games with the Jags but operated as a regular since his second season. The 318-pound D-lineman was a starter for the top-tier Jacksonville defenses in 2017 and 2018, working as the team’s nose tackle. He played in just five games last season, suffering an ankle injury that led him to IR.
Jones recorded 9.5 sacks and 18 tackles for loss with the Jaguars. Pro Football Focus rated Jones as a top-10 interior D-lineman in 2016; that season led the Jags to give him a four-year, $16MM extension ahead of his free agency. The Titans signed Jones to a one-year, $1.1MM deal, but the pact did not include any fully guaranteed money.