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Tennessee Titans News & Rumors

Titans To Release WR Adam Humphries

February 25th, 2021 at 2:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

After two seasons, the Titans will move on from Adam Humphries. Tennessee will release its slot receiver, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

The Titans will save $4.75MM by making this move. Signing with the Titans after four seasons with the Buccaneers, Humphries ended up being a non-factor with his new team. The Titans will add some funds during an offseason that features Corey Davis and Jonnu Smith as free agents-to-be.

Coming off an 800-yard season with the 2018 Bucs, Humphries did not top 400 in either of his two Titans seasons. Tennessee leaned on wideouts Davis and A.J. Brown, while keeping its run-oriented offense in place. Humphries battled injuries in both his Titans seasons. His first Tennessee slate involved a late-season ankle injury; his second was capped at seven games.

A concussion ended Humphries’ 2020 season, marking obvious concern about the former UDFA’s NFL future. However, he could receive interest from teams that were in on him in 2019. The Titans outbid the Patriots for the slot target, signing him to a four-year deal worth $36MM. Releasing Humphries will also tag the Titans with $5MM in dead money.

Latest On J.J. Watt Market

February 24th, 2021 at 3:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

J.J. Watt‘s free agency stay has surpassed the 10-day mark. While the future Hall of Famer’s destination remains unknown, he may be narrowing down his list.

The 10-year veteran defensive end will not join the Steelers, according to John Clayton of ESPN 710 Seattle. During an appearance on 93.7 The Fan Pittsburgh, Clayton indicated Watt is still considering the Bills, Packers and Titans, with the Raiders looming as a dark-horse suitor. The veteran NFL reporter later added the Browns are also still in the mix (Twitter links).

Buffalo and Tennessee were two of the initial teams linked to Watt shortly after his Houston release. The Bills also surfaced as a potential finalist last week. Titans GM Jon Robinson and HC Mike Vrabel confirmed discussions with Watt have taken place. Vrabel was on Houston’s staff from 2014-17. The Packers trail both the Bills and Titans in cap space for a potential pursuit of the Wisconsin native, but the team has made moves to free up room in recent days. Green Bay, Buffalo and Tennessee each remain over the projected 2021 cap, so each team still has work to do.

The Raiders have not been shy about pursuing veterans under Jon Gruden, and the team has not truly replaced Khalil Mack since the summer 2018 trade. The franchise has not finished with a scoring defense ranked in the top 16 since 2002. Watt would certainly help on this front, though the Raiders are currently nearly $20MM over the projected cap. That trails the Browns, Bills, Packers and Titans.

After contacting Watt’s camp on the day of his release, the Browns were the first team reported as being in the mix to sign the three-time Defensive Player of the Year. Cleveland has Buffalo and Tennessee outflanked for cap space and spent much of the 2020 offseason chasing Jadeveon Clowney to team with Myles Garrett. Even if Watt decides to head elsewhere, the Browns are expected to acquire a Garrett pass-rushing wingman this offseason.

Although the Steelers have fellow Watts T.J. and Derek, their cap situation makes adding big-ticket free agents dicey. Pittsburgh is still ironing out details of Ben Roethlisberger‘s impending return, which will require an adjustment from his league-high $41MM-plus cap number.

Titans’ Isaiah Wilson “Done With Football”?

February 23rd, 2021 at 11:28am CST by Zachary Links

In a since-deleted tweet, Titans tackle Isaiah Wilson declared that he is “done with football” (via CBSSports.com). Of course, after recent comments made by GM Jon Robinson, it’s quite possible that the Titans are also done with him.

Wilson, the No. 29 overall pick in the 2020 draft, saw a grand total of four snaps last year. Once considered a top 5 prospect, Wilson went on to receive a DUI charge and spend two separate stints on the COVID-19 list. There was also a strange encounter with Tennessee State campus police in which Wilson was said to be trespassing and threatening to jump off of a balcony.

“He is going to have to make a determination on if he wants to do everything necessary to play pro football,” Robinson said earlier this month, adding that he hasn’t connected with Wilson since placing him on the non-football injury list to close the year.

Wilson has three years to go on his four-year, $11.6MM rookie deal. It’s not cost-prohibitive, but keeping Wilson could be more trouble than it’s worth. Releasing him this offseason would leave a sizable dead money charge on the books, with no real savings to be had.

Wilson was nitpicked by evaluators, as all prospects are, but no one could have anticipated such a precipitous and drastic fall for him. If the situation is unsalvageable for the Titans, and Wilson is not in fact “done with football,” there will still be plenty of interested teams. It was less than a year ago that Wilson was a rumored candidate for the Dolphins at No. 5 overall. At 6’7″ and still only 22 years of age, he’d profile as an intriguing low-risk, high-reward signing, despite all of the red flags.

Titans To Move On From K Stephen Gostkowski?

February 20th, 2021 at 10:21am CST by Ben Levine

Stephen Gostkowski‘s stint in Tennessee might only last one season. Speaking to Titans season ticket holders, head coach Mike Vrabel admitted that the organization may consider other options at kicker, and the team could look toward the draft “if there’s a kicker available that we like.” Gostkowski is set to hit free agency this offseason.

“We have got to make more kicks,” said Vrabel (via Jim Wyatt of the team’s website). “We feel like we are going to have to address that position and see what Stephen (Gostkowski) is going to do. His contract is up, (we’ll see) what he wants to do. But we’re going to have to have guys in here that have competition and we want to find somebody that is going to make them.”

The Patriots moved on from the veteran last offseason, and it took him until early September to land his gig with the Titans. Gostkowski struggled at the beginning of the season, missing three field goals and an extra point try during Tennessee’s Week 1 victory. The veteran was solid the rest of the way, connecting on 17 of his 22 remaining field goal attempts and 46 of his next 47 extra point tries. The 37-year-old also provided most of the Titans’ scoring during their playoff loss to Ravens, converting two field goals and an extra point.

Gostkowski’s career-low 69.2-percent field goal percentage is obviously concerning, so it makes sense that the Titans could look for some competition. On the flip side, few kickers will be able to match Gostkowski’s resume and winning pedigree; the veteran has won three Super Bowls, earned four Pro Bowl appearances, and garnered two first-team All-Pro nods.

Latest On Titans, J.J. Watt

February 19th, 2021 at 8:51pm CST by Sam Robinson
  • Watson’s longtime teammate, J.J. Watt, has been on the market a week. He has been connected to a few teams, including the Titans. After GM Jon Robinson confirmed the team had engaged in discussions with Watt, Mike Vrabel — Watt’s former defensive coordinator in Houston — addressed the possibility of a signing. “You mentioned J.J. Watt, and there will be other veteran players that become available that we’ll have discussions on, and we have had discussions on J.J. Watt,” Vrabel said during a call with season-ticket holders. “… There’s a lot of things that go into bringing in free agents, certainly ones that are past 30 or in the back half of their career.” Vrabel was the Texans’ linebackers coach from 2014-16 and DC in 2017. The Titans signed ex-Vrabel charge Jadeveon Clowney last year, but he is on track for free agency. And Tennessee’s pass rush remains in need of bolstering.

Titans Plan To Keep Isaiah Wilson

February 19th, 2021 at 9:47am CST by Zachary Links

Earlier this week, Titans GM Jon Robinson put Isaiah Wilson on notice. However, the team does not plan to trade or release the offensive tackle, according to Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com (on Twitter).

The Titans selected Wilson No. 29 overall in last year’s draft and they already have buyer’s remorse. After receiving a DUI and taking two turns on the COVID-19 list, he played just four snaps as a rookie. In Week 13, the Titans suspended him for violating team rules.

“He is going to have to make a determination on if he wants to do everything necessary to play pro football,” Robinson said, adding that he hasn’t spoken with Wilson since placing him on the NFI list.

Wilson, who just celebrated his 22nd birthday, has three years to go on his four-year, $11.6MM rookie deal. If he can get things in order, he could have a promising career ahead of him. Leading up to the draft, many saw Wilson as a potential Top 10 pick. At Georgia, Wilson was a standout. The 6-foot-6, 350-pound lineman earned All-SEC second team honors in 2019 after starting 10 of his 11 games. And, before that, he was named to the Football Writers Association of America Freshman All-America Team.

Browns Lead NFL In Salary Cap Carryover

February 18th, 2021 at 10:19pm CST by Ben Levine

Earlier today, the NFL Players Association announced (via Twitter) the salary cap carryover amounts for all 32 NFL teams for the 2021 season. Effectively, teams are able to rollover their unused cap from the previous season. So, when the 2021 salary cap numbers become official, they can be added to each team’s carryover amount to determine that individual club’s official cap for 2021.

This follows news from earlier today that the NFL has raised its salary cap floor to $180MM for 2021. This total could clue us in to the salary cap maximum, which could end up landing north of $190MM. The salary cap was $198.2MM for the 2020 campaign.

As the NFLPA detailed, the league will rollover $315.1MM from the 2020 season, an average of $9.8MM per team. The Browns lead the league with a whopping $30.4MM, and they’re the only team in the top-five to make the playoffs. The NFC East ($68.8MM) and AFC East ($65.3MM) are the two divisions will the largest carryover amounts.

The full list is below:

  • Cleveland Browns: $30.4MM
  • New York Jets: $26.7MM
  • Dallas Cowboys: $25.4MM
  • Jacksonville Jaguars: $23.5MM
  • Philadelphia Eagles: $22.8MM
  • New England Patriots: $19.6MM
  • Denver Broncos: $17.8MM
  • Washington Football Team: $15.8MM
  • Miami Dolphins: $15.2MM
  • Detroit Lions: $12.8MM
  • Cincinnati Bengals: $10.8MM
  • Houston Texans: $9.2MM
  • Indianapolis Colts: $8.3MM
  • Los Angeles Chargers: $8.1MM
  • Chicago Bears: $7MM
  • Los Angeles Rams: $5.7MM
  • Kansas City Chiefs: $5.1MM
  • Arizona Cardinals: $5MM
  • Pittsburgh Steelers: $5MM
  • New York Giants: $4.8MM
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $4.6MM
  • Minnesota Vikings: $4.5MM
  • Carolina Panthers: $4.3MM
  • New Orleans Saints: $4.1MM
  • Buffalo Bills: $3.8MM
  • Green Bay Packers: $3.7MM
  • Las Vegas Raiders: $3.6MM
  • Tennessee Titans: $2.3MM
  • San Francisco 49ers: $1.9MM
  • Atlanta Falcons: $1.8MM
  • Seattle Seahawks: $956K
  • Baltimore Ravens: $587K

Jayon Brown Hopes To Stay With Titans

February 18th, 2021 at 10:36am CST by Zachary Links

Jayon Brown is on track for free agency. But, if the Titans linebacker has his druthers, he’ll stay put, as ESPN.com’s Turron Davenport writes. 

“It would be huge staying with the Titans for another however-many years. I’ve grown to love the city,” Brown said. “The team drafted me, I know the system, know what’s expected of me and love the fan base. There’s a lot of comfort.”

Brown has developed into one of the Titans’ defensive leaders since joining the team as a fifth-round pick in 2017. This past season was set to be a huge platform year for the UCLA product. Instead, a complicated elbow injury shut him down in November.

This past season, the 25-year-old finished with one sack, one interception, eight passes defensed, two forced fumbles, and five tackles for loss in ten games. Previous to that, Brown logged a career-high 105 tackles in 2019. In 2018, his first year as a starter, he scored six sacks.

Up until his injury, Brown was on the field for every Titans snap in 2020. He’s an integral part of the defense, but he could find more lucrative offers elsewhere. As it stands, the Titans have less than $5MM in breathing room. Meanwhile, they’ll have to consider other internal free agents such as wide receiver Corey Davis, tight end Jonnu Smith, and cornerback Desmond King. There’s also the matter of defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, who says he wouldn’t mind staying in Nashville.

Titans GM On Isaiah Wilson, Offseason

February 16th, 2021 at 5:48pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

We already talked about how Titans GM Jon Robinson confirmed the team had made contact with J.J. Watt‘s reps this morning, but there were some more interesting nuggets to come out of Robinson’s press conference.

For starters, Robinson talked about perhaps the biggest mistake of the 2020 NFL Draft, Isaiah Wilson. Tennessee drafted the offensive tackle 29th overall last April, but he played only four snaps as a rookie. After getting drafted, Wilson was arrested for DUI, received a trespass warning for attending a party at Tennessee State and twice landed on the team’s reserve/COVID-19 list. He was suspended for Week 13 for a violation of team rules and then was placed on the reserve/NFI list in December shortly after finally making his NFL debut.

Robinson revealed on Tuesday that he hasn’t spoken with Wilson since placing him on the NFI list, via Jim Wyatt of the team’s official site. Robinson said others had been in some degree of contact with the first-rounder, but he didn’t sound particularly optimistic about his future with the team. “He is going to have to make a determination on if he wants to do everything necessary to play pro football,” Robinson said bluntly.

Wilson only just turned 22 last week so he’s got time to figure it out, but it sure sounds like the Titans won’t be counting on the Georgia product for 2021. Meanwhile, Robinson seemed to indicate there’s a good chance receiver Corey Davis and tight end Jonnu Smith could walk in free agency.

Robinson said he had the same conversation with those two guys that he did with tackle Jack Conklin last year, saying the team “will make competitive offer, but wishes them the best if they opt for free agency,” Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com tweets. Conklin, of course, left for the Browns in free agency. Davis, the fifth overall pick of the 2017 draft, is set to be a free agent since Robinson elected to decline his fifth-year option last May. Davis responded with a resurgent season, racking up a career-high 984 yards in only 14 games. It’ll be very interesting to see what kind of offers he gets on the open market.

 Finally, Robinson acknowledged that pass-rushing help was needed in one form or another. “It’s something that’s high on our list – to find guys, whatever position it is defensively – that can affect the quarterback,” he said. Tennessee ranked 30th this past year with only 19 sacks. That would certainly explain the interest in Watt.

Titans Have Had Contact With J.J. Watt

February 16th, 2021 at 1:47pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The J.J. Watt sweepstakes appear to be heating up. We heard earlier this morning that the Browns were seriously in the running for the pass-rusher’s services, and we now know of at least one more AFC team that has already had some communication with him.

The Titans have had contact with Watt’s camp, GM Jon Robinson confirmed at a press conference Tuesday. There had been an initial report days ago that Tennessee was expected to be in the running. Robinson emphasized that it was early and talks were still in the exploratory stage, but it’s now official that Houston’s AFC South rival is interested in keeping him in the division.

Wherever he lands, it sounds like there’s going to be somewhat of a bidding war between numerous interested teams, and even though he’s about to turn 32 we should expect him to land significant guaranteed money at this point. Tennessee, of course, could desperately use Watt’s help getting after opposing quarterbacks.

They had one of the worst pass-rushes in the league last season, and their big offseason splash acquisition of Jadeveon Clowney didn’t work out as he played in only eight games and registered no sacks before getting shutdown. The Steelers and Bills are other teams reported to be interested in the Texans legend so far, although there will surely be more.

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