Titans Won’t Tender Kalif Raymond
Kalif Raymond will be a free agent in a matter of days. The Titans have opted against tendering an offer to the wide receiver/kick returner, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. 
[RELATED: Titans’ Clowney Expects To Be Cleared In April]
Raymond, 27 in August, could have been cuffed as a restricted free agent. He’s one of the league’s stronger punt returners, so most expected him to be back for 2021. The Titans didn’t want to tie up any funds on the verge of free agency, however, so they’ll let Raymond test the open waters.
Raymond returned 23 punts for 208 yards last year, good for a 9.0 yard average per attempt. He also returned 15 kickoffs for 275 yards. After previous stints with the Broncos, Jets, and Giants (twice), he’ll look for employment elsewhere.
Meanwhile, the Titans are looking to remodel their offensive line, starting with a potential trade of 2020 first-round pick Isaiah Wilson. On the other side of the ball, they’ll weigh a new contract for Jadeveon Clowney, who says he would be open to staying in Nashville. Clowney is on the verge of being cleared and expects to get the green light in April.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/5/21
We’ll keep track of the latest minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Released: K Zane Gonzalez
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: K Tristan Vizcaino
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Re-signed: C J.C. Hassenauer
San Francisco 49ers
- Re-signed: TE Ross Dwelley, S Marcell Harris
Tennessee Titans
- Re-signed: RB/FB Khari Blasingame
Titans’ Jadeveon Clowney Expects To Be Cleared In April
Jadeveon Clowney expects full medical clearance by April, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). Clowney underwent surgery to repair his torn meniscus but already believes that he’s close to being ready. 
In other words, this is shaping up to be another extended free agency tilt for the Titans edge rusher. Last year, his knee kept him on the sidelines for half of the season. In eight games, Clowney notched 19 tackles, one forced fumble, and zero sacks.
Clowney has said that he wouldn’t mind staying with the Titans. Whether the Titans want him back is another question. The veteran did not live up to his one-year, $12MM deal, though the former No. 1 overall pick isn’t far removed from Pro Bowl days. From 2016 through 2018, Clowney averaged 8.2 sacks and two forced fumbles per season, solidifying him as one of the best edge rushers in the game. Of course, injuries have gotten in the way — he’s only turned in one full 16-game slate as a pro.
Despite the weak platform year, it’s worth noting that the advanced metrics were still fond of his work. At the time of his season-ending injury, Pro Football Focus ranked him as the 16th-best edge player in the league. PFF also gave him above-average marks in both run defense and pass coverage.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/1/21
Here are Monday’s minor moves:
Las Vegas Raiders
- Waived: LB Ukeme Eligwe, DB D.J. Killings, DE Jeremiah Valoaga; each player was a COVID-19 opt-out in 2020
Tennessee Titans
- Re-signed: CB Breon Borders
Minor NFL Transactions: 2/25/21
We’ll keep track of the latest minor moves here:
Houston Texans
- Released: DT Eddie Vanderdoes
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DL Jullian Taylor
- Waived: CB Breon Borders, DB Chris Milton
Titans Shopping T Isaiah Wilson
Isaiah Wilson‘s rookie-year no-show preceded Jon Robinson issuing an ultimatum of sorts. Shortly after the GM’s comments about the 2020 first-round pick, the Titans appear prepared to cut bait.
The Titans are shopping the once-sought-after tackle prospect, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). Three years remain on Wilson’s rookie contract. However, nothing went right for Wilson last season. He may already be on thin ice with his initial NFL team.
“He is going to have to make a determination on if he wants to do everything necessary to play pro football,” Robinson said last week, admitting he has not spoken with the team’s would-be Jack Conklin right tackle heir apparent since placing him on the NFI list late last season. Wilson’s trade value certainly has plummeted, to the point the Titans may have to waive him and eat nearly $10MM in dead money. In a since-deleted tweet, the embattled blocker declared he was “done with football.”
One of two Georgia tackles to be chosen in the 2020 first round, along with the Giants’ Andrew Thomas, Wilson saw his NFL career careen off course quickly. He was issued a trespass warning for attending a party at Tennessee State University last summer. That preceded a September DUI arrest. The Titans suspended Wilson in December and ended his season by placing him on the reserve/NFI list days later. The latter move led to Wilson being docked $180K in salary, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (video link). Wilson played four snaps as a rookie, dressing for only one game.
The Titans did not pick up Conklin’s fifth-year option in 2019 and let the high-end right tackle defect to the Browns in free agency last year. They used former swingman Dennis Kelly as their starting right tackle last season. Kelly, 31, is signed through the 2022 season.
Titans To Release WR Adam Humphries
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
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”?
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?
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.