Latest On Titans’, Browns’ Pursuit Of Jadeveon Clowney
Nothing like another Jadeveon Clowney story to ring in the weekend. The former No. 1 overall pick remains unsigned, with the Titans, Browns, and — perhaps to a lesser extent — Seahawks representing the most likely landing spots.
The Titans have reportedly made multiple offers to Clowney, but obviously those offers were unappealing to a player who was said to be seeking a lucrative multi-year pact worth around $20MM per year when the offseason began. Tennessee GM Jon Robinson had previously acknowledged that he discussed a contract with Clowney’s camp, but there have been no talks between the two sides for awhile.
In a conference call with reporters yesterday, Robinson said, “No conversations of recent. I think we’re going to continue to monitor it and see where [it goes]. I’ve seen what you guys have seen that’s been posted on social media. I know he wants to play. I think we would be a pretty good fit for him, and there was some mutual interest there when we started the discussion, but I would say that really hasn’t grown any legs since we spoke last” (h/t Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk).
The Titans have always looked like a good fit given the presence of head coach Mike Vrabel — the Texans’ LB coach and defensive coordinator during Clowney’s first four years in Houston — and given the club’s need for another pass rusher. The team did take a flier on Vic Beasley and will return Harold Landry, who posted nine sacks in a promising sophomore effort in 2019, but Clowney could provide a major boost to the Titans’ defensive front.
As for the Browns, we last heard that they recently floated an offer that would have paid Clowney $12MM/year in base salary, but in the story linked above, Williams cites a report indicating that Cleveland has also put forth a one-year, $18MM proposal. It’s unclear if that’s accurate or a typo, as Williams may simply have intended to reference the $12MM/year report. If Cleveland really did offer one year at $18MM, roughly the amount that Clowney would have made if Seattle had been willing and able to use the franchise tag, he should probably snap it up.
For his part, though, Clowney has said he is willing to be patient and does not feel rushed to sign before teams have the opportunity to look at him in person and evaluate his medicals. Given the gradual return to normalcy throughout the country, that may happen sooner rather than later.
Titans, Derrick Henry Discussing Deal
The Titans have more than a month to reach an extension agreement with Derrick Henry, but they are not putting off talks until the deadline nears — a common franchise tag practice.
GM Jon Robinson confirmed he has engaged in talks with Henry’s agent over the past two weeks, according to TitanInsider.com’s Terry McCormick (on Twitter). The most recent call occurred this week.
This represents a positive development for these parties. The Titans slapped the tag on Henry in March, and the reigning rushing champion signed it in April. Should Henry and the Titans not agree to the long-term deal both sides prefer by July 15, the fifth-year back is locked into a $10.278MM salary.
Tennessee drafted Appalachian State’s Darrynton Evans in the third round but remains intent on signing Henry to an extension. Evans may cut into Henry’s workload more than Dion Lewis did last year, but that could be a bonus for the bruising back’s longevity. This will be Henry’s age-26 season.
Henry is coming off one of the better contract years in recent memory, tacking two dominant playoff performances — in road wins over the Patriots and Ravens — onto his rushing championship. The former second-round pick has been one of the league’s best backs over the past season and change, beginning his breakout late in the 2018 campaign.
Henry also profiles as one of numerous extension-eligible running backs around the league, joining the stacked class of 2017 along with Cardinals transition-tagged back Kenyan Drake and 2018 UDFA Phillip Lindsay among key backs now up for new deals. Henry’s will be a key piece on an uncertain market.
Make-Or-Break Year: Titans WR Corey Davis
We recently profiled Bengals receiver John Ross as a make-or-break player as he enters the final year of his rookie deal, and today we’ll look at one of his draftmates, Titans WR Corey Davis. Like Ross, Davis saw his fifth-year option declined earlier this year, which puts him on track for unrestricted free agency following the 2020 season.
Davis, the No. 5 overall pick of the 2017 draft, entered the league after a dominant collegiate career with Western Michigan. Over his sophomore to senior seasons, Davis averaged 88 catches for 1,448 receiving yards and 15 TDs, and while his level of competition in the MAC was not what it might have been in a Power Five conference, that type of production is tough to ignore. And when it comes packaged in a 6-3, 209-lb physical specimen, it’s easy to see why Tennessee pulled the trigger.
Unfortunately for Davis and the Titans, the 25-year-old has been unable to replicate that production in the pros. The all-time NCAA leader in receiving yards has just 1,867 yards in his first three NFL seasons, and after scoring 52 total TDs through the air in college – good for second-most in NCAA history – Davis has found paydirt just six times with Tennessee.
Though he has never suffered a major injury, a variety of smaller ailments may have prevented him from reaching his potential. He was unable to participate in drills during the 2017 scouting combine due to an ankle injury, and his rookie season was hampered by a hamstring injury. He managed to stay healthy in 2018, so it’s perhaps unsurprising that he posted career highs in receptions (65) yards (891) and receiving TDs (four). He led the team in all three categories, and though his catch rate was not particularly impressive – those 65 catches came on 112 targets – he appeared to be poised for a breakout.
Last season, however, Davis battled hip issues and saw rookie A.J. Brown emerge as the team’s leading receiver. Davis finished with just 43 catches for 601 yards and two scores, so Tennessee really had no choice but to decline the fifth-year option. That option would have been guaranteed for injury only but would have been worth nearly $16MM, so the Titans could not take that chance.
Given his pedigree, Davis will almost surely get another NFL opportunity in 2021 even if he continues to underwhelm in 2020. But a disappointing effort this season will likely lead to a one-year, prove-it deal next year, whereas a strong campaign could secure him a multi-year payday with a great deal of guaranteed money.
Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith recently sung Davis’ praises, saying, “[t]here were some huge explosive plays (last year) that Corey was the unsung hero to. He’s a big part of this offense and I think he’ll take another step.”
A full season with the resurgent Ryan Tannehill could help, though Davis did not perform any better last season with Tannehill under center than he did with Marcus Mariota. The Titans did not select a receiver in this year’s draft, so Davis will continue to start opposite Brown, with Adam Humphries in the slot. If he’s not careful, this could be his last year as an unquestioned starter, so it will be incumbent upon him to make the most of that opportunity and start realizing all of the promise that made him a top-five pick three years ago.
Titans' Casey On Trade To Broncos
After spending nine seasons the Titans, defensive tackle Jurrell Casey felt entirely disrespected when he was traded to the Broncos in exchange for a seventh-round pick earlier this year. “For us to get to that point to get better and to be a main focus of that and then you just throw me away to the trash like I wasn’t a main block of that, especially coming off an injury the year before and playing the whole season for ya’ll,” Casey tells Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com. “No complaints, I did everything you wanted me to do and you throw me like a piece of trash.” Tennessee shopped Casey before trading him, per McCormick, and moved on him from largely due to his upcoming salary. But Casey says he wasn’t aware of any trade talks until roughly 30 seconds before the deal was finalized.
Titans Notes: Henry, Davis, QB
While speculation swirls about the Titans and a potential Jadeveon Clowney signing, here’s the latest on the players who are actually on Tennessee’s roster:
- Last year, Derrick Henry led the league in both carries (303) and rushing yards (1,540). This year, he’ll likely be looking at a reduced workload. Tennessee’s offense will benefit “if more guys are touching the ball,” Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith says (Twitter link via Michael Giardi of NFL.com). If a significant number of those touches figure to go to third-round rookie Darrynton Evans, Henry’s future earnings could be impacted. Unless the Titans and Derrick Henry come to terms on an extension between now and the July 15 deadline, the running back will be on course for free agency in 2021. It’s worth mentioning that a lighter workload may actually benefit Henry as teams tend to fret about RB odometers.
- Corey Davis‘ future with the Titans is also in limbo, but Smith tells the team website that he likes what he’s seen out of the wide receiver thus far. “There were some huge explosive plays (last year) that Corey was the unsung hero to,” Smith said. “He’s a big part of this offense and I think he’ll take another step. I feel very confident in Corey, A.J. and Adam (Humphries) and that group.” The Titans, as expected, turned down Davis’ fifth-year option in May. Through three pro seasons, Davis has just six touchdowns to his credit.
- There’s been talk of the Titans adding a veteran backup quarterback, but Smith suggested that the QB2 job will go to either Logan Woodside or Cole McDonald, depending on how the camp competition unfolds.
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/27/20
Here are today’s mid- to late-round draft pick signings:
- The Titans have signed seventh-round DB Chris Jackson, per Jim Wyatt of TennesseeTitans.com (Wyatt also reported the signing of fifth-round DL Larrell Murchison, but that contract had already been announced). Jackson, a Marshall product, will fight for a spot in Tennessee’s outside corner rotation, but he could also play in the slot and at safety. He ranks No. 1 in Thundering Herd history with 45 pass breakups and No. 2 in program history with 52 passes defensed.
Longest-Tenured GMs In The NFL
When we ran down the longest-tenured head coaches in the NFL, we found that less than half of the league’s current coaches have been in their positions for more than three years. That’s not quite the case with general managers, but there have been plenty of changes in recent years.
A handful of general managers have gotten to take their coats off and stay for a long while. Among coaches, Bill Belichick had joined his team prior to 2003. Here, you’ll see that five GMs have been with their teams since before ’03 (Belichick, of course, is also on this list). Two of those five – Jerry Jones and Mike Brown – are outliers, since they’re team owners and serve as de facto GMs. But the Patriots, Steelers, and Saints, have all had the same general managers making their roster decisions for well over a decade.
Here’s the complete list of the NFL’s longest-tenured GMs, along with the date they took over the job:
- Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys): April 18, 1989[1]
- Mike Brown (Cincinnati Bengals): August 5, 1991[2]
- Bill Belichick (New England Patriots): January 27, 2000[3]
- Kevin Colbert (Pittsburgh Steelers): February 18, 2000[4]
- Mickey Loomis (New Orleans Saints): May 14, 2002
- Rick Spielman (Minnesota Vikings): May 30, 2006[5]
- Thomas Dimitroff (Atlanta Falcons): January 13, 2008
- John Schneider (Seattle Seahawks): January 19, 2010[6]
- Howie Roseman (Philadelphia Eagles): January 29, 2010
- John Elway (Denver Broncos): January 5, 2011[7]
- Les Snead (St. Louis Rams): February 10, 2012
- David Caldwell (Jacksonville Jaguars): January 8, 2013
- Steve Keim (Arizona Cardinals): January 8, 2013
- Tom Telesco (San Diego Chargers): January 9, 2013
- Jason Licht (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): January 21, 2014
- Ryan Pace (Chicago Bears): January 8, 2015
- Chris Grier (Miami Dolphins): January 4, 2016
- Bob Quinn (Detroit Lions): January 8, 2016
- Jon Robinson (Tennessee Titans): January 14, 2016
- John Lynch (San Francisco 49ers): January 29, 2017
- Chris Ballard (Indianapolis Colts): January 30, 2017
- Brandon Beane (Buffalo Bills): May 9, 2017
- Brett Veach (Kansas City Chiefs): July 11, 2017
- Marty Hurney (Carolina Panthers): July 19, 2017
- Dave Gettleman (New York Giants): December 28, 2017
- Brian Gutekunst (Green Bay Packers): January 7, 2018
- Mike Mayock (Oakland Raiders): December 31, 2018
- Joe Douglas (New York Jets): June 7, 2019
- Eric DeCosta (Baltimore Ravens): January 7, 2019[8]
- Ron Rivera (Washington Redskins): January 1, 2020[9]
- Andrew Berry (Cleveland Browns): January 27, 2020
- Bill O’Brien (Houston Texans): January 28, 2020
Footnotes:
- Jones has been the Cowboys’ de facto general manager since former GM Tex Schramm resigned in April 1989.
- Brown has been the Bengals’ de facto GM since taking over as the team’s owner in August 1991.
- Belichick has been the Patriots’ de facto GM since shortly after being hired as the team’s head coach in January 2000.
- Colbert was initially hired as the team’s director of football operations and received the newly-created general manager title in 2011.
- Spielman was initially hired as the team’s VP of player personnel and received the GM title in 2012.
- While Schneider holds the title of GM, head coach Pete Carroll has the final say on roster moves for the Seahawks.
- Elway was initially hired as the team’s executive VP of football operations and received the GM title in 2014.
- In 2018, the Ravens announced that DeCosta would replace Ozzie Newsome as GM for Ozzie Newsome after the conclusion of the season. The Ravens’ ’18 season ended with their Wild Card loss to the Chargers on 1/6/19.
- Technically, the Redskins do not have a GM, as of this writing. Rivera is, effectively, their GM, working in tandem with Vice President of Player Personnel Kyle Smith. Smith may receive the GM title in the near future.
Longest-Tenured Head Coaches In The NFL
Things move fast in today’s NFL and the old adage of “coaches are hired to be fired” has seemingly never been more true. For the most part, teams change their coaches like they change their underwear. 
A head coach can take his team to the Super Bowl, or win the Super Bowl, or win multiple Super Bowls, but they’re never immune to scrutiny. Just ask Tom Coughlin, who captured his second ring with the Giants after the 2011 season, only to receive his pink slip after the 2015 campaign.
There are also exceptions. Just look at Bill Belichick, who just wrapped up his 20th season at the helm in New England. You’ll also see a few others on this list, but, for the most part, most of today’s NFL head coaches are relatively new to their respective clubs. And, history dictates that many of them will be elsewhere when we check in on this list in 2022.
Over one-third (12) of the NFL’s head coaches have coached no more than one season with their respective teams. Meanwhile, less than half (15) have been with their current clubs for more than three years. It seems like just yesterday that the Cardinals hired Kliff Kingsbury, right? It sort of was – Kingsbury signed on with the Cardinals in January of 2019. Today, he’s practically a veteran.
Here’s the list of the current head coaches in the NFL, ordered by tenure, along with their respective start dates:
- Bill Belichick (New England Patriots): January 27, 2000
- Sean Payton (New Orleans Saints): January 18, 2006
- Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers): January 27, 2007
- John Harbaugh (Baltimore Ravens): January 19, 2008
- Pete Carroll (Seattle Seahawks): January 9, 2010
- Andy Reid (Kansas City Chiefs): January 4, 2013
- Bill O’Brien (Houston Texans): January 2, 2014
- Mike Zimmer (Minnesota Vikings): January 15, 2014
- Dan Quinn (Atlanta Falcons): February 2, 2015
- Doug Pederson (Philadelphia Eagles): January 18, 2016
- Sean McDermott (Buffalo Bills): January 11, 2017
- Doug Marrone (Jacksonville Jaguars): December 19, 2016 (interim; permanent since 2017)
- Anthony Lynn (Los Angeles Chargers): January 12, 2017
- Sean McVay (Los Angeles Rams): January 12, 2017
- Kyle Shanahan (San Francisco 49ers): February 6, 2017
- Matt Nagy (Chicago Bears): January 7, 2018
- Matt Patricia (Detroit Lions): February 5, 2018
- Frank Reich (Indianapolis Colts): February 11, 2018
- Jon Gruden (Las Vegas Raiders): January 6, 2018
- Mike Vrabel (Tennessee Titans): January 20, 2018
- Kliff Kingsbury (Arizona Cardinals): January 8, 2019
- Zac Taylor (Cincinnati Bengals): February 4, 2019
- Vic Fangio (Denver Broncos): January 10, 2019
- Matt LaFleur (Green Bay Packers): January 8, 2019
- Brian Flores (Miami Dolphins): February 4, 2019
- Adam Gase (New York Jets): January 11, 2019
- Bruce Arians (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): January 8, 2019
- Ron Rivera (Washington Redskins): January 1, 2020
- Matt Rhule (Carolina Panthers): January 7, 2020
- Mike McCarthy (Dallas Cowboys): January 7, 2020
- Joe Judge (New York Giants): January 8, 2020
- Kevin Stefanski (Cleveland Browns): January 13, 2020
Titans HC: I Haven’t Talked To Jadeveon Clowney
The Titans have been heavily connected to Jadeveon Clowney, but we haven’t heard much on that front in recent days. When head coach Mike Vrabel was asked the edge rusher on Thursday, he indicated that nothing is imminent. 
[RELATED: Jadeveon Clowney Willing To Wait For Right Deal]
“[I haven’t] talked to JD personally,” Vrabel said in an interview on SiriusXM (transcript via PFT). “I would say Jon and I continue to evaluate the roster and the available free agents. As of now, I would say that nothing is off the table but nothing is certainly on the table either. He’s not on the team.”
If the Titans were on the cusp of a deal with Clowney, he probably would have spoken directly with their head coach by now. Of course, that doesn’t mean that Clowney and his agent haven’t been in touch with GM Jon Robinson or other folks from Tennessee’s front office. In fact, last month, Robinson confirmed that he’s touched base with Clowney’s camp.
The Titans came into the offseason with edge help on their to-do list and they addressed it – at least, partially – by signing former Falcons defensive end Vic Beasley to a one-year deal. In the draft, they focused on other areas and only used one of their six selections on the D-Line. NC State’s Larrell Murchison could turn out to be a fine player, but he plays on the interior, and the fifth-round pick doesn’t offer the same kind of difference-making potential as Clowney.
The Clowney/Titans chatter figures to continue for a while, especially given his history with Vrabel. Vrabel coached him in Houston, guiding him to his best season ever in 2017. In that campaign, Clowney notched a career-high 9.5 sacks en route to his second of three Pro Bowl appearances.
Logan Ryan Discusses Free Agency, Jets Rumors
Logan Ryan is clearing the air. Following reports that the veteran cornerback was close to signing with the Jets, Ryan said on Good Morning Football that he’s “completely open for business.”
“[The] Jets…it makes a lot of sense because I’m from the area, I went to Rutgers. I’m blue collar,” Ryan said (via GMFB on Twitter). “[I’m] trying to do what’s best for my family. Obviously there’s a lot of rumors out there. I can’t confirm any of it because I’m obviously still not signed yet. We’ll see. I obviously want to get a deal done whenever, and I’m open to it. So we’ll see what happens there.
“But I’m also open to pretty much 30 other franchises, except for the Titans, that’s the only one I’ve ruled out thus far. So I’m completely open for business.”
On Tuesday, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reported that the Jets organization believed they were on the verge of signing Ryan. However, nothing has materialized 48 hours later, and we’ve since heard that the Dolphins could still have interest in the 29-year-old.
As ESPN’s Rich Cimini notes on Twitter, the cornerback could simply be looking to “stimulate his market” with today’s appearance. Throughout the offseason, Ryan has been pretty adamant that he wants a contract that would pay him around $10MM per season. He previously approached the Titans with a suggested one-year, $9.5MM contract, which they rejected. As a result, Ryan bid farewell to the organization, as he alluded to this morning.
After winning a pair of Super Bowls during his four seasons in New England, Ryan signed a three-year, $30MM deal with the Titans back in 2017. He started each of his 45 regular season games with Tennessee, including a 2019 campaign where he set career-highs in tackles (113), passes defended (18), sacks (4.5), and forced fumbles (four).