Titans To Activate OLB Vic Beasley From NFI
Vic Beasley‘s bizarre time with the Titans is taking a step in the right direction. Beasley will be activated off the non-football injury list and moved to the active roster for the team’s opening 53-man group, veteran beat writer Paul Kuharsky tweets.
Beasley signed with Tennessee on a one-year deal worth up to $12MM with $9.5MM in guarantees back in March. He then failed to report to camp on time and went radio silent, with seemingly nobody knowing where he was for a while. Eventually he resurfaced after a couple of weeks, reporting after the unexcused absence last month.
That wasn’t the end of the saga however, as he promptly failed his physical and was placed on the PUP list. He’s slowly been working his way back, and it’s unclear how much if at all he’ll be able to play in Week 1. The Titans signed him hoping he could boost their undermanned pass-rush, and didn’t do much else to address it this offseason.
The eighth overall pick of the 2015 draft, Beasley was mostly a disappointment with the Falcons. He had one great year when he had 15.5 sacks in 2016, but he notched only 18 over the past three years combined. The Titans are reportedly still going hard after Jadeveon Clowney, likely in large part due to the Beasley drama. Nevertheless, it does sound like Beasley is at least making strides.
Titans Release QB Trevor Siemian
Trevor Siemian‘s stint with the Titans has already come to an end. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports (via Twitter) that the team is cutting the veteran quarterback. He might not be gone for good however, as veteran beat writer Terry McCormick tweets that the team wants him back on their practice squad. Teams can add vets to the practice squad now under the new COVID-19 inspired rules. That being said, he notes they expect to face competition for his services from other teams.
It was less than a month ago that Tennessee added Siemian to their quarterbacks room. The 28-year-old was expected to provide some experience behind starter Ryan Tannehill. Instead, the organization will apparently roll with Bengals 2018 seventh-round pick Logan Woodside as their primary backup.
The team is currently only rostering two players at the position, so there’s a chance a third (potentially veteran) quarterback could catch on. When the team auditioned Siemian back in August, the team also gave a look at DeShone Kizer, so the team already has some options in their Rolodex.
Siemian has only seen time in one game over the past two years (thanks in part to a season-ending ankle injury during the 2019 campaign). The last time he got an extended look was 2017, when he went 5-5 as a starter for the Broncos.
Jadeveon Clowney To Wait Until Next Week To Sign?
Business is starting to pick up for Jadeveon Clowney, but he won’t necessarily rush to sign his next NFL deal. The defensive end’s camp has advised him to wait for Saturday’s roster deadline to pass before signing, Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN.com tweets. 
[RELATED: Saints, Titans Pushing To Sign Jadeveon Clowney]
By waiting, Clowney could tap into a larger pool of available dollars. He may also see one or two new unexpected suitors, if a projected starter gets dropped between now and Saturday afternoon. Of course, it’s a double-edged sword – the waiting game could actually hurt him if another valuable veteran joins him on the open market.
The Saints and Titans have offers out to Clowney, setting the stage for a high-priced bidding war. Both teams want the former No. 1 overall pick to sign by Monday, but he’ll ultimately dictate the timetable. Clowney, 27, will need to go through the necessary COVID-19 protocols before joining his future teammates.
The Ravens may also get involved, though the finances are a bit tricky. In terms of cap space, the Titans are in the best position of any known suitor with $22MM+ available. The Saints, meanwhile, will have to work some magic – they’ve got less than $7MM in spendable dollars.
Saints, Titans Pushing To Sign Jadeveon Clowney
The Titans look to have company in their pursuit of Jadeveon Clowney. The Saints are now be in the mix, with ESPN.com’s Dianna Russini reporting both New Orleans and Tennessee are making strong pushes to sign the Pro Bowl pass rusher (Twitter link).
Clowney has listed New Orleans as a place he would like to land, while Tennessee has been one of the teams most closely linked to the former No. 1 overall pick this year. On Friday, head coach Mike Vrabel confirmed that the Titans have an offer out to the edge rusher, though he declined to go into further detail (Twitter link via Jim Wyatt of the team website). Add the Jaguars to the mix as well, per Russini (on Twitter). While Pete Carroll did rule out a Clowney signing, Russini adds the Seahawks still view Clowney’s price tag as too high.
This could mean a high-stakes bidding war for the Titans, who have monitored Clowney for months. But the Saints are throwing an all-out attack at Clowney, per Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who note Sean Payton has spoken to the free agent defender multiple times about a deal (Twitter link).
Both teams want Clowney under contract by Monday, Russini adds, noting Titans and Saints players and coaches are acting accordingly by attempting to persuade the former No. 1 overall pick (Twitter link). This would put him in position to clear COVID-19 protocols and be in uniform for Week 1. This now makes two straight years the 27-year-old talent has skipped training camp.
The Titans hold $22MM-plus in cap space; the Saints possess less than $7MM. However, New Orleans has approached multiple veterans about restructuring to free up room, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.
While two unnamed teams remain in the Clowney mix, per NFL.com, the Saints entering the equation would be significant given Clowney’s previous interest and the team’s status as a Super Bowl frontrunner. The Saints have added Emmanuel Sanders and Malcolm Jenkins to a roster that already stood as one of the NFL’s best. Clowney would join a defensive front that already houses All-Pro Cameron Jordan and former first-round pick Marcus Davenport.
It is unclear if Clowney has dropped his price at the 11th hour, but that would make sense given the apparent acceleration of his market. The former Texans and Seahawks edge player sought a $20MM-per-year deal, then lowered it later in the spring. The Browns and Seahawks offered Clowney deals in the $15MM-AAV ballpark. The Ravens and Raiders have also been mentioned as Clowney suitors as well. The Browns redid Olivier Vernon‘s deal over the summer and have not been viewed as strong Clowney pursuers since.
The Titans may be growing frustrated with the three-time Pro Bowler, who apparently has been difficult to pin down recently. He would join Harold Landry and the recently signed Vic Beasley in Tennessee. The Seahawks would seemingly need Clowney most, but they have stood pat with lower-profile edge rushers all offseason. However, Seattle waited until roster cutdown day to reform their pass rush around Clowney last year. Regarding Jacksonville, Clowney may not be especially interested given his rebuffing of a trade to rebuilding Miami last year.
Titans Frustrated With Jadeveon Clowney
A recent report indicated that the Ravens may be the frontrunners for free agent pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney, but the Titans — who, unlike the Ravens, actually offered Clowney a contract earlier this year — continue to lurk.
Tennessee GM Jon Robinson said back in July that he was still monitoring the Clowney situation, but he wanted to get the former No. 1 overall pick in the Titans’ facility for a physical. So while Robinson may have been willing to bring Clowney in on a fairly low-risk deal without a medical examination, he needs to be assured that Clowney is in good health if he is going to authorize a significant contract.
However, it seems that Clowney has been hard to pin down. In an interview with 102.5 The Game this morning, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports said that the Titans are frustrated with the “lack of engagement” on Clowney’s part (h/t Joe Rexrode of The Athletic on Twitter). Tennessee still wants to bring him in for a physical, but for reasons that are presently unclear, Clowney — who has posted videos to social media suggesting that he is fully healthy — appears reluctant.
Robinson goes on to say that the Titans or Seahawks, not the Ravens, will be the team to land Clowney. In either case, he will sign a contract worth around $12MM per year, a far cry from the $20MM that he was shooting for at the outset of free agency.
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.
Titans Sign Stephen Gostkowski
The Titans have signed four-time Pro Bowler Stephen Gostkowski, per a club announcement. To make room, they’ve waived incumbent kicker Greg Joseph.
Gostkowski, the Patriots’ all-time leading scorer, lost his 2019 season to a labrum tear. Now, the 36-year-old is healthy, and ready to begin the next chapter of his career.
The Titans have been concerned about their kicking situation for some time. Last year, the Titans effectively went to the conference championship game in spite of their kickers. Four kickers combined to go just 8-of-18 on field goal tries – Joseph attempted just one FG, and made it, in the playoffs. Before this week’s shuffle, the Titans’ only other in-house option was UDFA Tucker McCann.
McCann may still get a chance to compete with Gostkowski, but it stands to reason that the veteran will be the team’s one and only kicker when the season starts. With 28 playoff games and 39 postseason field goals under his belt, Gostkowski fits the bill for the Titans, who are looking to take another leap forward in 2020.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/2/20
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: QB Kyle Lauletta
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: LB James Onwualu
- Waived/injured: WR Tommylee Lewis
Dallas Cowboys
- Waived: T Pace Murphy, TE Charlie Taumoepeau, QB Clayton Thorson
- Waived/injured: OT Mitch Hyatt, OT Wyatt Miller
Denver Broncos
- Acquired via trade: 2021 7th-Round Pick (from Giants)
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: RB Tony Brooks-James, LB Jordan Fehr, TE Stacy Keely, LB Quentin Poling, DE Anthony Zettel
- Placed on IR: DE Kenny Willekes
New York Giants
- Acquired via trade: CB Isaac Yiadom
- Signed: C Jon Halapio, WR Johnny Holton, LS Carson Tinker
- Waived: S Jaquarius Landrews, OL Jackson Dennis
- Waived/injured: TE Rysen John
New York Jets
- Signed: RB Pete Guerriero
- Waived: LB B.J. Bello, DL Sterling Johnson
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DE Cameron Malveaux
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: S Doug Middleton
- Waived: G Avery Gennesy
Titans Work Out K Stephen Hauschka
The Titans may be intent on acquiring a more experienced kicker, and he may be named Stephen. Shortly after their Stephen Gostkowski workout, the Titans took a look at Stephen Hauschka, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
Gostkowski certainly has the longer track record of success, being named to the 2010s’ All-Decade team and being the Patriots’ all-time scoring leader. But Hauschka is a 12-year veteran who kicked for the Seahawks during both of their most recent Super Bowl seasons.
The Bills released Hauschka last week, giving their kicker job to rookie Tyler Bass. The Titans experienced significant kicking issues last season, going through five players at the position. Only three of those five — Ryan Succop, Cairo Santos and Cody Parkey — attempted field goals; they combined to make just 8 of 18 attempts.
Greg Joseph, acquired late last season, resides as the Titans’ top in-house incumbent. He served as Tennessee’s kicker down the stretch and in the playoffs. A third-year vet, Joseph has kicked in 16 career games. Hauschka has kicked in 16 games in each of the past eight seasons. He made at least 83% of his field goals in each of his six Seattle seasons but came in under 80% in 2018 and ’19 in Buffalo.
Titans Work Out K Stephen Gostkowski
Stephen Gostkowski booked his first workout since his Patriots release. The 14-year veteran auditioned for the Titans on Saturday, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
The decorated kicker has a home in Tennessee, per Yates. Last month, Titans GM Jon Robinson said the team was looking into the Pro Bowl specialist.
A hip injury ended Gostkowski’s 2019 season and brought his lengthy New England run to a close. Gostkowski tore the labrum in his left hip last season but said in April he was improving. Should he prove healthy, the 36-year-old would obviously be an attractive option for kicker-needy teams.
Tennessee went through a brutal year on the kicker front in 2019. Although the Titans voyaged to the AFC championship game, they did so without much help from their field goal specialists. The Titans used four kickers last season. The group combined for an abysmal 8-for-18 make rate. The last of these kickers, Greg Joseph, did not attempt a field goal in the regular season and went 1-for-1 in the playoffs. Joseph and rookie UDFA Tucker McCann are the kickers on the Titans’ roster.
The Patriots’ all-time leading scorer, Gostkowski made four Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams between 2006-15. He made at least 82% of his field goal tries in 12 of 14 seasons.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/27/20
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: RB Craig Reynolds
Buffalo Bills
- Released: P Lachlan Edwards
Carolina Panthers
- Placed on IR: CB Derrek Thomas
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: C Jon Toth
- Placed on IR: DE Curtis Weaver
Denver Broncos
- Waived: LS Wes Farnsworth
Detroit Lions
- Signed: DT Kevin Wilkins
- Waived: DT Olive Sagapolu
Indianapolis Colts
- Placed on IR: RB Bruce Anderson
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: LB Avery Moss
New York Giants
- Signed: RB Tavien Feaster
- Released: WR Tony Brown
New York Jets
- Released: RB Pete Guerriero
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: LB Jayrone Elliott, LB Liam McCullough
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: WR River Cracraft
- Released: WR Jaron Brown
- Waived/Injured: DL Jonathan Kongbo
Tennessee Titans
- Released/Deal Voided: S Walt Aikens