Titans Sign QB Blaine Gabbert
The Titans have agreed to sign quarterback Blaine Gabbert, the team announced. Terms of the deal are not yet known. 
Gabbert spent the last season with the Cardinals and wound up starting five games after injuries took Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton out of action. All in all, he completed just 55.6% of his passes for 1,006 yards with six touchdowns against six interceptions. He’ll now serve as Marcus Mariota‘s backstop in Tennessee.
The Titans released Matt Cassel earlier this month, putting them in the market for a reserve QB. Mariota has dealt with a broken leg and a hamstring issue in the last two seasons, so the Titans wanted an experienced insurance policy in the event that he goes down.
The Titans now roster three QBs in Mariota, Gabbert, and 2017 undrafted free agent Tyler Ferguson. In theory, they seem set at the position, but they could bring in some competition for the third spot on the QB depth chart between now and training camp.
Rams Are Favorites For Ndamukong Suh
The Rams are now the front-runners for free agent defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). While Suh has not officially ruled out the Titans or Saints, he seems to be focusing in on Los Angeles.
Suh has been linked to five clubs since being released by the Dolphins earlier this month. In addition to the Rams, Titans, and Saints, Suh also received an offer from the Jets, and that proposal was believed to have been the largest in terms of dollars. New York, however, rescinded their offer on Sunday, with owner Christopher Johnson indicating Suh “wasn’t in keeping with [the Jets’] long-term plans.” Suh was also scheduled to meet with the Raiders, but that visit was ultimately canceled.
Los Angeles uses a 3-4 scheme, meaning Suh would be moving away from a 4-3 defense for the first time in his career. The Titans and Jets also deploy 3-4 fronts, so working in a new look clearly doesn’t present an issue for Suh. With the Rams, Suh would play end opposite superstar Aaron Donald, providing the club with what would be the most feared defensive line in the NFL.
Suh is now 31 years old, but he’s still a dominant player: he managed 20.5 pressures and and 4.5 sacks from his defensive tackle position while grading as the NFL’s No. 5 interior defender in 2017, per Pro Football Focus. He’s also incredibly durable, as he hasn’t missed a single contest since 2012. Last season, Suh played a whopping 883 snaps, the second-most of any defensive tackle in the league.
At present, the Rams possess roughly $28MM in cap space, per Over the Cap, so they’ll have enough room to fit a hefty Suh salary on their 2018 books.
Mike Vrabel Works Out Houston QB Kyle Allen
- The Titans, along with the Cardinals, worked out former Houston quarterback Kyle Allen, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Wilson also reported that Titans head coach Mike Vrabel was in attendance for the workout of the former Texas A&M transfer.
Titans To Host LB Will Compton
The Titans will meet with free agent linebacker Will Compton on Friday, a source tells John Keim of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Tennessee is clearly aiming to add a veteran linebacker to its depth chart after losing free agent Avery Williamson to the Jets last week. While the Titans still have Wesley Woodyard, they could use another ‘backer to start on the inside of their 3-4 scheme. 2017 fifth-rounder Jayon Brown could be a candidate to start, but adding Compton would allow the second-year pro to join a reserve unit that also includes Nate Palmer and Daren Bates. Tennessee has also reportedly met with former Giants linebacker Keenan Robinson.
Compton, for his part, was a regular for the Redskins from 2015-16, but a Lisranc injury ended his 2017 campaign in November. While he’s never earned positive marks from Pro Football Focus, the 28-year-old Compton would add 57 games worth of pro experience to the Titans’ roster. Compton has already met with the Bills this offseason, so Tennessee may have competition for his services.
Titans Host LB Keenan Robinson
The Titans have met with linebacker Keenan Robinson, according to Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Robinson, 28, would fill a Tennessee void at linebacker that was created when former starter Avery Williamson signed with the Jets last week. A 13-game starter in 2013, Robinson has see his playing time reduced since that campaign, and a quad injury limited him to only six contests last season.
But he’s an experienced veteran with special teams capabilities, and would allow the Titans to bump 2017 fifth-rounder Jayon Brown into a reserve role. If signed, Robinson would join a Tennessee inside linebacker group that includes Brown, Wesley Woodyard, Nate Palmer, and Daren Bates.
13 Teams Watched Johnny Manziel At USD Pro Day
Former NFL quarterback Johnny Manziel threw passes at Thursday’s University of San Diego pro day, and 14 NFL clubs were on hand to watch him perform, reports Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
The Bears, Browns, Chargers, Giants, Chiefs, Jets, Patriots, Raiders, Titans, Lions, Jaguars, Panthers and Buccaneers, were all present at today’s workout, per Williams. Of course, those clubs weren’t necessarily in town just to see Manziel, as USD had its own prospects on the field.
Manziel was thought to be interested in working out a deal to play in the Canadian Football League during the 2018 campaign, and was in fact offered a contract by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in January. However, Manziel and his team reportedly weren’t pleased with the terms of the pact, and he’s now scheduled to play in the upcoming Spring League. The former first-round pick is reportedly amenable to a minimum salary or a practice squad slot.
Manziel is still only 25 years old, but he hasn’t played in the NFL since the 2015 campaign. In eight career starts for the Browns, the former Heisman trophy winner completed 57% of his passes for 1,675 yards, seven touchdowns, and seven interceptions.
Titans To Sign OL Kevin Pamphile
The Titans have reached a one-year deal with offensive lineman Kevin Pamphile, reports Jenna Laine of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Pamphile, 27, has been a full-time starter over the past two seasons, and last year played 70% of Tampa Bay’s offensive snaps, third among Buccaneers offensive linemen. Additionally, while Pamphile is typically a guard, he does offer the ability to play all five positions along the offensive line.
That versatility could be attractive to the Titans, as Pamphile could fill in at tackle or center if a need arises. Indeed, it’s possible Tennessee views Pamphile as a temporary replacement for right tackle Jack Conklin, who suffered a torn ACL in January and could be sidelined for the start of the regular season. At guard, Pamphile’s natural position, the Titans appear set with the recently re-signed Josh Kline in addition to Quinton Spain, who was tendered at the original round level as a restricted free agent.
Before landing with Tennessee, Pamphile also received preliminary interest from the Vikings, but never set up a visit with Minnesota.
Lions Sign DT Sylvester Williams
Former Titans nose tackle Sylvester Williams is signing with the Lions on a one-year deal, reports Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com (Twitter links). The Lions have since confirmed the signing via press release.
The Lions have been on the lookout for defensive tackles and in contact with some of the best interior linemen left, including Williams. He’ll take over for Haloti Ngata, who left in free agency to sign with the Eagles.
Williams started eleven games and made 15 total appearances for the Titans in 2017, his first campaign outside of Denver since the Broncos made him a first-round pick in 2014. Last season, Williams played on roughly a third of the Titans’ defensive snaps, good for third-most among the club’s defensive linemen. Pro Football Focus gave him high marks against the run and some not-so-great marks for his work on passing downs.
The Lions were said to have agreed to a deal with fellow defensive tackle Ricky Jean-Francois on Wednesday, but there’s now conflicting word on that front. The addition of Williams may or may not have an impact on Jean-Francois’ potential deal with Detroit.
Before signing with the Lions, Williams took a visit with the Redskins.
Ndamukong Suh Won’t Visit Raiders
Ndamukong Suh’s visit to the Raiders has been called off, sources tell Ian Rapoport and Mike Silver of NFL.com (on Twitter). The free agent defensive tackle has returned home and is not likely to make a decision today, Rapoport adds. The Rams made a strong impression on Suh, but he’s also considering the Saints and Titans. 
The reason for Suh’s visit being cancelled is not immediately clear. Assuming the Raiders stick with a 4-3 scheme, they would presumably like to upgrade from Eddie Vanderdoes as one of their starting interior line spots. Vanderdoes appeared in all 16 games last season and started 13 of those contests, but he suffered a torn ACL in the 2017 season finale and it’s not clear how he is viewed by new defensive coordinator Paul Guenther. Suh would have been a phenomenal addition to the defense, but the Raiders now appear to be out of the running.
All three teams would present Suh opportunities to win, but the Rams have the best defense of the bunch. Suh could thrive under Wade Phillips‘ tutelage and put himself in position to cash in again in 2019 if he signs a one-year deal.
Lions Searching For Defensive Tackles
The Lions are scouring the defensive tackle market. They’re expected to bring in free agents Johnathan Hankins and Alan Branch for visits and former Titans defensive tackle Sylvester Williams is also on their radar, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Meanwhile, they’re working on a deal with former Pats defensive tackle Ricky Jean-Francois, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
The Lions project to start A’Shawn Robinson and Akeem Spence on the interior defensive line, but they’re a little thin in support. Last year’s sixth-round pick Jeremiah Ledbetter and former UDFA Toby Johnson are the only other DTs on the roster as of this writing. It’s possible that the Lions will look to sign two or more of the aforementioned quartet of free agent defensive tackles to pad out the depth chart.
Given GM Bob Quinn‘s ties to the Patriots, Jean-Francois would be a logical signing for Detroit. Hankins, meanwhile, might be the most intriguing talent of the bunch given his success in the Giants’ 4-3 scheme from 2013-2016. Last year, he also performed well in the Colts’ 3-4 defense.