Titans Make Roster Moves
Tennessee Titans
Titans Extend Jurrell Casey
The Titans and defensive lineman Jurrell Casey have agreed to a whopper of an extension – a four-year, $60.4MM deal – according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link). The contract includes $40MM in guarantees and, per Paul Kuharsky (on Twitter), will run through the 2022 season.
This is the second large contract Casey has signed with the Titans, who used a third-round pick on him in 2011. The ex-USC standout previously inked a four-year, $36MM extension with $13MM guaranteed back in 2014. There were still two years left on that pact, but given that Casey has continued to serve as a stalwart since then, the Titans elected to lock up the two-time Pro Bowler for the foreseeable future.
The 27-year-old Casey has started in 92 of 94 appearances during his six NFL seasons, and is coming off his fourth straight campaign with at least five sacks. He also tallied 44 tackles last year and finished 10th in overall performance among Pro Football Focus’ 125 qualified interior defensive linemen. He ranked in a similar vicinity to several defensive stars who have recently inked big deals, including Calais Campbell, Kawann Short, Fletcher Cox, Damon Harrison and Mike Daniels. Among those players, Casey’s deal is closest to the four-year, $60MM pact ($30MM guaranteed) that the Jaguars gave Campbell in free agency this year.
Casey led all Titans defensive linemen in snaps last season (724) and will continue to act as the unit’s centerpiece in 2017 and beyond. He joins cornerbacks Logan Ryan and Adoree Jackson, safety Jonathan Cyprien, linebacker Wesley Woodyard and nose tackle Sylvester Williams as Titans defensive starters who are under team control for at least the next three years.
Titans To Sign Erik Walden
The Titans are signing linebacker Erik Walden, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Walden spent the previous four seasons with the rival Colts. 
Walden had 11.0 sacks last year and it’s surprising that he was on the market for this long. The 31-year-old (32 in August) has plenty of motivation to excel this year and make the rest of the league pass on signing him.
Walden met with the Titans in the spring after the Colts informed him that he wouldn’t be back. After four months of little activity – save for conversations with the Jets in June – he has circled back to Tennessee. The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus might help to explain the lack of interest Walden has generated this offseason. Despite his 11 quarterback takedowns last year, he still graded out as one of the six worst edge defenders in the league.
The Titans will use Walden as a reserve outside linebacker behind starters Derrick Morgan and Brian Orakpo – assuming he makes the team. Kevin Dodd, Aaron Wallace, free agent addition Daren Bates, and rookies Jayon Brown and Josh Carraway are also pushing for playing time at OLB.
Walden fired agent Todd France at the tail end of March when he wasn’t getting enough bites and is now represented by Michael and Jason Katz of CSE Talent.
Corey Davis Could Hold Out
- Titans rookie wide receiver Corey Davis could be headed toward a holdout as the team gets ready to start training camp Friday, writes Jason Wolf of the Tennessean. Davis, the fifth overall pick, is one of three unsigned first-rounders, and it seems the ex-Western Michigan star is haggling with the Titans over offset language. The Titans have typically included offset language in rookie deals and “are reluctant to change precedent,” writes Wolf.
Titans Extend Dennis Kelly
The Titans have agreed to a multiyear contract extension with offensive lineman Dennis Kelly, reports Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com. It’s a three-year deal that runs through 2019, tweets Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com.
The 27-year-old Kelly is entering his second season with the Titans, who acquired him in a trade with the Eagles for wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham in August 2016. Kelly went on to log career highs in appearances (16) and starts (six) last season, when he lined up as an extra tight end and only played 145 snaps on offense. Despite his limited playing time, Kelly showed enough to the Titans for them to lock up the 304-pounder and keep him in the fold behind stalwart tackles Taylor Lewan and Jack Conklin.
A fifth-round pick in 2012, Kelly spent the first four years of his career in Philadelphia, where he started in 15 of 30 appearances.
Sebastian Tretola Grazed By Bullet, Suffered Minor Injury
- Titans guard Sebastian Tretola apparently suffered a minor injury from a bullet, and ESPN’s Paul Kuharsky tweeted a statement from the organization: “We are aware of the reports that Sebastian received treatment for a wound when he was grazed by a bullet…He has been released from the hospital and is thankful for only a minor injury.” The 2016 sixth-round pick appeared in only one game as a rookie last season.
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Potential Candidates For Panthers GM Job
To the surprise of many, the Panthers are in search of a new general manager. It’s too early to know who will be in the mix for the job, but speculation is already rampant among those in the know. Here are the early potential candidates for Carolina:
Seahawks executive Trent Kirchner spent eight years in Carolina as a scout and could be among those considered, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network tweets. Kirchner interviewed for the Colts and 49ers GM positions earlier this offseason before they went to Chris Ballard and John Lynch, respectively.- Titans director of player personnel Ryan Cowden and Panthers director of player personnel Don Gregory are two names to watch, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Cowden was among those to interview for the Chiefs vacancy this summer and spent 16 years working for the Panthers before joining Tennessee.
- The Panthers’ highest ranking personnel executive left in the building Mark Koncz, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter) notes. He was promoted to personnel director in May from pro director.
- It’s “just a hunch,” but Alex Marvez of The Sporting News (on Twitter) wouldn’t be surprised if former Chiefs GM John Dorsey ultimately becomes the Panthers’ next GM.
- The Panthers likely going to go with an interim GM rather than rush to a decision one month before the season starts, Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer tweets. With that in mind, former GM Marty Hurney makes some sense. Hurney, who was relieved of his post as GM during the 2012 season, currently works for ESPN Radio in Charlotte. Under his watch, the Panthers drafted some of the team’s biggest stars, including Cam Newton, Luke Kuechly, and Thomas Davis.
ESPN: Titans Best AFC South Bet Long-Term
- Arguing a team other than the Colts was in the best long-term position in this division seemed fruitless for several years, given Andrew Luck‘s Indianapolis employment. But with the Colts having changed their management structure after having not made the playoffs behind their talented quarterback the past two years, the Titans appear to have usurped them as the long-term team of the moment here. The NFL Nation’s AFC South contingent at ESPN.com suggest the Titans are, in fact, positioned best for long-term success. Of course, Tennessee hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2008, but the presence of Marcus Mariota, an upward-trending offensive line and some weapons added this offseason helped the franchise move into this position.
Latest On Tajae Sharpe Assault Accusations
Back in May, Titans receiver Tajae Sharpe and offensive guard Sebastian Tretola were accused of assault in a federal civil suit. Now, according to WKRN.com, the duo is countersuing the accuser, stating that he initiated the confrontation and the two players were purely acting in self defense.
The individual, Dante Satterfield, claimed that Sharpe and Tretola had beaten him until he was unconscious outside of a Nashville bar. Sharpe allegedly “took exception” to Satterfield’s comments about recent Titans draft pick Corey Davis, with the accuser reportedly stating that Sharpe’s playing time would now be reduced. After leaving the bar, Sharpe allegedly punched Satterfield in the face while Tretola kept watch. The individual claimed that he suffered from broken bones in his face, a perforated eardrum, and a concussion, leading to him asking for $500K.
In their countersuit, Sharpe and Tretola are saying that an intoxicated Satterfield continued to harass the duo inside the bar. When the duo eventually left, the individual followed them outside, threatening them and claiming to be in a gang. The two players admitted to “roughing up” the accuser, but they were adamant that their actions were in self defense.
The two players are asking for a jury trial and damages. The duo has not been charged, and Metro police recently said that their investigation was wrapping up.
“When my client sued Mr. Sharpe, his agent told the media that Sharpe ‘wasn’t even there at the time [my client] was allegedly beaten up,’” Satterfield’s attorney said in a statement. “In today’s court filing, Sharpe changes his story entirely and says he was there but acted in self-defense. We are confident that an impartial jury will be able to make out what actually happened that night.”
As our own Dallas Robinson wrote back in May, Sharpe could be in danger of not only earning a league-imposed suspension, but losing his roster spot altogether. Roster Resource lists Sharpe as the Titans’ fourth receiver behind Eric Decker, Rishard Matthews, and Davis.
Offseason In Review: Tennessee Titans
Even though the Titans extended their playoff drought to eight years in 2016, the team made noticeable progress for the first time in a while. The Titans matched the Texans at 9-7, only finishing behind the AFC South champions because of a tiebreaker, and ranked a division-best 13th in the NFL in Football Outsiders’ DVOA metric. After his club nearly broke through last year, Titans general manager Jon Robinson spent the offseason making meaningful upgrades on both sides of the ball.
Notable signings:
- Logan Ryan, CB: Three years, $30MM. $12MM guaranteed.
- Sylvester Williams, DT: Three years, $16.5MM. $7.25MM guaranteed.
- Jonathan Cyprien, S: Four years, $25MM. $7MM guaranteed.
- Brynden Trawick, S: Two years, $4.75MM. $3MM guaranteed.
- Eric Decker, WR: One year, $4MM. $2.5MM guaranteed. $1.5MM available via incentives.
- Daren Bates, LB: Three years, $6MM. $1MM guaranteed.
- Karl Klug, DL: Two years, $5MM. $1MM guaranteed. $800K available via incentives.
- Phillip Supernaw, TE: Two years, $3MM. $600K guaranteed.
- Matt Cassel, QB: Two years, $5.25MM. $500K guaranteed.
- Nate Palmer, LB: Two years, $2.3MM. $350K guaranteed.
- Eric Weems, WR: Two years, $2.6MM. $275K guaranteed.
- Tim Lelito, OL: One year, $1MM. $100K guaranteed.
- Demontre Hurst, S: One year, $690K.
Robinson’s most recent splash came last month with the signing of wide receiver Eric Decker, who unexpectedly fell into the Titans’ laps after the rebuilding Jets released him. A shoulder injury limited Decker to three games last season and kept him out of the Jets’ lineup for the final three months of the campaign, but there’s no indication that it’ll hamper him going forward. That means a Tennessee offense which finished 2016 atop the league in red zone touchdown percentage should continue to be a force inside the opposition’s 20-yard line.
The 6-foot-3, 206-pound Decker has been a major threat near the goal line throughout his career, and he’s second only to ex-Jets teammate Brandon Marshall in red zone TD receptions since 2012 (33). The 30-year-old figures to mesh beautifully with Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota, who dominated in the red zone with 18 TD passes and no interceptions during his initial two years in the league.
When he signed with the Titans, Decker became the fourth potentially significant passing game weapon Robinson picked up for Mariota this offseason. The executive struck three times in the draft, using high selections on two wideouts – first-rounder Corey Davis and third-rounder Taywan Taylor – and another on tight end Jonnu Smith (Round 3). Of course, the headliner is Davis, who went fifth overall after surpassing 1,400 yards and 12 touchdowns in each of the past three seasons at Western Michigan. Interestingly, Lance Zierlein of NFL.com likens Davis to Decker, calling the 6-2, 205-pound rookie a “touchdown juggernaut.”
With Decker, Davis, Rishard Matthews and Taylor serving as the top four in their receiving corps and Smith joining the prolific Delanie Walker at tight end, Mariota has an enviable supply of aerial options on hand. Plus, the dual-threat signal-caller should again be a key contributor to a top-tier rushing attack. DeMarco Murray, Derrick Henry and Mariota ran behind arguably the NFL’s best offensive line and led a ground game that finished third in the league in rushing and fourth in yards per carry in 2016. Murray and Henry remain in the fold, as does the Titans’ starting O-line from last year, which is an unfortunate reality for opposing defenses.
