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Titans Sign 16 Undrafted Free Agents

May 11th, 2024 at 7:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Titans have a seven-man draft class, some of whom have already inked their rookie deals. Their draftees will be joined in minicamp by the following UDFAs:

  • Brian Dooley, OL (Eastern Michigan)
  • Khalid Duke, DE (Kansas State)
  • Keaton Ellis, S (Penn State)
  • X’Zauvea Gadlin, OL (Liberty)
  • Rod Gattison, CB (Western Carolina)
  • Isaiah Iton, DT (Rutgers)
  • Robert Javier, DB (Towson)
  • Dillon Johnson, RB (Washington)
  • Gabe Jeudy-Lally, CB (Tennessee)
  • Brayden Narveson, K (NC State)
  • Bryce Oliver, WR (Youngstown State)
  • David Martin-Robinson, TE (Temple)
  • Sam Schnee, WR (Northern Iowa)
  • Jamari Small, RB (Tennessee)
  • Cole Spencer, OL (Texas Tech)
  • Steven Stilianos, TE (Iowa)

Spencer is one of three O-linemen the Titans have brought in, and he has received a notable financial investment. Tennessee has given him $75K in guaranteed money, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports. Spencer spent considerable time at left tackle when he was at Western Kentucky, but he moved to guard with the Red Raiders. A leg injury limited him to just six games in 2023, but he will look to parlay a return to health into at least a practice squad spot.

The Titans were among the teams to move quickly on the running back front in free agency, signing Tony Pollard as part of a depth chart already featuring Tyjae Spears. Both Johnson and Small will look to join them in a rotational capacity. The former led the Pac-12 in rushing touchdowns last season (16), helping him earn second-team All-Conference honors. The latter, meanwhile, led the Volunteers in rushing during the 2021 season and ranks 12th in school history with 24 career rushing touchdowns.

Veteran Nick Folk was the Titans’ lone kicker on the roster prior to the addition of Narveson. Folk, 39, led the NFL in field goal percentage (96.7%) in his debut Tennessee campaign and he is under contract for one more year. Narveson will look to provide competition during training camp or at least insurance by taking up a taxi squad slot. After spending time at Iowa State and Western Kentucky, he went 18-for-23 on field goal attempts in 2023.

Ben Levine contributed to this post.

Titans Sign Round 1 T JC Latham

May 10th, 2024 at 5:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

Closely linked to being Joe Alt‘s floor at No. 7, the Titans ended up being the second team to draft a tackle from this impressive class. After the Chargers chose Alt at No. 5, the Titans came away with JC Latham.

The Alabama product, who received some late buzz to the point he was in viewed as a possible candidate to go to the Chargers, is now under contract with Tennessee. The Titans completed the signing process with Latham, who is under contract through 2027 (feat. a fifth-year option). The deal is fully guaranteed.

Titans-Latham buzz developed just before the draft, and this marks the second straight year the Titans chose an offensive lineman in the first round. Latham will join Peter Skoronski on an O-line GM Ran Carthon has gone about remaking. Moving on from longtime starters Taylor Lewan, Ben Jones and Nate Davis in his first offseason as GM, Carthon has since added an anchor piece. Latham is expected to line up at left tackle.

Multiple teams viewed Latham as a player who could become an All-Pro right tackle, ProFootballNetwork.com’s Adam Caplan notes. One of a few premier college RTs who wound up first-round picks, Latham started the past two seasons for the Crimson Tide at that spot. The strong run blocker earned second-team All-America acclaim last season, becoming one of the top players in this year’s draft class.

The Titans cleared a path for Latham at LT, cutting disappointing 2023 free agent signing Andre Dillard. The team briefly tried RT starter Nicholas Petit-Frere on the blind side, but an injury — following his reinstatement from a gambling suspension — nixed that plan. Jaelyn Duncan spent much of the season’s second half at left tackle.

This year’s first round included nine tackles — if Duke tackle-turned-Buccaneers center Graham Barton is included; the Titans made Latham the second one chosen. Had Alt been available, Caplan adds the Notre Dame All-American likely would have been the choice. But it will be Latham on track to join Skoronski and Co. along the Titans’ offensive front. The young blockers will step into an intriguing situation, with highly regarded O-line coach Bill Callahan following son Brian to Nashville.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/9/24

May 9th, 2024 at 10:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

As a number of teams prepare for rookie minicamps this weekend, Thursday has represented a signing day of sorts for rookie draftees. Here is the latest batch of mid- and late-rounders to sign their four-year rookie deals:

Arizona Cardinals

Buffalo Bills

  • T Travis Clayton (seventh round, England)

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

New Orleans Saints

  • QB Spencer Rattler (fifth round, South Carolina)
  • WR Bub Means (fifth round, Pittsburgh)
  • LB Jaylan Ford (fifth round, Texas)
  • DT Khristian Boyd (sixth round, Northern Iowa)
  • T Josiah Ezirim (seventh round, Eastern Kentucky)

New York Giants

Tennessee Titans

Titans, WR Tyler Boyd Agree To Deal

May 7th, 2024 at 10:01pm CST by Adam La Rose

Tyler Boyd‘s free agency is set to come to an end. The veteran wideout has agreed to a one-year deal with the Titans, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports.

This agreement has a maximum value of $4.5MM, Fowler adds. Boyd is the latest receiver to find a new home in the post-draft wave of free agency, after the likes of Michael Gallup, DJ Chark and Odell Beckham Jr. signed deals of their own last week. This agreement will allow Boyd to continue working with Brian Callahan.

The latter worked alongside Boyd during his time as the Bengals’ offensive coordinator before taking on Tennessee’s head coaching gig this offseason. His debut season at the helm of the Titans will include a familiar face operating in the slot. Boyd – who included the Titans on his list of free agent visits – had spent his entire eight-year career in Cincinnati prior to today’s news.

With Tee Higgins in need of the franchise tag (and/or a long-term extension) and Ja’Marr Chase set to receive one of the league’s most lucrative receiver deals in the near future, though, signs have long pointed to Boyd heading elsewhere this offseason. The 29-year-old was reported to have a mutual interest in a deal sending him to his hometown Steelers, but the sides could not find common ground on contract terms. That left him free to pursue deals with other teams, and a number of potential suitors emerged.

Tennessee already made a massive investment at the receiver position this offseason, prying Calvin Ridley away from the Jaguars and Patriots. The former first-rounder landed a four-year, $92MM featuring almost $47MM guaranteed at signing. The Ridley addition, in turn, came just one year after the Titans added DeAndre Hopkins; the latter is under contract for one more season. The team also has 2022 first-rounder Treylon Burks in the fold, but Boyd will look to compete for a starting role.

The former second-rounder topped 800 yards each season between 2018-21, twice eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark during that span. With Chase and Higgins taking on a major share in the Bengals’ passing game, though, Boyd has seen his usage and production decline in recent years. In 2023, he posted 667 yards, the second-lowest total of his career in a full season. The low cost of this Titans deal illustrates how his market was viewed around the league.

A strong season from Boyd will help his chances of landing a more lucrative accord next offseason, but for now he will turn his attention to serving as a dependable complementary option for quarterback Will Levis. Tennessee also hosted wideout Zay Jones yesterday, but this Boyd deal will likely take them out of the running for further free agent additions.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/7/24

May 7th, 2024 at 7:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

  • Waived (non-football injury): OL Ryan Swoboda

Green Bay Packers

  • Reverted to IR: WR Thyrick Pitts

Kansas City Chiefs

Minnesota Vikings

Tennessee Titans

  • Waived: DL Shakel Brown

Washington Commanders

  • Waived: LB Brandon Bouyer-Randle, CB D’Angelo Mandell, DE Joshua Pryor

WR Zay Jones To Visit Titans, Cardinals

May 7th, 2024 at 11:20am CST by Adam La Rose

MAY 7: Interest in Jones is not limited to Tennessee. The Cardinals will host him today, per Jordan Schultz of Bleacher report. Arizona lost Marquise Brown in free agency, replacing him in part with the trade acquisition of Rondale Moore along with the signings of Mack Wilson and Chris Moore. Of course, the Cardinals also made a major draft investment at the WR spot by selecting Marvin Harrison Jr. fourth overall.

Jones could aim to play at least a depth role with the Cardinals if his Titans summit does not produce a favorable offer. As Schultz adds, however, “a few other teams” could have Jones on their radar. His market will be interesting to monitor in the coming days.

MAY 6: Zay Jones was let go by the Jaguars last week, but he could remain in the AFC South for the 2024 campaign. The veteran wideout is set to visit the Titans later today, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

[RELATED: Titans To Host WR Tyler Boyd]

Jones spent the past two seasons in Jacksonville following his stints with the Bills and Raiders. The 29-year-old had the most productive campaign of his career in terms of receptions and yards in 2021, posting an 82-823-5 statline. His production saw a notable drop-off during the 2023 season, though, one in which injuries limited him to only nine games.

With new additions being made at the receiver spot both in free agency and the draft, it came as little surprise when the Jags moved on from Jones. He is now free to sign with any interested team, and plenty of movement has taken place at the receiver position in recent days. Michael Gallup, DJ Chark and Odell Beckham Jr. have each signed one-year deals, thinning out the remaining options amongst veteran pass-catchers.

Tennessee hired Nick Holz as offensive coordinator this offseason, a move which followed his one-year stint with the Jaguars. Holz served as Jacksonville’s passing game coordinator in 2023, so he would be a familiar face for Jones. The latter inked a three-year, $24MM pact during his last trip to free agency, but a much less lucrative pact no doubt awaits him on his next team.

The Titans were the beneficiary of Calvin Ridley not re-signing with the Jaguars as many expected. The former first-rounder landed a four-year, $92MM deal including nearly $47MM guaranteed at signing to head to Nashville. Ridley will join DeAndre Hopkins and the likes of Treylon Burks and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine as key members of Tennessee’s passing game this season. Jones could look to carve out a roster spot during the summer if today’s visit produces an agreement.

Titans Re-Sign DE Marlon Davidson

May 6th, 2024 at 4:41pm CST by Adam La Rose

Marlon Davidson will be back with the Titans in 2024. The former second-round defensive end has re-signed in Tennessee, per a team announcement.

Davidson entered the league with considerable expectations based on his college production. Things did not go according to plan in Atlanta, however, and he was released midway through his third season with the team. That move set up a deal with the 49ers last spring, but Davidson was among San Francisco’s final roster cuts.

The Auburn product was retained via the practice squad, but he did not see any regular season game action with the 49ers. He signed to the Titans’ taxi squad in October not long after being released. That led to a number of gameday elevations and time spent on Tennessee’s 53-man roster. As a result, Davidson appeared in five games last season, making three starts along the way.

Logging a career-high 48% snap share, the 25-year-old posted 10 tackles (including two for loss) and one sack during his time in Tennessee. That production has resulted in a post-draft agreement keeping him in the fold through at least training camp. Davidson will look to carve out a roster spot this summer amongst the Titans’ other options along the defensive front.

Tennessee has Jeffery Simmons, Sebastian Joseph-Day and rookie T’Vondre Sweat in place as D-linemen set to occupy the defensive interior. Along the edge, the team has Harold Landry and Arden Key in place as starters. Davidson will look to earn a rotational role alongside Rashad Weaver; doing so could set him up for a full-time campaign on the team’s 53-man roster.

NFL Front Office Updates: Titans, Browns, Eagles, Cardinals, Bears

May 5th, 2024 at 9:03pm CST by Ely Allen

We mentioned yesterday how a number of teams who have seen changes in the leadership of their front office may be making changes following the NFL Draft. These teams needed their staff at the time, with only weeks leading up to the draft, but with that process now over, the new leadership has started making changes.

The Titans are one such team making changes in recent days. One change is the apparent departure of college scout Tom Roth, who no longer appears on the team’s website, according to Neil Stratton of SucceedinFootball.com. Roth had spent the last six years in Tennessee after serving 14 years as a college scout for the Bills.

It’s not all departures, like yesterday. Stratton noticed two promotions in Tennessee’s front office, as well. Previously the team’s pro scouting coordinator, Rob Riederer now appears on the team’s website as assistant director of football strategy. Likewise, Bryce Wasserman has been promoted from manager of football strategy to chief of staff of football strategy.

Here are a few other updates in player personnel offices around the league:

  • The Browns also see a departure, per Stratton, with Joe Dever reportedly not returning to the team for 2024. Joining the team as a scouting intern in 2019, Dever had spent five years with Cleveland. He had risen to the position of mid-Atlantic scout before his departure.
  • The Eagles are also losing a longtime staffer, according to Stratton. A 15-year veteran of the NFL, Brad Obee will use the expiration of his contract with Philadelphia as a reason to pursue new opportunities in the NFL. Obee began his scouting career on the personnel staff of the Eagles in 2009, working his way up the ladder for six years. He left to serve as a pro scout for the Bears for the next six years before ultimately returning to Philadelphia as a college/pro scout for the past three.
  • The Cardinals, who we noted lost a personnel staffer in yesterday’s post, will also part ways with area scout Darius Vinnett, per Stratton. Vinnett’s contract was expiring, as well, and though Arizona offered him an extension to return in 2024, Vinnett has declined and will seek other opportunities.
  • Lastly, the Bears are moving forward without area scouts Drew Raucina and Sam Summerville, according to Stratton. Raucina is a holdover from the Ryan Pace-era, serving the last six years with the team. He had previously been a combine scout for the NFL. Summerville’s departure is a bit more surprising. He had been with Chicago since 2012 and was voted the BART List as one of the NFC’s best scouts in 2022, per Stratton. He was also named NFC Scout of the Year in 2019. Regardless, general manager Ryan Poles is making changes for the 2024 NFL season.

Titans To Decline CB Caleb Farley’s Fifth-Year Option

May 2nd, 2024 at 2:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

Today marks the deadline on fifth-year option decisions, and the Titans are among the teams which had yet to make on call on their 2021 first-rounder. In the case of cornerback Caleb Farley, Tennessee will pass on the 2025 option, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports.

[RELATED: Fifth-Year Option Tracker]

Farley entered the NFL with injury concerns, but his production in college (six interceptions, 19 pass deflections across the 2018 and ’19 seasons) nevertheless made him one of the more attractive defensive prospects in the class. So far at the pro level, the Virginia Tech product has been limited to just 12 contests; he missed the 2023 season in its entirety.

For that reason, today’s decision comes as little surprise. Picking up Farley’s option would have locked the Titans into a fully guaranteed 2025 salary of $12.47MM. Given his missed time, that commitment would have carried considerable risk. Instead, the 25-year-old will now enter the 2024 campaign knowing it represents his walk year. Farley has started only a pair of games to date, so attaining a first-team role will be a critical first step to establishing his value.

Tennessee has been active in drafting at the CB spot in recent years, selecting Kristian Fulton in the second round in 2020 before adding Farley to the mix. Fulton departed in free agency this offseason, leaving 2021 third-rounder Elijah Molden and 2022 second-rounder Roger McCreary to join Farley as in-house options at the position. Of course, the Titans have been busy in adding to their secondary recently, in part due to the shortcomings of their drafted players.

Tennessee added Chidobe Awuzie in free agency before – following a lengthy negotiation period – trading for Chiefs standout L’Jarius Sneed and subsequently extending him. Those veterans will be counted on as starters, meaning Farley will have a tall order in terms of earning a sizable role on defense even if he can remain healthy next season. Still, he possesses notable upside given his age and college pedigree, and a step forward in his development during the 2024 campaign will help his free agent stock considerably. As things stand now, though, the Titans are planning for a CB room without him in the near future.

Tyler Boyd Visits Chargers, To Meet With Titans

May 1st, 2024 at 4:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

Teams have more incentive to sign free agents following the draft, when the market presents opportunities. The deadline for signings to affect the 2025 compensatory formula expired this week, opening the door for some players to find new homes ahead of offseason work.

Tyler Boyd remains unsigned, but that may not be the case for long. The longtime Bengals wide receiver met with the Chargers this week, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, who adds the Titans have a Boyd meeting scheduled as well. Boyd will be in Nashville later this week.

Among the teams linked to Boyd earlier this offseason, the Chargers still have an apparent need at wideout. The team traded Keenan Allen — the second-longest-tenured receiver in franchise history — to the Bears and released Mike Williams as the cap compliance deadline neared. Williams joined the Jets. The Bolts passed on filling their receiver need with Malik Nabers or Rome Odunze — the latter joining Allen in Chicago — to draft Joe Alt at No. 5. We had heard continued rumblings the Bolts would proceed this way, and even though the team added Georgia’s Ladd McConkey in Round 2, it is arguable it still needs help at the position.

Los Angeles also drafted two receivers in Round 7 — USC’s Brenden Rice and ex-Jim Harbaugh Michigan charge Cornelius Johnson. That presents a complication for a team that does still roster Josh Palmer and 2023 first-round pick Quentin Johnston. The latter struggled to acclimate as a rookie, but the team will still expect development in Year 2. With the Chargers not making a secret they plan to commit to the run game, they probably are not too eager to pay much for a veteran receiver.

The Titans have more money invested at the position, beating out the Jaguars and Patriots to sign Calvin Ridley (four years, $96MM) while still rostering 2023 addition DeAndre Hopkins. The latter is under contact at an $8.27MM salary on his two-year deal. The Titans saw Hopkins, 31, shake off his run of injuries and stay healthy last season — his seventh 1,000-yard campaign. They also carry 2022 first-rounder Treylon Burks, but the Arkansas alum — acquired shortly after the A.J. Brown trade — has not panned out just yet. This Tennessee regime also did not draft Brown, with Jon Robinson and Mike Vrabel since fired.

Tennessee does feature a familiar face for Boyd in new HC Brian Callahan, the Bengals’ OC for the previous five seasons. Boyd produced three straight 800-plus-yard seasons — including a 1,000-yard showing in 2019 — in Callahan’s first three seasons. Boyd is coming off a down year (67 receptions, 667 yards, two touchdowns), but so is Tee Higgins. Joe Burrow‘s injury impacted Cincy’s receiving corps across the board.

Boyd, 29, was also linked to the Chiefs, 49ers, Lions, Dolphins and Steelers before the draft. Mutual interest in a Boyd return to his hometown (Pittsburgh) existed, but the former second-round pick’s asking price proved too high for the Steelers. With signings no longer affecting the compensatory formula, teams are traditionally more willing at this time of year to add midlevel free agents. Boyd, who has made his bones in the slot, continues to command interest as an auxiliary option.

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