The Tennessee Titans needed some pass rush depth badly heading into the 2017 season. Derrick Morgan and Brian Orakpo provide quite the formidable duo, but should anything happen to either of the two, the unit backing them up is pretty thin. Kevin Dodd missed pretty much all of 2016, and outside of a few rookie prospects, there’s not much promising talent on the roster. Enter Erik Walden.
The Tennessee Titans addressed one of their biggest needs on the eve of training camp by agreeing to terms with veteran outside linebacker Erik Walden, his agent, Michael Katz, said.
Walden, 31, led the Indianapolis Colts with a career-high 11 sacks and three forced fumbles last season. He was a 2008 sixth-round pick out of Middle Tennessee State who visited with the Titans earlier this offseason.
It’s always risky to refer to any one player as ‘the missing piece,’ but when you look around the Titans defense, they’re pretty set elsewhere. They needed a guy like this, and the former Blue Raider fills that need. Hence, ‘missing piece’ talk. Walden has quietly had a pretty good career – at least in terms of longevity.
He has played 11 seasons in the NFL. 11 seasons! Who would’ve thought that? The first four years of career, he barely saw the field. But then, in 2010, he earned a chance with the Green Bay Packers and became one of the key cogs on defense. That year yielded a Super Bowl ring for him.
Walden’s 11th season was also his best statistically. So, he’s like a fine wine, “better with age” and all that. But, of course, there are some concerns about his age. He’s been around for quite some time, and many will say there’s a reason he’s just now landing on a roster.
Still, Walden is the perfect example of allowing a player time to develop. There’s no guarantee that he’ll be on the final roster, but if he plays half as good as he did in 2016, he’ll be a welcome addition.
Titans fans will likely remember Walden for head-butting tight end Delanie Walker in a November 2013 game. Walden was suspended for a game after the incident.
Oh yeah, about that…not a good look. But, hey – the past is the past. I’m sure Delanie has forgotten all about that little scuffle…
Regardless, with Morgan, Orakpo, Walden, and a hopefully healthy Dodd, this could become an area of strength for the Titans defense. There’s a lot of pure talent between those four.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. A strong advocate of GSD (get shit done) and #BeBetter, he’s down to talk Tennessee Titans and Alabama Crimson Tide football over a beer any day. Check him out covering the WWE for WrestlingNews.co. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley, @WrestlingNewsCo
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