The Tennessee Titans have been very active players in free agency so far, though the fan base still seems unsatisfied. I checked in on the evening of day one. You can get my thoughts on John Cyprien, Karl Klug, the entire Oakland Raiders special teams unit, and more here.
But, there’s still plenty for Titans fans to complain about – they lost out on Brandin Cooks and Terrelle Pryor. It appears Dont’a Hightower is unlikely to leave New England. It’s the same old gripe with the Titans – they “don’t spend money.” Well, I don’t know about y’all, but I always raised to not spend money for the sake of spending money. It’s like people don’t realize that not spending money under the Bud Adams-Jeff Fisher regime is different from not spending money under Jon Robinson.
Robinson very clearly had a plan from day one of joining the Titans front office. He’s not going to blow money above his valuation of a player. That’s a major difference from the notoriously “cheap” Adams-Fisher era of management. Fans should be happy that their team isn’t getting stuck with vastly overpaid free agents. Besides, since when has spending big in free agency won a Super Bowl?
How did spending big pan out for the Jacksonville Jaguars last year? Not. Good. If the rumors are true, Hightower simply isn’t worth six years, $75+ million.
The fans should be very happy – this team is loading up to stop the run and solidify special teams. Specifically, special teams cost the Titans games last season. Now, they bring back Nate Palmer, sign Daren Bates, Brendan Trawick, and Eric Weems. The run defense is going to be even more formidable than it was last season, and we haven’t even made it to the draft yet.
Be happy. On to the new additions:
Logan Ryan – Ryan is a fine corner, don’t get me wrong. But, this doesn’t solve the issues at cornerback whatsoever. Robinson needed to come away with a player like Ryan in free agency in addition to drafting a guy or two. $10 million a season seems steep, but that’s what the market dictated. I’d definitely take this deal over $68 million for a one-season wonder (looking at you, A.J. Bouye).
Sylvester Williams – Al Woods is gone, enter Williams. Williams is going to plug up the middle of the defensive line. A team’s in a good position when they can let good players walk and replace them with better players. The former Bronco fits that mold.
Eric Weems – Weems is the quintessential do-it-all special teamer. He can return kicks, return punts, and execute coverage on the kicking end. He’s played at a Pro Bowl level before, and while he may not remain in his prime, he’s a valuable addition to the unit. The former Atlanta Falcon is a major upgrade over busted-leg Marc Mariani.
Philip Supernaw – Losing Anthony Fasano hurt. While Supernaw’s skill set is different, it’s still good to have a reliable guy on the roster who’s familiar with the system. I imagine Robinson will bring in some competition, maybe even in the form of Alabama tight end O.J. Howard through the draft.
Wesley Woodyard is sticking around – Some thought the Titans might cut him to avoid his roster bonus, but Robinson is willing to let him get that money and stick around for 2017. He’s not a bad player at all, but the Titans are in need of some depth at inside linebacker.
The Cooks deal went South – I’m shocked New England gave up a first and a third for Cooks and a fourth round pick. Without a second round pick, I don’t blame Robinson for staying put. I still say Cooks is the exact type of player the Titans are missing on offense, but it’s not worth breaking the bank for. This may open the door for a John Ross or Corey Davis type of player in the draft.
Brian Schwenke, Kendall Wright – THEY GONE – Wright should make a major splash as a Chicago Bear, reuniting with offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains. Schwenke never quite panned out in Tennessee, but has a real opportunity with the Indianapolis Colts. He’s still talented enough to push for a starting job.
Stoney Keeley is the editor of the SoBros Network, Tennessee Titans Featured Analyst for Pro Football Spot, Contributor to FanSided’s Bama Hammer, and covers the WWE for WrestlingNews.co. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley, @PFSpot, @WrestlingNewsCo, @Bama_Hammer
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