For WEEKS now, I’ve been bellyaching about the Tennessee Titans defense and how it’s been costing this team games. Specifically, Johnathan Joseph has been targeted mercilessly by opponents over the last two games. We knew the Titans brass could see it too, but what could they do? Well, GM Jon Robinson decided to make a move to get better in the secondary. Yesterday, the Titans traded a sixth round pick in 2021 to the Los Angeles Chargers in exchange for defensive back Desmond King.
My gut reaction was, “a sixth? That’s all? Are you kidding me?” We’re talking about a guy who, just a couple of seasons ago, was an All-Pro. The guy has been Pro Football Focus’ highest graded cornerback since 2017. And, all it took was a sixth?
Smart move by JRob to deal in draft capital, too – because of trades with the Chiefs and Jags, the Titans had three sixth round picks in 2021 to spare. So, for a team that was having to think about maneuvering the cap space, it was an ideal situation.
Listen to “Game Reaction: Titans Fall to the Bengals, 31-20” on Spreaker.In King, the Titans get a player who hasn’t allowed a whole lot of yardage so far in 2020. He’s effective as a blitzer, and he plays with a savvy that has people referring to him as a young Logan Ryan….someone a certain sect of the Titans fanbase has been talking about this week, wondering whether or not it was wise of the Titans to let him go in free agency this past offseason.
Is it going to fix everything? No. But, make no mistake about it – it’s an upgrade.
The levels of the defense work hand in hand, but maybe we’ve had it all wrong. Maybe it’s better coverage that will help the pass rush instead of a better pass rush helping the coverage. *shrugs* – I’m just spitballin’ here, guys.
I hate to beat up on the guy, but the most important thing for this secondary right now is to get Joseph off of the field. He’s a liability – 37% of Joe Burrow‘s yardage came at the expense of Joseph on Sunday. Now, when Adoree Jackson is back, that’s going to give you a trio of Jackson, King, and Malcolm Butler. Certainly, that’s marked improvement over what they have, and it’s sure to have a positive effect on the pass rush, maybe allowing them a little more time to get free and sack quarterbacks. That’s the optimist in me typing.
King likely won’t see the field against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, if I were a betting man (I am now). He has to pass five covid tests, meaning he wouldn’t even be able to practice with his new team until Saturday. While he’ll be in on all the Zoom meetings and whatnot, I wouldn’t expect to see him playing until Week 10’s showdown with the Indianapolis Colts.
The Titans had to do something – this team’s window to win a Super Bowl is wide open. You know the Titans offense is good enough to win this team a championship. You can ill afford to waste that with a defense that can’t stop literally anyone. The time is now – this is 2020’s crunch time. The schedule is going to be brutal over the next five games, and it is absolutely urgent to get better NOW. They do that with the addition of King.
Props for JRob and company for getting it done. Now comes the rest of that equation – they just have to go out and start executing better.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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