Two Tennessee Titans veterans, Da’Norris Searcy and Harry Douglas, have taken pay cuts for the near and immediate future.
With the NFL Draft looming, the Tennessee Titans roster has essentially taken shape. But it’s not quite the same, from a financial standpoint, than it was just a few weeks back. Safety Da’Norris Searcy and wide receiver Harry Douglas have both taken hefty pay cuts ahead of the 2017 season.
Sources: Titans S Da'Norris Searcy has taken a pay cut from $5.625M to $3.4M in 2017, $6.125M to $3.8M in 2018. Incentives of $750k/year.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) April 18, 2017
Searcy nearly cut his salaries for the next two seasons in half. The move makes sense, as there was plenty of speculation about whether Searcy would even make the roster after the signing of Johnathan Cyprien. Cyprien plays the same position as Searcy. This pay cut lends credence to the idea that Searcy will be more of a backup and rotational piece this upcoming season, as opposed to the starter snaps he played in 2016.
While this doesn’t dramatically increase the chances of the Titans drafting a safety with a high pick, it certainly doesn’t hurt the chances of that happening. The Titans are not fully sold on their secondary, and we’re going to see it continue to be addressed in the draft.
Titans WR Harry Douglas has taken a pay cut from $3.75M to $1.75M, per sources. Can make $1.75M back via incentives.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) April 18, 2017
Now the moment you’ve all been waiting for: Douglas has taken a pay cut! While many of us want Douglas just full-on cut, taking two million dollars off his contract is quite a next best thing. With the Titans only having Rishard Matthews and Tajae Sharpe as receivers who were on the field for them last season, Douglas needs to be on the roster for at least the time being. And if he goes into the season as the fifth receiver, then it’s not that bad at just $1.75 million.
The Titans roster is coming into focus with the draft just nine days away. The needs are clearer than ever, but we’ll see if Jon Robinson drafts for need or goes best player available. It’ll depend on how the board falls and at which picks the value will be there. But it’s all been made a little bit easier to decipher with the salary cuts for Searcy and Douglas.