Jan 13, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons defensive end John Abraham (55) and free safety Thomas DeCoud (28) run out of the tunnel prior to the NFC divisional playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Liles-USA TODAY Sports
What is it like to follow the Tennessee Titans and their 2013 offseason?
I’d compare it to watching a 12-year-old who manages his or her roster in the traditional franchise modes from Madden Football. Before and after the draft, the kid signs every free agent who has a higher overall rating than whoever is on the roster. It’s almost as though he or she signs the entire free-agent market, even those 80-plus overall players who didn’t play during the previous season.
Let’s not get into every offseason addition or subtraction. Instead, we’ll focus on the following tweets from Ian Rapoport and Adam Schefter. They mention John Abraham and Dwight Freeney:
Titans are discussing the possibility of signing former Falcons DE John Abraham to a deal that could be done this week.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 6, 2013
I've mentioned #Titans had Freeney on the radar. They'll try to work out a deal with Abraham this week. Doesn't mean end of Freeney interest
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 6, 2013
One could interpret Rapoport’s tweet as the Titans having interest in adding both defensive ends. That’s overkill and likely not what Rapoport intended. If the Titans and Abraham can’t reach an agreement, it sounds as though Freeney is a backup plan.
Don’t forget about last week’s visit between the Titans and Israel Idonije. At age 32, Idonije would offer a situational player who has missed one regular-season game since the 2007-08 NFL season.
Here’s a projected depth chart for the current rotation of defensive ends:
Derrick Morgan
Kamerion Wimbley
Lavar Edwards
Ropati Pitoitua
Keyunta Dawson
Scott Solomon
Akeem Ayers (OLB who could play DE in unique situations)
Quick Rundown on Each Free-Agent DE
Abraham: age 35, experienced with team changes and multiple defenses, most-complete player
Freeney: age 33, AFC South familiarity, strictly pass-rush specialist
Idonije: age 32, probably cheapest option, best tackle numbers.
Imagine if Titan Sized readers had the choice between any of those three aforementioned free-agent defensive ends. Who should the Tennessee Titans sign? Answer in the poll below and discuss on Disqus or Facebook.