By most accounts, the Tennessee Titans have had one of the better offseasons in the NFL, and as a result, they are widely regarded as a team that’s trending upward.
One player in particular appears to share that sentiment, and his opinion is far more valuable to the franchise than the media’s.
The Titans recently extended Delanie Walker, their Pro Bowl tight end and best player, through 2018, and the move cements what most pundits are thinking.
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Walker has been one of the few bright spots on a team that has amassed a 12-36 record during his three-year stint in Nashville. In that span, Walker improved his productivity each year, culminating in a 94 catch, 1,088 yard season in 2015. A franchise record for tight ends.
He also led all tight ends in receptions last season, and yes, that includes Patriots first team All Pro Rob Gronkowski.
The timing of Walker’s ascent couldn’t have been better for him. He was set to enter the final year of his contract this season as one of the elite tight ends in the NFL. Had he elected to play out the string and enter free agency next spring, he would have no doubt commanded a bidding war for his services.
His comments about the team following the 2013 season, his first with the team, were also a cause for concern.
In January 2014, Walker went on the Midday 180 sports radio show in Nashville and blasted his new teammates, calling some locker room cancers.
His quote…
“When we started losing more games, we got to see it more and more, it was just like it was falling apart. And the players that were the cancer were dragging other players into that box with them, and the box was getting bigger and bigger. At first, it was just a small box. The box just got bigger and bigger.”
He concluded his rant by calling for those players to be let go.
Since Walker’s quote, the Titans have brought in quarterback Marcus Mariota, Hall of Fame defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, linebackers Brian Orakpo and Avery Williamson, running backs DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry, and a plethora of offensive linemen and defensive backs.
Not to mention general manager Jon Robinson.
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Safe to say…Walker was impressed enough with the upgrades to the roster and front office to finish the prime of his career in Tennessee, when he could have certainly cashed in elsewhere at season’s end.
And if the upgrades are sufficient enough to retain the services of their best player and locker room leader, then it should be sufficient enough for Titans fans to be excited about the future.