Tennessee Titans Extend Wesley Woodyard For Two Years
Starting Tennessee Titans middle linebacker Wesley Woodyard was given a two year contract extension that cuts his 2017 base salary.
According to Field Yates and others, Wesley Woodyard has been given a two year extension by the Tennessee Titans.
The Titans have signed LB Wesley Woodyard to a 2-year extension through 2019, per source. He can make up to $12.75M over the next 3 years.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) March 15, 2017
Woodyard was due a $500K roster bonus on Monday, but that bonus has since turned into a $1M figure. That is due to his base salary being cut for the 2017 season. He was scheduled to have a base salary of $4.25M this year, but that has now been trimmed to just $2.2M. That number is complemented by the roster bonus and $300K per-game roster bonuses that will be available (not entirely sure what that means). Here are the figures for the remainder of his contract after this year.
Woodyard's base salary for '18 now will pay him $2.7 m and his '19 base is $2.95m with #Titans.
— Terry McCormick (@terrymc13) March 15, 2017
Woodyard’s extension means he will be paid like a low-end starter or high-quality backup for the next three years. Considering this extension goes through his age 33 season, that makes sense. Does this take the Titans out of the Reuben Foster, Haason Reddick, and Zach Cunningham first round sweepstakes? Not necessarily, but it makes it less likely that they’ll go that route. They could still find a solid inside linebacker in the middle rounds; someone like LSU’s Duke Riley or Wake Forest’s Marquel Lee. What this does do, though, is make it increasingly unlikely that they’ll pursue a free agent inside backer like Kevin Minter. With news coming out that Dont’a Hightower was never really a consideration, that shouldn’t come as a surprise.
First round draft needs are starting to clear up quickly for the Titans. Wide receiver and cornerback are 1A and 1B, with defensive end an underrated first round option. Jonathan Allen has met with the Titans’ defensive line coach and just recently had a great interview on Midday180. He’s a Jon Robinson type if I’ve ever seen one, and he would bookend Jurrell Casey perfectly on the line. Corey Davis is still injured and won’t participate in his school’s pro day. Sidney Jones tore his achilles and won’t be drafted until at least the third round. The draft is still a month and a half away.