Here are some players the Tennessee Titans could pick up off waivers.
Teams around the NFL will have until September 1 to trim their rosters from 90 players down to 53. Although a player may be on a team’s top 53 list, that doesn’t necessarily mean he will be on that team when the regular season rolls around. General managers have already started making lists of players on other rosters likely to be cut that they want. There will be new faces in the Tennessee Titans locker room come September. Here are some players the Titans could target if they’re cut.
Tyler Bray, Quarterback, Kansas City Chiefs
Alex Tanney is now 29 years old and no longer practice squad eligible. Since coming to the Titans in 2015, Tanney has been unable to establish himself as a number two quarterback. Matt Cassel is also in the running to be the Titans’ second-string quarterback. Although Cassel has experience on his side, his body just isn’t in it anymore. Cassel lacks the mobility and arm strength Marcus Mariota has. The Titans playbook is severely limited when Mariota has to come out. The level of play also significantly drops.
Enter Tyler Bray. Bray isn’t the athlete Mariota is, but he has enough mobility to somewhat extend plays. He throws a nice football and has excellent ball placement. Recently, Bray was demoted to the Kansas City Chiefs third-string quarterback role. Kansas City made this move in order to give their quarterback of the future more reps.
Tennessee Titans
Geno Smith, Quarterback, New York Giants
As a starter, Geno Smith was horrific. In his career, Smith has thrown 28 touchdowns to 36 interceptions. In his first preseason appearance for the New York Giants,Smith showed more maturity. He kept his eyes downfield while under pressure. Smith has the athleticism to execute the playbook if the need arises. With the Giants already having Josh Johnson (who they love as a backup) and third-round pick Davis Webb, Smith is likely to be the odd man out.
Mark Sanchez, Quarterback, Chicago Bears
The chances of Sanchez getting cut are 50/50. The Chicago Bears are a team devoid of enough talent they could likely keep three quarterbacks. Sanchez is a quarterback who has faced some major highs and lows in the NFL, and that experience could be good for the Titans roster. As a starter for the New York Jets, Sanchez took them to back-to-back AFC Championship appearances. Not only would Sanchez bring a veteran presence, he could execute the playbook if Mariota went down.
Rod Smith, Runningback, Dallas Cowboys
Rod Smith is the brother of popular Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith. In the NFL’s hall of fame game, Rod Smith showed out. He had 18 carries for 64 yards in that game. While those numbers don’t pop off the screen, Smith ran with power and great footwork. Smith’s style of play suites the Titans better than those of Khalfani Muhammad or David Fluellen.
DeAngelo Hall, Free Safety, Washington Redskins
If the Redskins can’t get Hall to take a pay cut, cutting him from the roster may be the best move. Over the last three seasons, Hall has battled injuries and has rarely seen the field. For the Titans, Hall would provide a quality backup for Kevin Byard. He would also provide another veteran presence for the team.