Top Tennessee Titans trade targets: AFC North
By Will Lomas
Pittsburgh Steelers: Daniel McCullers, NT
Oh hey Tennessee Vols fans, remember this guy? I remember watching McCullers in school and being in awe of his size. You would get in the elevator with him and Antonio Richardson and feel like you were a preschooler on a field trip to…well I would say a high school game but they were 6’7 and 6’8…so more like a trip to visit some California Redwoods.
If that was my experience in college, then I had the same experience that many SEC centers had when McCullers was a junior. His sheer size and strength forced teams to double and triple team, but a terrible scheme and a lack of playmakers on defense allowed this to happen week in and week out.
Why would he be available?
Tomlin knew what he saw and has done a good job honing McCullers into a very good rotational and back up piece in Pittsburgh. However, it is a contract year for McCullers and I don’t think he is going to get the playing time or the contract to give the Steelers a comp. pick.
Even if he does, it will be something close to a 7th round pick.
What would he bring to the Titans?
The Titans need a long term nose tackle/1-tech if they want to really be versatile. Someone to cover up Wesley Woodyard, Rashaan Evans and Jayon Brown. That is why they made the move for Bennie Logan this offseason.
I think Logan will have a big year and choose to go somewhere else in 2019, just call it a hunch or intuition. So unless the Titans are going to make a run at Suh again (which they might, though I don’t know what money they could offer him) they will need a NT again next year.
McCullers could sign a cheap 4-year extension and be with the Titans until he is 30. Having a 6’7, 350 lb. player on the roster would give Tennessee a unique challenge to throw at defenses and if anyone knows how to play with a 350 lb. NT it would be Pees and Vrabel.
Both were around Vince Wilfork for a long time and Pees was around Brandon Williams for the past five years in Baltimore.
So I think this would be a great way for McCullers to continue a career where he has carved out a 200-300 snap role, while giving the Titans a cheap role player with coaches who will know how to use him best.