The only free agents the Tennessee Titans will pay attention to this offseason
By Will Lomas
EDGE
-Collins is an interesting player because he was a great fit for what the Patriots wanted when Jon Robinson helped draft him, but outside of New England he was exposed as a player who needed to be used in a very specific way or else he was just a guy.
But then this year he went back to New England and look at the stats he put up:
-10 TFLs, 7 sacks, 7 PBUs, 3 FF and 3 INTs
Aside from TFLs, all of those numbers were more than he put up in his two full years in Cleveland combined.
He is still a special player when used correctly and if the Titans think they can use him correctly in a hybrid role similar to how they have been trying to use Rashaan Evans (unsuccessfully) then this could be a very sneaky, under the radar move.
-I have written about this, extensively and if you want to find out exactly why I think this move makes so much sense just check this out.
A quick TL;DR version of that is this quote:
Clowney’s unique blend of power and athleticism makes him appealing regardless of what front the new DC decides to run because he could fit into a DE role in a 3-4 just as easily as he could fit into an EDGE role in a 4-3.
While the former first overall pick has never had a true breakout year where he was a star, his best year came with Mike Vrabel was calling plays. We know that the Tennessee Titans LOVE to bring in guys that they have worked with in the past instead of trying to make a connection with someone they have no experience with.
If that trend holds up, then you know Mike Vrabel will be telling GM Jon Robinson that he can get more out of him than anyone else and the he is worth the kind of money he would ask for.
A subtle benefit is that this would allow the Titans to take advantage of the talent in this draft instead of forcing an EDGE in the first or second round.