3 Titans players in contract years who have earned new deals

3. Jack Crawford, DL

I don’t know why PFF has Jack Crawford graded so low in their rankings, but everything I see out of Crawford has been pretty positive.

Something you have to keep in mind in free agency is that when I am projecting these deals I am taking into consideration what they would make on the open market. Since getting off of his rookie deal with the (then) Oakland Raiders, Crawford has signed three contracts spanning six years and he has played through them both (meaning he hasn’t been cut).

Over that time he averaged just under $2 million per year and last year the Titans signed him to a deal worth $1.2 million to be their top backup DT.

Since coming to Tennessee he has seen his role grow from a backup tackle to a situational starter. In the Titans 4-3 look, he and Jadeveon Clowney play the EDGEs while Harold Landry backs up and plays off-ball linebacker next to Jayon Brown and Rashaan Evans. The same thing holds true when the Titans shift to a traditional 3-4 (or 5-2) look, except Harold Landry lines up outside of Crawford.

Then in the Titans 4-2-5 look, he gets some rotational snaps at defense tackle inside the EDGEs.

No matter where he plays though, he gives a ton of effort and he has been one of the Titans better pass rushers even though he only has one sack. His pursuit and deceptive quickness have led to some rushed passes in limited attempts and qualities like this make him the ideal backup on the defensive line.

If you can lock him in for a similar price next year, this is one of the few pieces on defense that the Titans should want to see again in 2021.