Before the Las Vegas Raiders made a myriad of moves, the Tennessee Titans had the single most salary cap space in the NFL. Still, armed with around $90 million to spend on the open market, Robert Saleh and Mike Borgonzi were in a prime position to make some serious noise.
It didn't take long into the legal tampering period on Monday for the Titans to strike some major deals, as they have added Wan'Dale Robinson, John Franklin-Myers, Cor'Dale Flott and Alontae Taylor. The former two were probably the worst-kept secrets heading into free agency.
Franklin-Myers' contract details, however, prove that Borgonzi was willing to pony up for the defensive tackle. Tennessee signed the veteran defensive tackle to a three-year, $63 million deal with $42 million guaranteed, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. That's a premium price.
Titans land John Franklin-Myers in free agency at premium price
An average annual value of $21 million per year, with two years fully guaranteed, is a lot to spend on a defensive tackle when you're already paying Jeffery Simmons an arm and a leg. But Saleh and defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton knew Franklin-Myers too well to pass up landing him.
This trio spent plenty of time together with the New York Jets, and now they'll look to rekindle some of that defensive flame in the AFC South. Pairing Franklin-Myers and Simmons together is a good way to ensure that opposing quarterbacks get zero sleep the night before a game against the Titans.
Very quickly, the Titans' salary cap space is evaporating. But that's okay, as Tennessee still has seven picks, including three in the top 70, during April's draft. This team also has more young pieces in place than most give it credit for, so adding Franklin-Myers may be one of the finishing touches.
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Although $21 million is a hefty chunk on a per-year basis, this doesn't put Franklin-Myers in the very elite tier of defensive tackles in terms of annual salary. This makes him the 15th-highest paid defensive tackle in the league, which is actually great value for who is a top-10 player at the position.
Obviously, the Titans have plenty more holes to address, but they are off to a great start. They've already landed a handful of stars and surefire starters, as well as a few key depth pieces, which is an ideal approach to team-building in free agency.
Franklin-Myers has to be thrilled with such a pay increase from his time with the Denver Broncos, and both the Titans' front office and fanbase are glad to have him at that price as well. It's certainly not a cheap deal, but Franklin-Myers should have no issues living up to it.