The Tennessee Titans came out of the gates swinging to start free agency, but over the last 24 hours, the rest of the NFL has continued to make moves while Ran Carthon sits back and evaluates the market.
While the Titans haven't signed anyone important since Monday night, that doesn't mean that Carthon has been sitting on his hands this whole time. Several players have been linked to the Tennessee Titans as potential signings, but the process is taking some time.
News and rumors are flying around right now, and now Pro Days are starting to pick up as well, so it can be hard to keep track of all of the potential signings.
For Tennessee Titans fans who want to worry about free agency first and the 2024 NFL Draft later, here are the 5 most interesting free agents that the team is openly interested in at this point.
(One thing to note about these free agents is that every one of them is on the defensive side of the ball)
1. Arik Armstead, DL
Armstead is a fascinating fit for the Tennessee Titans, and he is someone who should be at the top of their list right now.
While he has missed time over the last two seasons, his versatility makes him fascinating for someone like Dennard Wilson who loves to get aggressive and send pressure from different areas. I listed Armstead as a DL, but really he can play anywhere along the defensive line and he can play it at a high level.
Denico Autry moved around a lot for the Titans and it made him very effective, and that is something that Armstead could do too except he is four years younger than Autry.
Signing him would allow the Titans to pick and choose when they want to use Arden Key, and it would give them another monster in the middle (he is 6'7) to make life harder on opposing quarterbacks.
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2. D.J. Reader, NT
The Tennessee Titans need someone to fill Teair Tart's vacant spot in the middle of the defensive line, and Reader is one of the best nose tackles in the NFL so this is a match made in heaven.
Reader will be 30 when the season starts, but interior defenders age differently than the rest of the league. Operating in phone booths against offensive linemen seems to be something that ages well and Reader is the type of player who has proven his value over and over again, so you can feel comfortable resting him throughout the week.
Harold Landry and Jeffery Simmons are Pro Bowlers, and I have more faith in Arden Key than most people, but a smart offense is going to attack a defense where they are weakest. If the Tennessee Titans don't address the hole next to Jeffery Simmons, then you know right where offenses are going to try to beat the Titans.
3. Justin Simmons, S
Simmons is going to go down as one of the best safeties of his generation, but so will Kevin Byard who the Tennessee Titans traded during the season last year, so who knows how much weight that holds with this front office.
Pairing Simmons with Amani Hooker would be a nice boost for the Tennessee Titans on defense, and they certainly need to find another safety somewhere in free agency or in the draft.
The only question with Simmons is his age and how interested he would be in joining a team that is clearly a year away from competing for anything.
4. Jerome Baker, LB
The Tennessee Titans already added Kenneth Murray in free agency, but the linebacker position still needs work.
Baker isn't a star, but he is a good run-and-hit linebacker who can fill the void left by David Long Jr. and Azeez Al-Shaair after that. For a linebacker core in flux, that is good enough and the Titans have the money to spend on young players (27) with experience at positions of need.
In a division with Trevor Lawrence and Anthony Richardson, it is going to be important to have good sideline-to-sideline speed and Baker would give that to the Tennessee Titans.
5. Chase Young, EDGE
I think Chase Young is Jadeveon Clowney 2.0.
When Clowney wants to be good and he is allowed to attack, he is a really good EDGE. However, there are too many times where he just gets bored of doing his job or he wants to be the guy who makes a tackle instead of playing his role on defense, and that is what will doom him to mediocrity.
Young is in a similar situation where he has all the talent in the world, but his biggest problem is a lack of effort and desire.
Last year, Dennard Wilson was a big part of the Baltimore Ravens defense and Jadeveon Clowney had a career season in Baltimore. If Wilson believes he can repeat that success and get the most out of Young, then the Titans should make a strong offer on a short, prove-it deal.
But, if the Titans feel like the juice isn't worth the squeeze then they need to ignore him and move to the next free agent.