5 unexpected free agent signings Titans could still make happen
• Ditto for their pass rush
• Tennessee has time to bolster their offensive line
No. 2 unexpected signing the Titans can still make: Yannick Ngakoue
The Titans seem poised to have a formidable pass rush in 2023 but can they take it up yet another notch? Most definitely, if they entertain the idea of kicking the tires on defensive end Yannick Ngakoue, who's still looking for a team to play for after spending the 2022 season with the Indianapolis Colts.
The former Maryland Terrapin has made it clear that he wants to join a Super Bowl contender and long-term security. However, he'll probably have a hard time finding a club that fits his demands, especially when you take into account that Frank Clark, Leonard Floyd, and Dawuane Smoot — pass rushers that found a home a month after the draft or later — all had to settle for one-year arrangements worth less than $8 million.
Realistically, Ngakoue will get offers that will pay him around $7 million and a chance to hit the open market next offseason. Although Tennessee is far from a contender, they could offer him the chance to join a stacked defensive front, which would allow him to put up solid numbers and increase his stock for 2024.
Would that be enough to convince Ngakoue to join the Titans? Probably not but at this stage of the NFL calendar, it's unlikely that a team will suddenly meet his demands. The Chicago Bears have shown some interest as of this writing but nothing has materialized.
Make no mistake, Ngakoue is a talented pass rusher, one that has registered 57 sacks and 17 forced fumbles over the last six years. This is why the Titans should swoop in before the Bears sign him. They already managed to ink DeAndre Hopkins, can lighting strike twice and land Ngakoue before the start of the season?