Tennessee Titans sign free agent CB Chidobe Awuzie to a three-year deal

The Tennessee Titans are quickly and efficiently patching holes on their roster on the first day of free agency.

It looked like their biggest move of the day was going to be signing a great young center with four years of experience when they added former Denver Broncos lineman, Lloyd Cushenberry. However, the addition of cornerback Chidobe Awuzie might trump that.

Awuzie certainly isn't a superstar cornerback, but in my opinion, he is similar to someone like Jason McCourty or Malcolm Butler in recent years. A cornerback who contests passes and makes life dificult for opposing receivers, even though they are probably right below the Pro Bowl tier.

With Sean Murphy Bunting gone to the Arizona Cardinals, and Kristian Fulton a long shot to return, the Titans need two new starters on the boundary this year. Signing Awuzie insures that this defense will have the best boundary cornerback that they have had in the last few seasons, while also bringing in another leader in the locker room.

By all accounts, Awuzie was a tone-setter and a leader for the Cincinnati Bengals when they were going through their rebuild a few years ago. No doubt that Brian Callahan remembers that and had a red star next to Awuzie's name during the Tennessee Titans offseason strategy meetings.

Another key part of this equation was that Awuzie thrives in man coverage, which is something that new Tennessee Titans DC Dennard Wilson, loves to use. So not only are you getting a talented player and a leader, but you are getting someone who is also a great fit schematically. That is smart decision-making in free agency.

Heading into free agency, I outlined how the Tennessee Titans had 10 starting positions that needed to be filled by the time the draft was over. Here is where they stand right now in order of positional value:

-LT: (none)
-WR(x2): (none)
-CB(x2): Chidobe Awuzie
-RT: (none)
-C: Lloyd Cushenberry
-DT: (none)
-LB: (none)
-Safety:

Knocking out two of those positions (and a backup running back) is a good way to start free agency, and fans should be encouraged. However, the Tennessee Titans have to keep going. The goal should be to find at least four more starters in free agency, and then two more in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Anything more than that is a big win, but if they just did that much it would mean that they were only responsible for coaching up two players or coaching around two players during the 2024 season.

Great start, keep going.