Which free agent will the Tennessee Titans sign next?
By Will Lomas
For the second time in 12 months, Ran Carthon told Tennessee Titans fans that the team would be able to sign meaningful free agents after the draft, and for the second time, he was right.
Last year fans had to wait until July before finally getting a chance to celebrate a new addition, but it was worth it when DeAndre Hopkins signed a two-year deal with the Titans. Fans got instant gratification this year when Tyler Boyd was signed on Tuesday.
It has been an exciting offseason for Titans fans, and there isn't any reason to think that this team is slowing down. I would almost guarantee that the team still has more help coming this summer because that is what the roster math is telling us.
Last week Mike Herndon did the math and the Titans had four roster spots available, but since then the Titans have released Shakel Brown and signed Boyd and Marlon Davidson. The quick math tells you that leaves three spots open, and ESPN's Jeremy Fowler gave us a clue on what positions are most interesting to the Titans.
With wide receiver scratched off the list, offensive line and safety are the next targets. If that is the case, then these are the names that stand out as quality players that the Titans can afford to sign if they want to make this roster better.
Offensive line:
-Charles Leno (LT)
-Donovan Smith (LT)
-Chris Hubbard (RT)
-Cam Fleming (RT/LT)
Right now it feels like there are a lot of older left tackles on the market who are waiting for an injury so that they can price gouge a team that needs someone immediately. However, I don't know if Leno, Smith, and David Bakhtiari (not listed) are all going to find situations like that.
If that is the case, then signing with a team like the Titans that has extra cap space, no taxes, and the best OL coach in the NFL, seems like a nice way to spend a year before maybe hitting the market again.
I know Titans fans are buying into J.C. Latham becoming a Pro Bowl left tackle, and I hope they are right, it would make life much easier for this franchise. However, there weren't many people buying into Latham as a left tackle before the draft, so let's just assume that the jump to the NFL AND a position switch are too much to ask. Having a Leno-Skoronski-Cushenberry-Brunskill-Latham as the starting line from left to right is very enticing.
Safety:
-Marcus Maye
-Justin Simmons
-Jamal Adams
Maye and Simmons have both been linked to the Titans since free agency started, and either one would be a very good addition at the right price.
The only reason I put Jamal Adams on this list is because he has experience in Dennard Wilson's defense and he could fill a need at safety while also adding pass rush to a group where the Titans might lack a little bit this season.
Fun:
-Carl Lawson, EDGE
-Shaq "Darius" Leonard, LB
-Jerry Hughes, EDGE
-Calais Campbell, DL
Just as a bonus, those are some players that are floating around that would be fun to watch on this defense. Guys like Lawson and Hughes might work best in an aggressive defense that just wants EDGEs to pin their ears back. Leonard isn't anything like the player he was before the Colts paid him, but he would be depth and it would be funny to watch Colts fans get mad if he turned out to be a solid addition.
Finally, Campbell is 38, but the guy gets the job done. Last year he had 6.5 sacks and 10 TFLs, and he has had 10+ QB hits for four years in a row. Imagine adding him to a defensive line with Jeffery Simmons and T'Vondre Sweat.