Category: Latest News

Titans add free agent TE Cole Herdman

The Tennessee Titans signed free agent tight end Cole Herdman on Monday afternoon.

The Tennessee Titans signed free agent tight end Cole Herdman on Monday afternoon.

Herdman (6 feet 4, 238 pounds) originally signed with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent last year, spending time on the practice squad with the Ravens and the Detroit Lions.

So, what does this mean for the Titans?

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Herdman was unable to make the 53-man roster in Baltimore or Detroit, so he’s likely just a player Tennessee is experimenting with who could potentially serve as a run blocker in certain situations.

The potential for Herdman — or any player in the Titans’ tight ends room — to make the final roster will increase greatly if the team parts ways with veteran Delanie Walker, who has struggled with an ankle injury.

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T.J. Houshmandzadeh says Bengals should consider trading No. 1 for historic return

T. J. Houshmandzadeh has an interesting take on the Bengals trading the Joe Burrow pick in the 2020 NFL draft.

T. J. Houshmandzadeh will once again possibly play a role for the Cincinnati Bengals this offseason, this time ahead of the 2020 NFL draft via Joe Burrow.

Houshmandzadeh has had an influence on the Bengals in the past, perhaps most prominently while he helped train John Ross.

Now Houshmandzadeh has revealed he’ll work with Jordan Palmer on Joe Burrow, the likely first overall pick by the Bengals.

But Houshmandzadeh had a noteworthy opinion when asked about the idea of the Bengals trading the No. 1 pick — and likey the rights to Burrow — in exchange for draft picks, per Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com:

“Do I want to draft him if I’m the Bengals? Yeah. But if the Dolphins are going to offer me three first-rounders, or if some team is going to offer me two first-rounders this year and a first-rounder next year, I have to strongly consider it for the good of the team. …

“I’m friends with the Browns. Mike, Troy and Katie and Paul. People still connect me with the Bengals. I would like to see them do well. That’s why I say, if you can get picks, you have to consider it. If not, you draft Joe and you hope it works out.”

Houshmandzadeh makes it clear the Bengals should go get Burrow if they think he’s the guy. But he sets the asking price of three first-round picks as what might make him pause.

Should it? Maybe. But while a trio of first-round selections would be nice, the Super Bowl just showed a Patrick Mahomes outweighs a defensive line littered with first-round prospects. And trading out of No. 1 also means missing on the storyline that is an in-state product like Burrow coming home with a chance to save the franchise.

Like Houshmandzadeh admits, it’s a tough call.

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QB Ryan Tannehill reportedly ‘not leaving’ Titans

The Titans seem to have the quarterback situation at least partially figured out.

The Tennessee Titans have a host of important decisions to make ahead of the 2020 NFL season, but apparently have already made some choices at quarterback.

Despite the recent rumors that the Titans could potentially be in the market for Tom Brady, and all of the enticing options available between a loaded free agency and a 2020 NFL Draft full of promising talent, the Titans aren’t making adding a new quarterback a top priority.

According to a report from ESPN’s Chris Mortensen, the Titans will be holding onto Ryan Tannehill.

“I checked in with a source yesterday who said succinctly he is not leaving the Titans,” Mortensen said on Sunday morning’s NFL Countdown.

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Tannehill didn’t disappoint in Nashville, being named the starter in Week 7 after taking over during the Titans’ shutout loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 6.

He was one of the league’s most successful players in 2019, earning the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award for good reason.

He finished the year by completing on 70.3% of his pass attempts for 2,742 yards, 22 touchdowns and just six interceptions over 10 starts and a pair of appearances.

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He led the NFL in yards per attempt (9.6), adjusted yards gained per pass attempt (10.2), yards per completion (13.6) and passer rating (117.5).

The question now is as to how much the Titans should pay Tannehill, who appears to be the quarterback of the future so long as he’s not plagued by inconsistency the way he was in Miami.

Tennessee has a lot to think about with running back Derrick Henry also up for a big contract after finishing the season with the NFL’s rushing title, but Marcus Mariota entering free agency should free up some extra space for the team to work with.

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Joe Mixon uses Super Bowl to send message to Bengals fans

Bengals RB Joe Mixon had some interesting messages for fans.

Like anyone else with an interest in the NFL, Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon tuned into the Super Bowl and watched Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs knock off the San Francisco 49ers for the right to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.

And Mixon took to Twitter several times during and after the game commentating on his desire to uplift the Bengals to a Super Bowl.

Mixon might just have the talent to do it, too. He hasn’t been the weakest link since arriving by any means, drumming up 1,100-plus yards in each of the past two seasons, scoring 13 rushing scores over that span and even leading the AFC in rushing once.

No, the biggest question with Mixon now is whether the Bengals have a holdout situation on their hands this offseason as he potentially looks for an extension. Mixon has already commented on his upcoming extension.

Until then, Bengals fans will want to soak up the following notes from one of the team’s biggest stars:

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Titans players react to Chiefs’ 31-20 victory over 49ers in Super Bowl LIV

A number of Titans took to Twitter on Super Bowl game day to share their reactions.

The Kansas City Chiefs took home the Super Bowl LIV title after Sunday’s 31-20 victory over the San Francisco 49ers, cementing their place as the best team in football on the 2019 season.

But before they had the chance to play in the big game, they had to go through the Tennessee Titans, who they defeated 35-24 back on Jan. 19 in the AFC Championship Game.

A number of Titans took to Twitter on Super Bowl game day to share their reactions.

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The Titans may have come up one game short of the ultimate goal this year, but will aim to make another run for the Super Bowl in the upcoming 2020 season.

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Ravens have 2nd-best odds of winning Super Bowl 55

The Baltimore Ravens are one of the NFL’s top teams, at least according to oddsmakers who gave them the 2nd-best odds to win Super Bowl 55

The confetti has fallen, marking a winner of Super Bowl 54. It’s also the official start of the offseason for all 32 teams and the point where the NFL world turns their attention to free agency and the draft to set themselves up for next season. After an impressive 2019 season that exceeded expectations but ended a little too early, the Baltimore Ravens are expected to be serious contenders in 2020.

According to Touchdown Wire’s Barry Werner, the Ravens have the second-best odds to win Super Bowl 55. Their 8-1 odds are second only to the Kansas City Chiefs’ 7-1 odds.

It makes sense considering Baltimore had the NFL’s best record at 14-2 and held the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Though the Ravens lost in the divisional round to the Tennessee Titans, they looked impressive last season and should retain most of their roster for another run next season.

Add to it a little more cap space expected than in previous years and Baltimore could even be contenders for some of the top free agents on the market this offseason. The Ravens also are expected to have nine picks in the 2020 NFL draft, helping them add depth and hopefully a few rookies who will make an immediate impact.

Even without all of that, having the NFL’s MVP leading the offense is always going to get favorable odds. If quarterback Lamar Jackson takes another leap in his development, there’s plenty of reasons to believe Baltimore will be in the mix for Super Bowl 55.

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Titans were well-represented in AFC Championship Game

The Titans were well-represented by their fan base considering the 547 miles between the two teams’ home fields.

The 2019 NFL football season officially came to an end on Sunday, as the Kansas City Chiefs topped the San Francisco 49ers, 31-20.

But before the Chiefs had the chance to win the Super Bowl LIV title, they had to go through the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Championship Game.

While the contest was played in Arrowhead Stadium on the Chiefs’ turf, the Titans were well-represented by their fan base considering the 547 miles between the two teams’ home fields.

According to the Vivid Seats Fan Forecast, which uses sales data to predict the percentage of the crowd cheering for each team, there were an estimated 25% of Arrowhead rooting for the Titans — the highest of any away team this playoffs.

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Obviously, the fans who made the trip were hoping for a much better outcome than the 35-24 loss that left the team just one game away from an appearance in Super Bowl LIV.

“It’s tough — I’m kind of in shock a little bit,” quarterback Ryan Tannehill said after the game. “You don’t prepare yourself for this outcome. Everything in your preparation and your mind is: ‘We’re going to win this game.’ So when it hits, it hits hard. I love this team, I love these guys, the way we competed this year.

“It hurts. You feel the pain across the locker room and how far we’ve come, only to come up short from our end goal. It hurts. It’s going to take a while to get over.”

The Titans face a long offseason ahead, as they prepare to make another Super Bowl run in the 2020 season.

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Bengals face long odds in opening Super Bowl LV odds

Super Bowl LV odds are out and here’s where the Bengals stand.

The NFL officially moves on from the 2019 season after Sunday’s Super Bowl encounter between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers — which means Super Bowl LV odds have already been released.

Which also means the Cincinnati Bengals are one step closer to the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL draft.

Interestingly, sitting first overall and perhaps the potential of taking LSU quarterback Joe Burrow there has the Bengals sitting somewhat unexpectedly high in the Super Bowl LV odds at +5500.

Now that isn’t the best outlook ever, but consider the worst start in franchise history and NFL-worst record from a year ago — plus the usual national dismissal of the Bengals — and it’s rather surprising to see the team list above so many others already.

But that isn’t to suggest the odds here are wrong. If the team can avoid the injury bug, Zac Taylor’s staff continues on an upward trend and the franchise makes smart additions in free agency and the draft, things should only improve.

Are the Bengals a strong underdog bet to take right now on this one? Maybe not, but it sure doesn’t hurt to see an early sign of positivity from the odds department.

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NFL waiver wire resumes with Bengals sitting at No. 1

The NFL waiver wire could be a goldmine for the Bengals.

Don’t be surprised if the Cincinnati Bengals start making additions through the NFL’s waiver wire soon.

With the Super Bowl concluded — the day after the Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes pulled off yet another comeback, this time over the San Francisco 49ers — the waiver wire resumes.

And thanks to obvious reasons, the Bengals sit atop the pecking order and will remain there through Week 3 of the regular season.

Meaning, the Bengals will have first dibs on any non-veteran player released by other teams. While free agency and the draft command most of the attention, this is where the Bengals could provide a serious boost to the quality of roster depth.

ESPN’s Field Yates explained:

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Yes, there was a Joe Burrow Bengals jersey out in the wild at the Super Bowl

At least one Bengals fan brought out a modified Joe Burrow jersey in Miami.

The Cincinnati Bengals weren’t at the Super Bowl this year, but fans were in the area, if not attending the game itself.

And of course, at least one donned a Joe Burrow jersey.

While the Kansas City Chiefs were about to go on and win the Super Bowl over the San Francisco 49ers fueled by a superstar quarterback by the name of Patrick Mahomes, at least one Bengals fan modified a certain No. 9 jersey to get the name “Burrow” on the back.

Here’s a quick snap of the jersey out in the wild, courtesy of Will Brinson of CBS Sports:

That No. 9 jersey many Bengals fans still have tucked away will continue to see some work in the coming weeks and months before the draft — though actual Burrow Bengals jerseys have been spotted out in the wild.

The offseason promise and potential of Burrow uplifting the Bengals in a similar manner Mahomes did for Kansas City is what made Sunday’s Super Bowl especially fun to watch. That, and for Bengals fans, it probably doesn’t hurt seeing the 49ers take a loss in the big one.

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