Grade for Titans’ signing of WR Calvin Ridley

Bryce Lazenby shares his grade for the Titans’ signing of WR Calvin Ridley.

The Tennessee Titans made waves on Wednesday by agreeing to terms with free-agent wide receiver Calvin Ridley. The deal elicited strong reactions from fans and media members alike.

The free agency strategy the Titans are going with is much more aggressive than it has been in years past. The team added at positions of need with the signings of Tony Pollard, Lloyd Cushenberry, Kenneth Murray, Chidobe Awuzie, and the aforementioned Ridley, among others.

Ridley will immediately come in and fill a huge need for the Titans. In 2023, DeAndre Hopkins led all Titans receivers with 75 catches. No other wideout on the team had even 30 catches on the year.

In 2023 for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Ridley came down with 76 catches for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns. The speedster has no problem creating separation, which is a trait the Titans the desperately need on their roster.

As for the financials, Ridley earned a massive deal. The receiver is signing a four-year, $92 million deal that includes $50 million guaranteed.

Ridley’s contract is tied for the 10th among wide receivers in both guaranteed money and annual average and, after top wide receivers like Justin Jefferson, Ceedee Lamb and Ja’Marr Chase sign extensions, Ridley’s deal will rank even lower.

The Titans needed more speed and more explosiveness, and Ridley provides both. It’s also worth mentioning that Ridley only played in five games in 2021 and missed the entire 2022 season, so his age of 29 is a little deceptive.

Ridley should have plenty of gas in the tank and immediately upgrades one of the team’s weakest areas. The Titans paid a premium, but they did what they had to do to get more weapons.

Grade: A

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Grade for Titans’ signing of LB Kenneth Murray

Bryce Lazenby gives his grade for the Titans’ signing of LB Kenneth Murray.

The Tennessee Titans have been busy in free agency thus far. The team has been aggressive in adding to its areas of need and has shelled out a nice sum of money to improve the roster.

The Titans wrapped up the first day of legal tampering by agreeing to a deal with linebacker Kenneth Murray, who was officially introduced at a press conference on Thursday.

Murray is a former first-round pick who spent the first four seasons of his career with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Murray’s tenure in Los Angeles was a mixed bag, with his best season coming in his rookie campaign in 2020. That season, Murray racked up 107 tackles, five tackles for loss, one sack and three passes defensed.

For his performance as a rookie, Murray earned a 54.4 PFF grade, which is still the highest grade he has received from the outlet during his career.

In 2023, Murray again had 107 tackles to go along with three sacks and seven tackles for loss. PFF gave the linebacker a 52.9 grade for his efforts.

Murray, who received a two-year, $15.5 million deal, has all of the traits you look for in a middle linebacker.

The former Oklahoma Sooner has elite speed and size but simply hasn’t been able to put it all together as a pro. Murray struggles in pass coverage but is decent against the run and is a solid tackler.

Overall, this isn’t a huge commitment, so it could be a low-risk, high-reward move, and Murray is still young and may thrive with a change of scenery. Still, it’s hard not to admit that there were better options available at inside linebacker.

Grade: C-

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FTW predicts Titans sign Mike Onwenu, Xavier McKinney

In an article predicting where each of the top free agents will land, FTW has the Titans signing Mike Onwenu and Xavier McKinney.

Rejoice, Tennessee Titans fans: We are now just days away from the start of free agency. Teams and pending free agents can officially begin negotiating on March 11 and players can start signing on the dotted line on March 13.

The Titans figure to be big players in free agency, as the team currently boasts the third-most cap space in the NFL at $75.4 million, according to Over the Cap.

Christian D’Andrea of For The Win recently predicted where each of the league’s top-25 free agents will sign this offseason. If D’Andrea ends up being correct, Titans fans should be ecstatic.

D’Andrea has the Titans landing two of those players. First, he has the Titans landing the No. 18 free agent in Mike Onwenu, a versatile offensive lineman who has played both guard and tackle for the New England Patriots. The lineman had a stellar 71.5 PFF grade in 2023.

Regarding Onwenu’s fit with the Titans, D’Andrea said the following:

Tennessee needs blocking help that fits with the timeline of its rebuild. The 26-year-old Onwenu makes sense. The Patriot standout can handle multiple roles up front, filling in at either tackle spot or, ideally, pairing with Peter Skoronski to give the Titans one of the best interior blocking combinations in the NFL. That would make life easier for Will Levis, but it would be a godsend to whomever has to fill Derrick Henry’s shoes in 2024.

Per Spotrac, Onwenu is slated to command around $13.6 million on the open market. The Titans could comfortably afford to add the blocker and still have plenty of room left over.

Speaking of having room left over, let’s dive into D’Andrea’s other pick: Xavier McKinney.

McKinney had an exceptional year for the New York Giants in 2023. The defensive back collected 116 tackles, three interceptions, 11 passes defensed and two tackles for loss, earning an elite 87.8 PFF grade for his efforts.

The Titans are expected to add to the secondary this offseason, so McKinney is a logical fit. Regarding the fit, D’Andrea said the following:

Tennessee’s youth movement continues with a 24-year-old safety coming off the most complete season of his career. The Titans have a big hole to fill in their secondary following the trade of Kevin Byard. McKinney can play both deep or in the box and would create some much needed versatility along the team’s last line of defense.

Spotrac places an estimated $10.4 million price tag on the young safety. The expected annual values for both players combined is around $24 million, meaning the Titans would have plenty of space to maneuver after these additions.

It will be interesting to see how the Titans attack free agency and add talent to the roster — the wait is almost over!

Titans promote LB Joe Jones to the active roster

The Titans promoted LB Joe Jones to the active roster on Saturday.

The Tennessee Titans made a roster move on Saturday, promoting linebacker Joe Jones from the practice squad to the active roster.

Jones was signed to the practice squad in late October after playing in 24 games the past two seasons with Tennessee. He’s appeared in three games this season as a practice squad elevation and has tallied two tackles, both coming on special teams.

Over 27 career games with the Titans, the Northwestern product has 26 tackles while playing predominantly on special teams. He has just 64 defensive snaps in that span.

Prior to his time in Nashville, the 29-year-old was an undrafted free-agent signing of the Dallas Cowboys. He also had cups of coffee with the Los Angeles Chargers and Seattle Seahawks.

Jones saw his first action with the Denver Broncos, where he spent four seasons as a special teams contributor. He finished his time in Denver with 31 tackles over 49 contests.

The Titans return to action on Sunday, when they host the Indianapolis Colts at Nissan Stadium.

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Titans’ 53-man roster, practice squad, IR for Week 13

A look at what the Titans have to work with on their roster going into Week 13.

With the Tennessee Titans set to do battle with the Indianapolis Colts in Week 13 on Sunday, it’s time to take a look at what the team is working with on their roster.

The Titans made just one move this week, with the team bringing back defensive lineman Jaleel Johnson, who was waived last week.

The move was a surprise to say the least after Johnson fired off some now-deleted tweets that were critical of the team after he was waived.

Johnson touched on the subject on Friday, saying he’s since cleared the air with head coach Mike Vrabel and apologized to the team. The veteran also said he has deleted Twitter, which is the right move.

“To be fair, I don’t really think I was thinking; I wasn’t thinking properly,” Johnson said, per John Glennon of Nashville Post. “I just think at the time, a little bit of frustration. But since I’ve been in the league for seven years, I’ve tried to do things in a professional manner. That’s something that I wouldn’t normally do… I talked to coach about it and let him know I apologize, talked to my teammates and coaches, told them I apologize for it.”

Now, a look at Tennessee’s 53-man roster, practice squad and injured reserve list going into Week 13.

Titans make several roster moves ahead of game vs. Jags

The Titans announced six roster moves ahead of their Week 11 game against the Jaguars.

The Tennessee Titans made a grand total of six roster moves ahead of their Week 11 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium on Sunday.

After a stint on injured reserve, safety Mike Brown has been activated. The 24-year-old hasn’t played in a game since Week 3 when he suffered an ankle injury against the Cleveland Browns.

With how badly the Titans’ secondary has played, Brown, who has one pass defensed in 26 defensive snaps this season, has a shot to get some work at safety.

Tennessee has been rolling with Amani Hooker and Elijah Molden since the Kevin Byard trade, but neither has been good this season.

Here’s a look at the rest of the moves the Titans made on Saturday.

Titans release Jacques Patrick from practice squad among 3 moves

The Titans made three practice squad moves on Tuesday.

The Tennessee Titans released running Jacques Patrick from the practice squad among three practice squad moves made on Tuesday. The team also signed linebacker Joseph Jones and running back Jonathan Ward to the practice squad, as was previously reported.

Patrick, 26, was on his seventh NFL team since entering the league in 2020. The Orlando native signed with the Titans prior to the 2023 season. He was waived at the end of August and re-signed to the team’s practice squad in mid-September.

Patrick had yet to appear in a regular season game for Tennessee but notably rushed for 76 yards on 15 carries in the Titans’ 23-7 preseason win over New England. With San Francisco in 2021, the Florida State product had two carries for 12 yards, including a rushing attempt that resulted in a first down.

Jones, 29, is familiar with the Titans, having first been signed to the practice squad in Sept. 2021. Following the season, the Plano, Illinois, native signed a reserve/futures contract. Prior to the start of the 2022 season, he was waived and signed to the team’s practice squad.

The Northwestern alum appeared in 24 games for the Titans, recording 24 tackles while primarily playing a special teams role. However, he did see 38 defensive snaps in 2022.

Ward returns to the Titans after signing to the practice squad in December 2022. Ward was brought back this past offseason and had a shot to make Tennessee’s roster before he suffered an injury and was waived.

The 26-year-old has seen 35 games in the NFL, including three games for the Titans last season. Ward accumulated five carries for 25 yards, including two for first downs. He also hauled in two catches for seven yards and played a role on special teams.

The Central Michigan standout originally signed with the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent and saw a fair amount of the field.

In 32 games, Ward picked up 14 carries for 58 yards with the Cardinals between 2020 and 2022. He briefly spent time with the New York Jets organization before the Titans scooped him up late last year.

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Titans’ best and worst PFF grades on defense through 6 games

A look the Titans’ best and worst Pro Football Focus grades on defense at the bye week.

With the Tennessee Titans in the midst of their much-needed bye week, it’s time to reflect on how the team has performed through the first six contests of the season.

We already covered the offensive side of the ball in a previous article, so this will focus on the Titans’ defensive players and rank them based on the individual overall grades they were given by Pro Football Focus.

The highest-graded player on defense is surprisingly linebacker Jack Gibbens, who has taken the opportunity he was given and ran with it by earning an impressive grade of 75.8.

On the contrary, Tennessee’s lowest-graded player on defense is outside linebacker Rashad Weaver (44.0), who just narrowly beat out Harold Landry (44.2).

It’s hard to argue against Landry being the one who has been much more of a disappointment given his contract, expectations, and how much he’s played in comparison to Weaver.

As for the rest of the defense, scroll down below to take a look for yourself at the top-10 players based on overall PFF grade (minimum 60 snaps), along with how other notables who didn’t make the group are fairing after six weeks.

Titans’ 53-man roster, practice squad, IR for Week 6

What the Titans have to work with on their 53-man roster going into Week 6.

With less than one day to go before the Tennessee Titans take on the Baltimore Ravens in Week 6 in London, it’s time to take a look at the roster to see what they have to work with for the upcoming contest.

Tennessee made a handful of moves on Saturday, with the team promoting defensive back Shyheim Carter and defensive lineman Taylor Stallworth from the practice squad to the active roster.

To make room, the Titans waived offensive lineman Justin Murray and cornerback Kindle Vildor.

In addition, the Titans elevated two players from the practice squad in defensive back Dane Cruikshank and defensive lineman Jaleel Johnson.

The two moves involving defensive linemen are significant, as they could be a sign that defensive lineman Teair Tart, who is questionable with a toe injury, won’t suit up.

Now, a look at the Titans’ 53-man roster, practice squad, injured reserve and PUP list for Week 6. We’ve also included player designations where applicable, along with any related stories at each position group.

Titans make 6 roster moves ahead of Week 6 game vs. Ravens

The Titans made six roster moves ahead of their Week 6 game against the Ravens.

The Tennessee Titans have made a slew of roster moves ahead of their Week 6 contest against the Baltimore Ravens in London on Sunday.

The team announced it has promoted two to the active roster in defensive back Shyheim Carter and defensive lineman Taylor Stallworth. Stallworth was signed to the practice squad earlier this week while Carter was with Tennessee throughout the offseason before landing on the practice squad.

The move with the latter might indicate fellow defensive lineman Teair Tart, who is questionable with a toe injury, will sit once again. Tennessee’s run defense struggled mightily without Tart in the lineup last week.

Carter was elevated from the practice squad in Week 4 and made his NFL debut in that game, playing 11 snaps on defense and special teams.

In order to fit Carter and Stallworth onto the active roster, the Titans had to part ways with two players. Check out those moves as well as the team’s practice squad elevations for Week 6 by scrolling below.