Tag: Amani Hooker

Titans’ Amani Hooker: ‘I am able to do my job now’ with new CBs

Amani Hooker explained why the Titans’ new cornerbacks will allow him to “do my job now.”

The Tennessee Titans’ roster overwent an overhaul this offseason, and perhaps no group underwent more changes than the secondary.

In addition to a new coaching staff, the secondary also added two new starters. L’Jarius Sneed and Chidobe Awuzie were brought in to start at cornerback, replacing Kristian Fulton and Sean Murphy-Bunting.

One holdover in the secondary is safety Amani Hooker. The veteran defensive back is the second-longest tenured Titan alongside Jeffery Simmons. Only Harold Landry has been with the team longer than those two.

Despite his extended tenure in Nashville, Hooker has to start from scratch in 2024 after the change at head coach.

“It’s all about accountability, with me as well,” Hooker said, per Jim Wyatt. “This is all new for me – it’s a new style, a new defense, new scheme, so just like everyone else is learning, I am doing the same thing. But my job is to make sure everyone learns at a progressive level and we’re doing it together as a unit.”

“I’ll just say it’s a lot more aggressive,” Hooker said of the defense under Dennard Wilson. “There’s times when it can be aggressive and there’s times when not to, so our coaches are doing a good job teaching that.”

Hooker has lived through staff changes before, so having his presence in the locker room will help the young guys get acclimated. Having two talented corners in Sneed and Chido will be a huge help, also.

“We have two dogs – we have Chido and Sneed out there,” Hooker said. “I can’t wait to go full speed with them, with the pads on. I have been watching them make plays for the other team against us, so I am excited that they’re on our team now and it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

It’s no secret that the Titans’ secondary struggled in 2023. For example, Fulton ended with a pitiful 46.4 PFF grade and allowed 37 receptions on 51 targets. Hooker perhaps threw shade at his former teammates, saying he will be able to “do my job now” because he can bank on the fact that Sneed and Awuzie will be in the right places.

“These guys have proven they can be in the right position to make the plays, and when I’m out there I am able to do my job now, and start searching for plays as they come to me. Knowing you have guys that are aggressive out there, it makes me as a safety have that same mentality that they have and bring it to our defense.”

Having quality corners will go a long way toward helping Hooker perform at the highest level. The DB is excited for the 2024 season, and Titans fans should be as well.

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3 Titans named to ‘All-Overpaid Team’ ahead of 2024 season

Three Titans players were recently named to an “All-Overpaid Team” for the 2024 season.

In a recent article naming some of the most overpaid players at each position in the NFL, the list was littered with Tennessee Titans.

According to Sporting News’ Vinnie Iyer, wide receiver Calvin Ridley, outside linebacker Harold Landry and safety Amani Hooker all made his “All-Overpaid Team” for 2024.

Let’s take a look at what Iyer said about each.

Calvin Ridley:

The Titans used a recent first-rounder on Treylon Burks, still employ DeAndre Hopkins, and also signed Tyler Boyd this offseason. They’re hoping Ridley will rebound after posting only a few flashes for divisional-rival Jacksonville following his one-year suspension. Also of note is the fact Ridley already will be 30 in December.

Harold Landry:

Landry has raised his sack totals with a combined 22.5 the past two seasons, but he doesn’t provide too much more consistently.

Amani Hooker:

The Titans make the cut again here, as they have fallen off at this position since the prime of Kevin Byard.

At the time of his signing, Ridley’s deal could be considered an overpay, but that’s typical when signing the best player at a position in free agency. Further, he addressed a major need for Tennessee.

Since signing, Ridley’s annual average has fallen from 10th to 14th at the position, according to Over the Cap, so his deal continues to look better and better.

The extension Hooker got back in 2022 was always difficult to justify. That’s not to say he’s a bad player, but his inability to stay healthy has always been an issue. He hasn’t played a full slate of games the past three seasons and has missed 17 games in that span.

Hooker’s annual average ($10 million) ranks 12th among safeties, so it isn’t an egregious overpay.

The jury is really still out on Landry’s contract. After securing his deal in 2022 following a career-best campaign, Landry suffered a torn ACL and we know that it takes a player to full return to form.

However, Landry still managed to tally 10.5 sacks in 2023 as he got better and better as the year progressed. We’ll really know for sure if Tennessee made a mistake or not in giving Landry big money after 2024.

Titans already see differences in new offense, defense

Titans WR DeAndre Hopkins and S Amani Hooker both noted a difference they’ve seen in the offense and defense.

The Tennessee Titans are in the midst of organized team activities this week and players are already seeing a big difference with how things are run on both offense and defense.

Titans safety Amani Hooker noted how the approach is much more aggressive on defense under new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson.

“I’ll just say, it’s a lot more aggressive,” Hooker said of the scheme. “That’s kind of what the theme was coming in before we even got coach Dennard here. And so far, that’s what it’s been, it’s been aggressive. But, also, there’s times when you can be aggressive and times when not to. Our coaches are doing a good job of teaching that.”

On offense, wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins noted how the team is going into intricate details early on.

“I think the first day that they put in the offense, we got a double move, which is probably the first time since I’ve been playing football on the first day that we’ve had some kind of intricacy in the offense like that, which is cool to see,” he said.

In case you missed anything that happened on Day 2, we’ve got you covered with a full recap right here.

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Titans’ Amani Hooker wants a shot at the green dot

Titans safety Amani Hooker is interested in wearing the green dot, general manager Ran Carthon revealed.

A lot of conversation surrounding the Tennessee Titans’ linebacker position has centered on who will wear the green dot now that last year’s defensive leader, linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, left in free agency.

The only linebacker the Titans signed in free agency, Kenneth Murray, doesn’t look like he’s going to get it based on comments from defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson, which leaves the job up for grabs.

General manager Ran Carthon has floated out multiple ideas, including a rookie linebacker like fourth-round pick Cedric Gray wearing it. But he’s also mentioned an entirely different position being able to hold down the job, like safety, for example.

And that could very well be on the table after Carthon revealed during an interview with Ramon, Kayla & Will on 104.5 The Zone that safety Amani Hooker would like to get a crack at it.

“As soon as I got back to my desk (from a post-draft presser), I had a text from Amani saying he wanted (the green dot) and how can he go about getting it,” Carthon said. “There’s a bunch of different ways to get there, doesn’t necessarily have to be a linebacker.”

Carthon also reiterated his belief in Gray being able to call the plays on defense. Not to say that he’s not capable, but the North Carolina product will have to win a starting job first.

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Titans offseason preview at safety: Pending free agents, biggest needs

In our latest offseason preview for the Titans, we take a look at the safety position.

The Tennessee Titans transitioned to somewhat of a new era at the safety position last season after parting ways with a long-time starter.

Tennessee traded Kevin Byard to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for Terrell Edmunds and two picks in the 2024 NFL draft, one in the fifth and one in the sixth.

At the time, the trade didn’t look all that great, but it looks a whole hell of a lot better after Byard struggled during his 11-game stint with the Eagles, which has led to him being named a cut candidate in 2024.

The reason I said “somewhat of a new era” at safety is because the Titans still had Byard’s running mate, Amani Hooker, who had a solid season but failed to stay healthy for the entire campaign once again.

Tennessee deployed a combination of K’Von Wallace and Elijah Molden in Byard’s stead. Molden was OK in his first season at the position and Wallace was better than expected after being claimed off waivers.

In our latest offseason preview for the Titans, we take a look at the pending free agents, those under contract and what Tennessee’s biggest needs are at the position going into the 2024 offseason.

All contract information courtesy of Over the Cap.

Titans’ biggest cut candidates for 2024 offseason

A look at some potential cap casualties for the Titans in 2024.

The Tennessee Titans enter the 2024 offseason flush with cap space, but they will have an opportunity to clear more money if they decide to cut some players from last year’s team.

According to Over the Cap, the Titans are sitting with $68.1 million in cap space, the second-most in the NFL behind only the Washington Commanders.

That’s a far cry from last year, when the Titans were strapped for cash, even after cutting some players. That also forced Tennessee to bet on upside with some of their free-agent signings.

But things are very different this year with the Titans having a ton of money to spend. And, as a result, their need to cut players isn’t as dire as it was last year, although the team still figures to part ways with at least a few players.

Here’s a look at the Titans’ biggest cut candidates for the 2024 offseason, and we’ve included a prediction for what will happen with each.

Titans place Amani Hooker on IR, promote Marlon Davidson

The Titans have placed starting safety Amani Hooker on injured reserve, ending his 2023 season.

The Tennessee Titans made a pair of roster moves on Friday, one of which included the placement of safety Amani Hooker on injured reserve. Hooker popped up on the injury report with a knee issue earlier in the week.

Thanks to the minimum four-week stay, Hooker will now miss the remainder of the campaign. Taking his spot on the roster is defensive lineman Marlon Davidson, who was promoted from the practice squad.

Going into 2023, the main concern with Hooker was his inability to stay on the field after he played in just 21 games combined the two seasons prior.

Hooker was able to stay healthy and play in 13 of the first 14, but this will be the third straight season in which he hasn’t played in a full campaign. He last did that in his first two seasons in the NFL.

When he was on the field, Hooker, who signed a three-year, $30 million extension in 2022, played fairly well and was one of the few sources of turnovers for Tennessee.

Hooker has two more years left on his deal after this one but also has outs in his contract if the Titans want to go that route.

He can be cut for just a $5 million dead-cap hit ($4.4 million savings) in 2024 and a $2.5 million dead-cap hit ($8.14 million savings) in 2025.

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Titans’ Amani Hooker fined for Week 14 infraction vs. Dolphins

Titans S Amani Hooker was fined a hefty sum for a hit on Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle in Week 14.

Tennessee Titans safety Amani Hooker is once again a little lighter in the wallet after he was fined for a hit on Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle in Week 14.

The play in question came in the first quarter when Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa threw a pass over the middle to Waddle, who was met by Hooker, leading to a big hit.

While the hit wasn’t flagged at the time, the league has deemed it as illegal, which will now cost the Titans safety $21,855.

This is the second week in a row in which Hooker has been hit with a fine. He was also penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct in Week 13 after he did a throat slash gesture against the Indianapolis Colts. That cost him $13,659.

While he’s lost some money recently, Hooker is in the midst of a fantastic season for Tennessee overall and has been worth every penny of the three-year, $30 million extension he signed last year.

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2 Titans hit with fines for Week 13 infractions

Two Titans players were fined for infractions against the Colts in Week 13.

Two Tennessee Titans players received fines for infractions during the Week 13 game against the Indianapolis Colts.

Safety Amani Hooker was hit with the biggest fine, losing $13,659 for an unsportsmanlike conduct stemming from a throat slash gesture he did following his pick-two.

On a side note: Hooker’s interception that resulted in a defensive two-point conversion was actually the first in franchise history.

Fellow safety K’Von Wallace is also a little lighter in the wallet, with the veteran defender being fined $5,611 for unsportsmanlike conduct after he taunted the Colts’ sideline, which was flagged during the game.

It was thought Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman might face a fine after he launched the football into the stands following his game-winning touchdown catch, which is something we saw former Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown get fined for in the past. However, Pittman escaped without one.

The Titans will return to the field when they take on the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on Monday night.

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Watch: Titans’ Amani Hooker gets rare pick-two vs. Colts

Titans safety Amani Hooker returned an interception the distance on a two-point conversion attempt by the Colts.

Tennessee Titans safety Amani Hooker pulled off a rare feat during the Week 13 game against the Indianapolis Colts.

After returning a blocked punt for a touchdown in the third quarter, the Colts attempted a two-point conversion to try and put themselves up seven points.

However, Hooker had other plans, as he picked off a pass from Colts quarterback Gardner Minshew and promptly returned it the length of the field to give the Titans two points.

Obviously, the points in and of themselves were big, but the score also cut Indy’s lead over Tennessee to three points. Check out the rare play below.