Tag: Kristian Fulton

Cardinals tried to sign CB Kristian Fulton before he signed with Chargers

Fulton and new Cardinals CB Sean Murphy-Bunting were teammates in Tennessee last season. Fulton is signing with the Chargers.

The Arizona Cardinals have made one addition to their defensive backfield in free agency. They signed Sean Murphy-Bunting to a three-year contract. He played last season for the Tennessee Titans.

The Cardinals tried to sign his former Titans teammate. According to ESPN’s Turron Davenport, they were one of multiple teams that offered a contract to cornerback Kristian Fulton, who elected a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Fulton was drafted in the second round by Tennessee in 2020 and played four seasons there. He has struggled with his health, never playing more than 13 games in a season.

But he was targeted by the Cardinals and they tried to sign him. What we don’t know is whether the offer to him was in addition to Murphy-Bunting or if he was targeted and then they turned their attention to Murphy-Bunting after Fulton turned them down.

It would have been interesting to have added both Fulton and Murphy-Bunting to their young cornerback room, but we will never know if that was actually the plan.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

 

Chargers agree to terms with CB Kristian Fulton

The Chargers added to their cornerback room.

After hosting cornerback Kristian Fulton for a visit on Thursday, the Chargers agreed to terms with him a day later.

According to ESPN’s Turron Davenport, Fulton turned down offers from the Bengals, Broncos and Cardinals to sign with the Chargers.

Fulton, a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft, recorded 25 pass breakups and four interceptions throughout four seasons with the Titans.

Fulton has showcased the skillset to stick with starting wide receivers.

However, recurring injuries have caused Fulton to miss 26 of 67 games. He has never played a complete season and has missed at least four games every season.

Fulton is coming off arguably his worst season as a pro, finishing with an overall defensive grade of 46.4.

Despite his recent struggles, it’s clear that Joe Hortiz envisions a bounce-back season from him with a new scheme change and the help of Jesse Minter and the coaching staff.

Chargers signing ex-Titans CB Kristian Fulton

The Chargers are reportedly signing former Titans CB Kristian Fulton.

Former Tennessee Titans second-round pick and cornerback Kristian Fulton has reportedly found a new home.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Fulton is signing a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Chargers after visiting with the team recently. The financial terms of the deal were not immediately disclosed.

Per ESPN’s Turron Davenport, Fulton turned down offers from multiple teams, including the Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos and Arizona Cardinals.

Fulton going elsewhere in free agency comes as zero surprise, with the 26-year-old desperately needing a change of scenery following a tenure in Tennessee that can best be described as disappointing.

Fulton looked the part of a No. 1 cornerback over his first three years in the NFL, but injuries were always an issue for him. He was hit with the injury bug once again in 2023 and the quality of his play dipped significantly.

Now, Fulton gets a fresh start in Los Angeles, where he’ll look to revive his career and set himself up for a payday in 2025.

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Bengals offered free agent Kristian Fulton contract before CB signed with Chargers

The Bengals were in on free agent CB Kristian Fulton.

It turns out the Cincinnati Bengals were in a free-agency race for a cornerback.

After news broke that the Los Angeles Chargers signed cornerback Kristian Fulton, ESPN’s Turron Davenport reported that the veteran turned down a contract offer from the Bengals.

The Bengals were one of several teams Fulton turned down while opting to sign with the Chargers.

Cincinnati’s interest speaks to the team’s desire to find more depth in the secondary before the draft after losing a veteran like Chidobe Awuzie to the open market.

With Fulton landing a one-year deal with the Chargers, it’s reasonable to expect the Bengals to offer veterans similar short-term deals before the draft.

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Report: Chargers to host free agent Kristian Fulton on visit

The Chargers need to add to their cornerback room.

The Chargers are hosting free agent cornerback Kristian Fulton on a visit, according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.

Rapoport added that Fulton is flying in for dinner on Wednesday and will meet with the team on Thursday.

Fulton, a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft, recorded 25 pass breakups and four interceptions throughout four seasons in Tennessee.

Fulton has showcased the skillset to stick with starting wide receivers.

However, recurring injuries have caused Fulton to miss 26 of 67 games. He has never played a complete season and has missed at least four games every season.

Fulton is coming off arguably his worst season as a pro, finishing with an overall defensive grade of 46.4.

If the Chargers elect to sign him, it will likely be a one-year prove-it deal to show he can stay injury-free and bounce back from last season.

With Michael Davis headed to the Commanders, Los Angeles needs to add a veteran presence to their cornerback room.

Ex-Titans CB Kristian Fulton set for visit with Chargers

The Chargers and former Titans CB Kristian Fulton are reportedly set to have a free-agent visit.

Former Tennessee Titans second-round pick and cornerback Kristian Fulton is reportedly set for a free-agent visit with the Los Angeles Chargers.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Fulton will fly out to have dinner with Chargers brass on Wednesday and will complete his visit on Thursday.

This is the first known visit for Fulton, who was never expected to return to Tennessee in 2024 following what can best be described as a disappointing tenure.

Over the first three years of his career, Fulton looked the part of a No. 1 cornerback but struggled with soft-tissue injuries. In a contract year in 2023, Fulton once again failed to play a full season and struggled in coverage.

He posted career-worsts in completion rate (75.5%) and passer rating (114.1) allowed, and always seemed to commit penalties at the worst possible times.

All that said, Fulton is still only 25 and it isn’t crazy to think he could revive his career with a change of scenery.

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What Titans should do with pending free agents on defense

Our thoughts on what the Titans should do with their 13 pending free agents on defense.

The Tennessee Titans have a grand total of 26 pending free agents to make decisions on during the 2024 offseason, and 13 of of those come from the defensive side of the ball, which is now headed by new defensive coordinator, Dennard Wilson.

While Tennessee’s defense no doubt had its issues in 2023, it was easily the more consistent unit, with the team’s pass-rush standing out the most. That was crucial because of how poorly the secondary played.

The biggest notch on the Titans’ belt on defense in 2023 was the fact that the unit finished as the No. 1 red-zone defense in the NFL.

The Titans have a slew of needs to address on the defensive side of the ball, but some of those can be filled simply by bringing back some of their own pending free agents.

Let’s take a look at who the Titans’ 13 pending free agents on defense are and we’ll share our verdict for what Tennessee should do with them, whether that be re-sign them or let them walk.

Note: Defensive free agents list is courtesy of Over the Cap.

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

What should the Titans do at cornerback in 2024? We take a look at that and more in our latest offseason preview.

The Tennessee Titans had a tough year in coverage in 2023, leading to their sporting the No. 18 pass defense in the NFL.

The biggest problem? The play from the cornerbacks.

While slot cornerback Roger McCreary was consistently good, the rest of the cornerbacks room was not.

Kristian Fulton managed to stay healthy before landing on season-ending injured reserve but his play was riddled with poor coverage and terrible penalties.

Sean Murphy-Bunting was better than Fulton, for sure, but was not immune to boneheaded penalties and lapses in coverage. He did do enough, however, to be considered a candidate to be re-signed.

As far as the backups were concerned, Tre Avery was exposed when out there for extended periods of time, and UDFA Eric Garror was quietly oosted impressive numbers in coverage.

So, what do the Titans need to do at cornerback this offseason? We take a look at that and much more in our latest offseason preview.

All contract statuses are courtesy of Over the Cap.

Titans’ biggest disappointments from the 2023 season

The Titans had no shortage of disappointments in 2023. Here are six players who fit the bill the most.

During what was a frustrating 6-11 campaign, the Tennessee Titans had no shortage of disappointments, from individual players to entire position groups.

That fact shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, as we always knew this past season was going to be a roll of the dice for the Titans.

After all, the team was strapped for cash during the offseason and had to bet on upside at several positions, both with players already on the roster and free-agent signings.

Sometimes that works out — and in the case of some players on this past year’s team, it did — but when it doesn’t, things can get ugly.

In what is our latest look back at the 2023 season, we’re going to go over the team’s six most disappointing players.

Kristian Fulton talks landing on IR, his future with Titans

Titans CB Kristian Fulton said he was surprised to find out he had been placed on injured reserve.

We may have seen the last of Kristian Fulton with the Tennessee Titans after the former second-round pick was placed on injured reserve Wednesday, which will force him to miss the final four games of the regular season.

Fulton’s time in Nashville can best be described as disappointing overall. The LSU product looked the part of a No. 1 cornerback over his first few seasons in the league, but he was also plagued by injuries, especially the soft-tissue variety.

Fulton entered the 2023 campaign in a make-or-break situation, as he needed to prove he could stay healthy and play at a high level in a contract year. At first, he struggled with the latter, and now he’s struggling with the former.

Fulton said he was surprised he was placed on injured reserve. He then said he did everything he could to avoid injury this season, it just didn’t work out.

“I went through all of the precautions, changed diet, everything I could to stay healthy and it didn’t work out,” Fulton said, per Paul Kuharsky. “I know I did my part, at the end of the day. I went the extra mile for my team and it didn’t work out, so I can’t be mad at that.”

Fulton is set to hit free agency in 2024 and considering what has transpired this season and throughout his tenure in Nashville, it’s highly unlikely he returns to the team.

When asked about his future with the Titans and if he wants to come back, Fulton kept it simple in both instances, saying, “we’ll see.”

“I just try to come in and do my part, day in and day out, since I’ve gotten to Tennessee,” Fulton said. “I know I can play in this league, I know I’m a top corner in this league. So, wherever that may be, it’ll all work out for me.”

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