Tag: Teair Tart

Teair Tart found Titans’ criticisms of his work ethic ‘really weird’

Teair Tart says the Dolphins don’t have to worry about his work ethic, which was questioned last year by the Titans.

Teair Tart rose from undrafted free agent to impact player during his first three seasons with the Tennessee Titans, but things went south between him and the franchise in 2023. When Tart was finally waived by the team in December, ESPN’s Turron Davenport reported it was “because of issues with his effort and attitude.”

Tart, who signed with the Miami Dolphins earlier this month, says he was puzzled by those criticisms.

“I was in Tennessee four years, I never had work ethic questions or work ethic issues until I asked for a release,” Tart told reporters Tuesday. “[With the Titans], you’ve got to play hard, you’ve got to practice hard – [so the criticism] I found really weird.

For the most part, that’s true. There’s little indication that the Titans had any issue with Tart’s effort level prior to 2023. The defensive tackle was even singled out a few times by then-head coach Mike Vrabel for extra work he put in during the offseason.

But talks of his effort and attitude also didn’t spring up when Tart and the Titans parted ways in December. The defensive tackle was kicked out of a training camp practice and frustrated coaches as the 2023 season went on. In October, Vrabel even called out Tart for “standing there watching while everyone else is playing” during a film breakdown segment on television.

“You can expect me to be competitive, spirited,” Tart said Tuesday. I’m not afraid to show emotion out there on the field and really get after it and compete. I’m really just excited for a new beginning honestly. Tennessee is the past.

“I think I just needed a culture change. I think it was just better to not be a part of that situation anymore.”

In 45 career games with the Titans, Tart recorded 16 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and one interception.

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Bengals free agent target Teair Tart signs with Dolphins

A target of the Bengals in free agency has signed elsewhere.

Apparent Cincinnati Bengals free-agent target Teair Tart has signed elsewhere on the open market.

The veteran defensive lineman is off to join the Miami Dolphins not long after a reported visit with the Bengals.

It never sounded like said visit was going to lead to a signing. A visit was a predictable outcome, though, after the Bengals were one of the teams that attempted to claim Tart on waivers last season.

The Bengals have otherwise pivoted to Sheldon Rankins as the DJ Reader replacement, with the organization recently commenting on that change. Reader, too, has had some interesting comments about his departure from the Bengals.

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Ex-Titans DL Teair Tart is signing with Dolphins

Former Titans DL Teair Tart is signing with the Dolphins.

Former Tennessee Titans defensive lineman Teair Tart has finally found a new home in free agency.

According to Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz, Tart is signing with the Miami Dolphins. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reveals it’s a one-year deal but didn’t disclose the financial terms.

Tart is the second former Titan who is taking his talents to South Beach this offseason after center Aaron Brewer also signed with Miami. They both reunite with former Titans linebacker David Long, also.

Tart was an undrafted free-agent signing of the Titans in 2020 and worked his way into a starting role by 2021, where he proved to be a force in the run game but didn’t offer much as a pass-rusher which, in tandem with conditioning issues, prevented him from getting more snaps.

Things started going off the rails for Tart in 2023 after he appeared to be unhappy with the fact that he had to play on a one-year tender instead of a long-term contract.

From there, Tart had attitude and effort issues, which led to the Titans letting him go late in the season. He then latched on with the Houston Texans, where he appeared in two games and played just 29 snaps on defense before being inactive during the playoffs.

Tart is no doubt a difference-maker in the run game, but he’s got some work to do if he wants to truly maximize his potential and eventually cash in on a lucrative, long-term deal.

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Former Texans DL Teair Tart signs one-year deal with AFC East franchise

The Houston Texans lose another defensive lineman from their AFC South-winning roster to free agency.

Teair Tart won’t be headed back to Houston for the 2024 season.

The former Texans defensive lineman and Miami Dolphins agreed to terms on a one-year deal, according to Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz. Much like in Houston, Tart will serve as a priority rotational lineman in South Beach behind Benito Jones and Isaiah Mack.

Tart, 27, split time last season between the Tennessee Titans and Texans. He started the first 11 games in Nashville but was waived following a win over the Dolphins in early December.

Houston picked him off waivers, hoping to sturdy its trench play en route to a postseason push. Tart played in two games, recording three tackles, two pressures, and a tackle for loss.

Despite being a starter for the AFC South rival, Tart was inactive in both playoff games last winter following the regular season-finale win over the Indianapolis Colts. He recently visited with the Cincinnati Bengals, but left without a contract in his hands.

The Texans still could benefit from bolstering their interior defensive line despite adding former Titans lineman Denico Autry. Houston let Sheldon Rankins walk in free agency after a breakout season and later traded starter Maliek Collins to the San Fransisco 49ers in exchange for a seventh-round pick.

Atury, who turns 34 this offseason, primarily played as a defensive end in Mike Vrabel’s 3-4 defensive scheme, meaning his adjustment back inside could take time. The Texans also signed former Jacksonville Jaguars starter Foley Fatukasi following his release this offseason.

With two second-round picks, the Texans could find their long-term three-tech early in the draft. Several prospects linked to Houston include Florida State’s Braden Fiske, Texas’ T’Vondre Sweat, Michigan’s Kris Jenkins, and Ohio State’s Michael Hall Jr.

In 47 games, Tart has 79 tackles, 2.5 sacks, an interception and a fumble recovery.

Dolphins reportedly signing former Titans, Texans DT Teair Tart

The Dolphins added another veteran defensive tackle to their roster Friday.

The Miami Dolphins are shoring up their defensive line by adding free agent nose tackle Teair Tart, according to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report.

Tart, 27, began his career with the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2020 and appeared in 34 games over his first three seasons with the team. After getting a second-round tender as a restricted free agent during the 2023 offseason, Tart was surprisingly waived by the Titans late in the year.

The defensive tackle later said his abrupt departure from Tennessee came after he requested his release from the team.

The Houston Texans claimed Tart off waivers, but he appeared in only two games with the team and was a healthy scratch for the team’s playoff matchups against the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens.

Miami would benefit from a return to form for Tart after losing both Christian Wilkins and Raekwon Davis in free agency last month. The Dolphins have tossed several veterans into the mix in recent weeks, signing Benito Jones, Jonathan Harris, and Neville Gallimore to fill the void at defensive tackle.

In four NFL seasons, Tart has tallied 2.5 sacks, 16 tackles for loss, and seven pass deflections.

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5 DTs the Colts should target in free agency

Taking a look at some DT targets for Indy in free agency.

Free agency for the interior of the defensive line for the Indianapolis Colts all comes down to what Chris Ballard does with Grover Stewart.

They are set with DeForest Buckner at the three-tech spot for at least one more season but if Stewart isn’t re-signed, there is a glaring hole in that part of the roster.

Even if Stewart is brought back for the 2024 season, Ballard also has to consider depth beyond him because of how far the rush defense fell when Stewart was out of the lineup in the 2023 season because of his six-game suspension.

Here are five defensive tackles that the Colts should target as replacement options for Stewart if he walks and/or quality depth option to have in the rotation behind him:

AFC Divisional Round picks: Who the experts are taking in Ravens vs. Texans

The NFL experts have made their picks, and the Baltimore Ravens are favored to defeat the Houston Texans in the AFC Divisional Round

We’re a little over 30 hours away from the Ravens (13-4) and Texans (11-7) kicking off the AFC divisional round of the playoffs on ESPN.

Houston advanced to the Divisional round of the NFL playoffs for the fifth time in franchise history with a 45-14 win over the Browns in Super Wild Card Weekend.

The playoff win earned the Texans a rematch against the Ravens, and they’ll return to M&T Bank Stadium hoping to avenge a 25-9 loss in Week 1.

With kickoff fast approaching, here’s the NFL expert picks.

Ravens divisional round preview: 10 things to know about the Houston Texans

We’re looking at ten things to know about the Houston Texans ahead of their AFC Divisional Round matchup against the Baltimore Ravens

The Texans advanced to the Divisional round of the NFL playoffs for the fifth time in franchise history with a 45-14 win over the Browns in Super Wild Card Weekend.

The playoff success earned Houston a rematch against the Baltimore Ravens, and they’ll return to M&T Bank Stadium hoping to avenge a 25-9 loss in Week 1.

The Texans are a different team since that humble welcome to the NFL moment for C.J. Stroud, and all the former Ohio State star has done is shatter records and lead his team to the postseason as a rookie.

With final preparations for Saturday’s kickoff underway, we’re looking at ten things about the Houston Texans.

Titans signing LB Garret Wallow off Texans’ practice squad

The Titans are poaching LB Garret Wallow off the Texans’ practice squad.

Just days after a former Tennessee Titan landed with the Houston Texans via waivers, the Titans are now adding a player from the practice squad of their division rival.

According to Aaron Wilson of Click2Houston.com, the Titans are signing linebacker Garret Wallow off the Texans’ practice squad. Wallow will be added to Tennessee’s 53-man roster.

This move comes on the heels of the Texans being awarded former Tennessee defensive lineman Teair Tart off waivers on Monday, just one day after Houston beat the Titans in Nashville, 19-16, in overtime.

The 25-year-old former fifth-round pick will provide much-needed depth at linebacker for the final three games of the season behind Jack Gibbens and Azeez Al-Shaair, while also lending a helping hand on special teams.

The TCU product has 36 tackles (three for loss), one sack and one pass defensed over 32 games (five starts) and 304 defensive snaps during his career.

He’s appeared in just two contests for Houston this season, playing only on special teams.

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Bengals attempted to claim former Titans DL Teair Tart on waiver wire

The Bengals attempted to make a claim on the waiver wire.

The Cincinnati Bengals have made some quality additions over the waiver wire in recent years and attempted to make that happen again this week.

Unfortunately for the Bengals, the Houston Texans got in the way.

According to ESPN’s Field Yates, the Bengals were one of a handful of teams to put in a claim on defensive tackle Teair Tart after he was waived by the Tennessee Titans, but the Texans had top priority in the waiver wire order.

Tart, 26, spent the last four seasons with the Titans and would have been a timely addition to the Cincinnati roster after losing star DJ Reader for the season to injury.

Given some of the reported drama between Tart and the Titans this year, the fact the Bengals were willing to take the risk likely says a lot about their desire to add to the position in the middle of this attempted playoff run.

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