Tag: Titans

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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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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Dennis Allen leaves the door open to an Andrus Peat return

Andrus Peat remains on the market despite a free agent visit with the Titans. A return to the Saints could help both parties, at the right cost:

Dennis Allen met with media at the NFC coaches breakfast on Tuesday during NFL owners meetings in Orlando, Fla., and he touched on a range of topics. One of those centered on free agent offensive lineman Andrus Peat, who has yet to sign with a team despite visiting the Tennessee Titans after his Saints contract expired.

“I think all things are on the table in terms of how we want to fill out our roster,” Allen said Tuesday. That’s hardly an endorsement for bringing Peat back, but it isn’t a door-slams-shut moment, either. “And so there’s a business aspect that goes along with all these decisions, so we’ll see.”

That sounds like the typical coach-speak to say the door is open on Peat returning to the team. This is likely just a sign there’s no bad blood between him and the team, but a return should be firmly on the table. The Saints do not have the luxury of being comfortable at offensive line.

The one move the Saints made in that position group was signing Oli Udoh. Udoh is a depth signing with limited potential. When you break down his value to New Orleans, it’s very similar to Peat but with seemingly a lower floor. Udoh is a depth piece that provides versatility at left guard and left tackle. He’s played both position, but has limited starting experience in the NFL at either spot.

Peat on the other hand has a lot of experience at both left guard and tackle. He could easily start at either position next year. The longer he stays on the market could be a sign of his value to teams. Udoh can improve depth but  his presence shouldn’t deter a reunion with Peat, at the right price. With Trevor Penning’s progress stalling out at left tackle and Ryan Ramczyk’s future in doubt at right tackle, they need to make more moves.

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Chiefs HC Andy Reid comments on Brett Veach’s decision to trade DB L’Jarius Sneed to Titans

#Chiefs HC Andy Reid gave his thoughts on Brett Veach’s decision to trade star DB L’Jarius Sneed to the #Titans.

The football world was shocked to learn that Kansas City Chiefs defensive back L’Jarius Sneed had been traded to the Tennessee Titans. The early Saturday morning news didn’t leave much time for reaction from many players and front-office personnel, aside from social media.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid is at the NFL’s league meetings this week with the other coaches as teams prepare for the 2024 season. He was asked about Sneed’s inevitable departure by writer Paul Kuharsky.

“[Sneed is] one of my all-time favorite guys, a great human being as great a player as he is, [an even] better human being, and as tough as you can imagine,” Reid said. “I’m his biggest fan. Absolutely.”

Sneed was an integral part of the Chiefs’ improved defensive unit in 2023, and his free agency this offseason earned him a long-term payday with the Titans. The salary cap structure made keeping him a difficult proposition for Brett Veach and his staff, which led to Sneed being franchise-tagged and necessitated that Kansas City explore a trade.

“I mean, he (Brett Veach) juggled the salary cap, and it’s ridiculous… what you have to go through, and players you can keep, and you can’t keep, but we all love them here, that wasn’t the problem,” Reid explained. “He was our lockdown guy. Every best receiver. He had the best receiver.”

Reid and the Chiefs understood the business had overshadowed their personal feelings about Sneed, the player and person. His presence will be missed, but the team needs to adjust financially to compete for Super Bowl titles long-term.

Watch: Highlights of Chargers new CB Kristian Fulton

Check out the Chargers’ newest cornerback in action.

The Chargers added to their cornerback room with the signing of Kristian Fulton.

Fulton has battled the injuries and struggled last season, but he has flashed throughout his pro career and he is still young, being only 25 years old.

The hope is that Fulton can stay healthy and defensive coordinator Jesse Minter and the rest of the coaching staff can revitalize his play.

To get familiar with the newest member of the team, here are some highlights of Fulton.

 

Chiefs’ weak L’Jarius Snead deal is more proof Saints shouldn’t trade Marshon Lattimore

The Chiefs got back a pittance for trading L’Jarius Snead, their franchise-tagged cornerback. It’s more proof the Saints shouldn’t deal Marshon Lattimore:

How much more proof do the New Orleans Saints need that trading Marshon Lattimore would be a terrible idea? The Kansas City Chiefs agreed to a deal sending franchise-tagged cornerback L’Jarius Snead to the Tennessee Titans on Friday night, and they got back a pittance.

Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Chiefs are getting a third-round pick in the 2025 draft while swapping seventh rounders in the 2024 draft coming up in April. That’s a very poor return for a player they thought so highly of as to use the franchise tag in the first place.

But it’s the going rate for high-end cornerbacks these days, and Snead is just the latest corner who is younger and more productive than Lattimore in recent years to be traded. As we’ve discussed before, the takeaway here for the Saints is not that they should trade Lattimore at a loss and accept a bad return in value. The lesson the market is teaching them is to not trade Lattimore.

It can’t be worth it. Even if Lattimore misses half the season with another freak accident injury, as has been the case the last two years, he’s still more valuable to the team than a third-round draft pick a year away. And that’s without getting into the complicated timeline and salary cap implications of moving him now or later this summer.

Teams aren’t valuing defensive backs like they used to. Pro Bowl-quality safeties were let go around the league earlier this month. Many of the best young cornerbacks are being traded for mid-round draft picks. The Saints have gotten by without Lattimore, but doing it again without the reliable depth that Isaac Yiadom and Lonnie Johnson offered last season is a dicey proposition. It’s in their best interests to mend fences with Lattimore and insure he’ll be starting for New Orleans in the fall. There won’t be a strong enough package of draft picks coming from another team to make trading him worthwhile.

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REPORT: Chiefs to trade DB L’Jarius Sneed to Titans

Chiefs reportedly will trade CB L’Jarius Sneed to the Titans

The L’Jarius Sneed era with the Kansas City Chiefs appears to have ended. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Chiefs have agreed to trade the veteran cornerback to the Tennessee Titans.

The deal was announced late Friday night, and the Chiefs expect to receive a 2025 third-round pick; the teams will also swap seventh-round picks in next month’s draft. Before becoming official, the trade is pending a physical for Sneed. The Titans are reportedly ready to sign him to a long-term extension following the deal’s completion.

Sneed’s departure is expected to free up $19.8 million against Kansas City’s salary cap. The team initially franchise-tagged the veteran at the start of the offseason.

Sneed earned a solid reputation as a gritty cornerback who could follow and shut down a team’s best wide receiver. The 27-year-old was a fourth-round draft pick in the 2020 NFL draft. During his 57 regular-season games with the Chiefs, he had 10 interceptions and 40 passes defended. In the postseason, he had one interception and seven passes defended in 13 games.

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.

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.

Seahawks sign former Titans DB K’Von Wallace to 1-year deal

It’s a one-year deal, according to Tom Pelissero at NFL Network.

The Seahawks have signed former Eagles, Cardinals and Titans defensive back K’Von Wallace. It’s a one-year deal, according to Tom Pelissero at NFL Network.

Wallace (5-foot-11, 205 pounds) played his college ball at Clemson, where he totaled five interceptions in 45 games. He was then picked by Philadelphia in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL draft. Wallace spent three seasons with the Eagles, appearing in 45 games but only getting seven starts. From there, he moved on to the Cardinals for one season, and last season he was with the Titans. All together he has played in 62 NFL games with 19 starts.

Signing Wallace continues the Seahawks’ theme of adding diverse coverage players for the back end of their defense. Like Rayshawn Jenkins, he’s gotten high grades for his coverage and he can play multiple positions.

Seattle may no longer need to pick a safety in the 2024 NFL draft, with Jenkins and Wallace effectively replacing Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams. Seattle still has plenty of youth at this spot on their depth chart in Jerrick Reed, Coby Bryant and Ty Okada.

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