LB Luke Gifford has agreed to a two-year deal worth up to $5 million with the Tennessee Titans, according a source. Gifford led the Cowboys in special teams tackles in ‘22 and coaches believed he could handle larger role on defense.
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) March 14, 2023
After letting David Long walk in free agency to the Miami Dolphins on Monday, the Tennessee Titans have reportedly added another linebacker.
According to ESPN’s Todd Archer, the Titans and former Dallas Cowboys linebacker Luke Gifford have agreed to terms on a two-year contract worth up to $5 million.
An undrafted free-agent signing of the Cowboys in 2019, Gifford has played almost all of his snaps in the NFL on special teams. He has just 74 career snaps on defense over the last three seasons.
However, as Archer points out, there was belief among his coaches in Dallas that Gifford could handle a bigger role if needed.
Based on his contract amount, I don’t think the Titans view him as a locked-in starter and probably more along the lines of a Dylan Cole-type player who can compete for work on defense but will play mostly on special teams.
As far as what Tennessee could expect from Gifford if he does see defensive snaps, it’s hard to gauge with such a little sample size, and that’s especially true in coverage, with Gifford only being targeted seven times in his career.
On the special teams side, Gifford is a really good player, as he posted the fourth-best Pro Football Focus grade on special teams in 2022 (H/T Mike Herndon).
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