Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - REPORT: Tennessee Titans TARGETING Jevon Holland in Free Agency, Edge Fool's Gold & Backer Shopping

Episode Date: March 6, 2025

The Tennessee Titans kick off free agency on Monday and we are already hearing reports they are interested in the top safety on the market, Jevon Holland. This would be a perfect fit and a long-term answer at the safety position. The Titans also need help at edge rusher, but the truth is this free agent class is fool's gold at the top and they need to look into the NFL Draft for their answers. Finally, the Titans could choose to address linebacker and if they do so, a familiar face from the Kansas City Chiefs could be the top option.   Subscribe to the TicTacTitans Film Channel:https://www.youtube.com/@TicTacTitans TicTacTitans Merchandise: https://dixons-dream.square.site/shop/tictactitans-gear/C3AAPNWXSXA6SBYG3USV2I7R?page=1&limit=30&sort_by=category_order&sort_order=asc Follow Tyler on Twitter @TicTacTitans Follow the show on Facebook @LockedOnTitansPod Subscribe to the Locked On Titans YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/c/LockedOnTitans/videos Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! ChewyChewy has everything you need to keep your pet happy and healthy. And right now you can save $20 on your first order and get free shipping by going to Chewy.com/LOCKEDONNFL. FanDuelRight now, new FanDuel customers can get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in Bonus Bets if your first FIVE DOLLAR bet wins!Download the app or head to FANDUEL.COM to get started. Bet with FanDuel—Official Partner of the NBA. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

Free agency kicks off on Monday and it sounds like the Tennessee Titans are set to make a big splash. I'll go over the big news on today's edition of Locked on Titans. You are Locked on Titans, your daily Tennessee Titans podcast. Part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. Welcome to the Locked On Titans podcast. I am your host, Tyler Rowland, Titans fans. Today's edition of the Locked On Titans podcast is brought to you by FanDuel.

Right now, new FanDuel customers can get $150 in bonus bets if your first $5 bet wins. On today's show, we are doing a free agency preview of the defensive side of the ball. We got big news on a target the Titans have already at the safety position. I'll go over that. I'll tell you why the Edgerushers are fool's gold. And we'll talk about a potential big swing at linebacker. Before we get into all of it, do want to thank you for making the

locked on Titans podcast your first listen each and every day. Remember Monday through Friday, Tennessee Titans content all year round, always for free. You're not going to beat that anywhere else. Make sure that you get subscribed. Stay subscribed. It's your team every day. Speaking of every day, shout out to my every dayers out there tuning in Monday through Friday. If you aren't an

every dayer, you need to be one, especially this time of year and especially with free agency next week, we're going to get a ton of news from the Tennessee Titans on signings, roster changes, cuts, all of that. I'm going to keep you up to date on the salary cap space what each player can provide what it means for the Titans going forward. So this is a perfect time to smash that subscribe button and make sure that you are as informed as you could possibly be as a Tennessee Titans fan. But with that being said, do want to talk about the big news that came

out on Thursday. Cam Wolf who used to cover the Titans directly for ESPN, now works for the NFL Network, reported on Thursday morning that the Tennessee Titans are interested in Javon Holland, the former Oregon duck who's been with the Miami Dolphins, who is now a free agent. He said that Holland would be looking for between 15 to $20 million per season. And that right now it looks like it's between the Tennessee Titans and

the Carolina Panthers or those at least two teams that are interested in Javon Holland. And let me tell you this, I love this move for the Tennessee Titans. Whether it be 15, whether it be 20 million, I am willing to pay Javon Holland what it costs because I think he is such a fantastic playmaker. I have continued to say I'd like the Titans to do one big move in free agency. I don't want them to do what they did last year with the Steve trade and the Ridley thing and bringing in different players

spending money like on cushion berry. I'm not mad about those moves, but the Titans just need to take a different approach here. But one big time move they should make is Javon Holland on the back end. He can literally do anything that you need. He had ball production early on in his career. He had a bad season last season, but the entire Miami dolphins defense and team really had a bad season.

So he goes from having Vic Fangio as his defensive coordinator to losing Fangio. And obviously there's a drop off there. But Holland is a guy who could play in the back end, make plays on the ball with a Monty Hooker being an older player. Now you can have a Monty Hooker be that guy that plays closer to the line of scrimmage and then have Jovan Holland function like a Gino Stone. But last all season we talked about Gino Stone because he was in Denard Wilson's defense in Baltimore as the back end free safety that could kind of take everything away and Javon Holland can be that.

And again, 25 years old, Javon Holland literally just turned 25 yesterday, like Javon Holland turned 25 this week. So it's a young player that still has three or four more years of prime production. So, Javon Holland is the best safety on the market and I think if the Titans went out and made that move and you pair an aging Imani Hooker for one more season with a young 25 year old Javon Holland at the peak of his powers, I think that would be fantastic. And we know, we know how great Denaard Wilson is with the backend so he could probably get pro bull to all pro level play out of a young Javon

Holland. I love that move. Also cam Bynum is a name played for the Minnesota Vikings. He's 27 years old. He's willing to tackle. He has ball production. He'll be in the same range about 15 to 20 million. Now, cam by them isn't as young as Javon Holland. He doesn't have the high end explosiveness that Javon Holland does. So we'll probably get just a little bit less. I'm not quite as interested in cam by them because of the age difference. Two years is forever in the NFL.

So cam by them at twenty seven. He'll be 30 in three years. Javon Holland, 28 still viable. I prefer Javon Holland as my, if the Titans are going to spend that much money, I'd rather it be on Javon Holland. Another rung down you could say is, uh, Talanoa Hufunga from the 49ers, but he's coming off an injury riddled season. The style of plays had injuries throughout his career.

He's going to be about 10 to $15 million, 26 years old, so still young. But with the injury concern, I'd rather go a different direction. To me, he's more of an in the box guy, good coverage guy. I'm not saying he's not, but just a physical player who I think injuries will follow him. Justin Reed, obviously from Kansas City, so there's the connection there. But 28 years old, he's a guy who's good in man coverage against tight ends, really good in run defense. But I don't think he can be that back end

safety and with how much cover for the Titans played, they need both their safeties to have that back end versatility. So I just think Justin Reed is too much of a, towards the line of scrimmage player to be a perfect fit, especially with Amani Hooker is the other guy who you probably want to have in more of that role. A name that makes a ton of sense for me also at safety though, is Trevon Moe Rick. So 26 years old, $15 million, probably 12 to $15 million a year in 2023. He was top five amongst all safeties and interceptions and tackles for loss and force completion

rate. He had a down year in 2024, no doubt, but the entire Raiders team did. I think at 26 years old with that sort of production on his NFL ledger, you take a chance on a guy like Trevon Morag. He would be my number two option for the Titans at safety. Now, after those names right there, you get into a much, I guess a much less exciting group. To me, that's when you get into average starting safety play, like Justin Simmons, Jeremy Chin, Andre Sisco out of the eight to 10 million, five to 10 million range.

Andre Sisco from the Jags, I think would be a great choice. He's got a ton of ball production in his career can get. And I think he's had seven interceptions in the last two years. I've always liked Andre Cisco out of Texas though. Uh, Julian Blackman came from the Colts injuries. I'm out. Damar Hamlin. Average or below average starter in the NFL.

Quandre digs, they could bring him back, but I think the Titans need to go younger and here's my appeal. You may be saying to yourself, I don't want to spend money at safety. And I get it, but this is a really, really lackluster safety group outside of like Malachi Starks and Nick Amanwari. It's just not a deep, good group. This is not a good safety draft. And I think a guy like Javon Holland

not only helps you this year, but can be your number one safety, your ball in the back end. Imani Hooker is 29, 28, 29 now. He's on the last year of his contract with the Titans. Imani Hooker will most likely be playing his last season as a Tennessee Titan this year. So having a guy like Javon Holland,

so we have one stud safety in the back end that we can count on and then we can fill the other safety spot with a mid-round rookie or with one of these, you know, value veterans like a chin, like a Cisco, whatever next year's value better. The safety market at this point, remember last year, the Titans waited forever to get that second safety because there's so many decent veteran safeties available. That's what it's going to be forever and all eternity. All right. There's probably going to be decent value veteran safeties in the market

every single year going forward because it's a devalued position. So if you have your Holland and you're good right there, you can address the other safety position and an economical way. And that's how you have a good roster structure. So Javon Holland and look, I'm going to say this quickly. No cornerbacks. I don't want a single cornerback in free agency unless the Titans bring back Darrell Baker Jr.

As their depth, they have a top four of Snead, a Woozie, McCreary, Jarvis Brownlee Jr. You do not need to put any other additional financial resources in the cornerback other than depth guys, like a Darrell Baker Jr. for less than $5 million. Like there's just no need to pay a fifth cornerback anything of note. So I'm not even going to talk about free agent cornerbacks. Quite frankly, I think it's a waste of time for all of us.

The Titans will probably just make a depth signing there Not any of the names big on the market and honestly with what they did last year with the wuzi a and sneed They simply can't afford to dump any more Reese's resources into cornerback. So we'll move into the front seven Time to talk about edge rushers Do want to let you guys know that today's episode is brought to you by fan duel sportsbook. When the game tips off, the NBA action is just getting started and there's no better place to get in on it than fan duel. America's number one sportsbook with fan duel.

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why I don't think the Titans should sign any cornerbacks at all. I think safety would be a good option for the Titans this year is their one big splash signing, but I do want to move to the edge rusher position because the Tennessee Titans certainly do need help on the edge and listen at the time of this recording and I'm going to jinx it. That means that as soon as I get done recording or later on, on Thursday evening, after this goes out, the Titans are going to finally cut Harold Landry, but it hasn't happened yet. All right. So Harold Landry, as I explained

when it first dropped, the news dropped that Harold Landry had permission to seek a trade. Yeah. Okay. The options are Harold Landry gets cut or Harold Landry takes a pay cut. Those are the two options. And what happens is when you give a player permission to seek a trade, you're really just letting them go out there and see how much they're worth. That's all you're doing. So if Harold Landry goes out there and realizes, Oh, I was at the bottom of

the league and pass rush win rate. My nine sacks didn't fool anybody. No one's going to give me more money or no one's going to take my contract as it currently is. I guess I might as well take a pay cut and go back to Tennessee. If that happens. Then great. Perfect.

If it doesn't, then it is what it is, but either way, the Titans need some help on the edge. It is a great edge class in the draft. It is a phenomenal edge rusher class in the draft throughout the first hundred picks. I bet there's 15 edge rushers. Like it's going to be a good class. So I think that the Titans get an edge rusher in the draft, maybe even two, depending on what happens. If they cut Harold Landry, they need to get two. If they keep Harold Landry, they probably need to get one, but either way, I think they should add another depth signing on the edge in free agency, but they can't do one of

the top options. Josh sweat is the name that most Titans fans want to talk about. Josh sweat is a, is a guy that I've seen people who cover the Titans like I do and create content. Kind of pine for it. Josh Swett is fool's gold. Josh Swett is Bud Dupree all over again. Right now, Josh Swett is expected to get about 18 to 20 million dollars. He is 28 years old.

No way. No way. He was on a dominant defensive line where he never took double teams. He had Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter and Milton Williams, like Nolan Smith. The Eagles had one of the best pass rush rotation. So he was always fresh. He rarely was the center of attention. They were beating people all the time by a million and he could pin his ears back.

Josh Schwett is a rotational pass rusher. He is not a top-tier pass rusher. You cannot pay him 18 to 20 million dollars a year. It's bud new pre all over again. It's a guy who is a good player, but isn't a great player. But to pre I continue to say bud, Dupree is the fourth best edge rusher on the team makes a really good pass rush group, but bud Dupree was getting paid like the number one pass rusher on the team. That's not good.

That's not good. That's not good. And that's Josh. Sweat is better with his one-on-one pass rush moves. He can win one-on-one more that like bud Dupree is like what Harold Landry is now it's clean up sacks. It's coverage sacks. It's effort.

It's motor. It's not pass rush wins. You cannot pay Josh Schwett that money. Joey Bosa's on the market, just doesn't make sense for the Titans. He's an older player with injuries. He needs to go to a contender that doesn't need much out of him so he can kind of stay in a cryo tank all year and then come in in the playoffs. That's not the Titans. Khalil Mack, same thing, 34 years old. No, no, that Khalil Mack needs to go to a ready to win team who's competing for a championship. You take a step down, Hassan Reddick.

Okay. After the drama that Hassan Reddick had with the Jets last year, I'm out. He's 30 years old. I'm not paying 12 to $15 million a year for that. Malcolm Coons is a guy who would logically make sense. He's only 27 years old, had some really good flashes in 2023, but he was out with injury for most of 2024, all of 2024. I think it was ACL.

I'm sorry. I'm just not just not taking those chances with players like that. Just not doing that. Chase Young, 26 years old, probably again in that 15 to $20 million range. He's not known as a hard worker. His career hasn't panned out the way that people thought because he isn't dedicated enough. Quite frankly, I'm not paying him 15 to $20 million a year, even at 26 years old. I'm not

doing that. You get edge rushers through the draft. It's the best way to do it. Okay, because really good edge rushers because it's a premium position. Don't come in on the market. Doesn't happen very often. Diode Dango, I liked Diode coming out of, I think he went to Vanderbilt, coming out of college. He had an Achilles tear that he had to recover from, but he has recovered and he's been a nice versatile rusher for the Colts. I would be interested in Diode Dango. That would be an option, but I'm not paying, you know, some people think that he's going to get 15 to $18 million and I'm just simply not paying

that for, you know, I say, Deniko Autry, I'm not comparing them as players, but for the Deniko Autry role, remember Deniko Autry got like $9 million a season from the Titans. I think that's kind of the range you would be looking in like a Charles of Manahue from Kansas city. I think that would make a ton of sense for the Titans Charles of Manahue. He's a guy who, you know, is a veteran player, but you know, you're getting championship pedigree. He's going to be a culture setter in the locker room. He's going to be able to give you inside outside versatility.

He's going to play physically on the edge. I love a Charles of Manahue. Maybe you take a chance on a younger guy like a Josh Uchi who has been passed around a little bit. Baron Browning is a guy who I continue to look at. Some injury issues, but 26 years old. Baron Browning is a great athlete. Started out as an off ball linebacker, then moved to an edge rusher, and has been a lot better in that role. He's probably only going to be like $5 to $7 million, which think $5 to $7 million, which think five to $7 million guys, you've got to calibrate your expectations.

Five to $7 million is a depth player in the NFL. Like I think Nick Westbrook, a Kene should get six, five, six, seven million dollars a season, not even to be a starting wide receiver, to be a depth wide receiver. That's depth money. Like what they paid quandary digs and Sebastian Joseph day. Like that's what Dylan Raden should get. These aren't above average starters.

They are average to below average starters to depth players. And I think that is the four to seven to probably $8 million range now with the salary cap going up to two 79. So just recalibrate what your brain thinks and feels when you hear the money, you know, like Tony Pollard got $7 million a year or $8 million a year last year, average annual value. He would probably get 10 this year with the salary cap going up, like eight last year is equal to 10 this year in the percentage of cap, you know? So think about it like that. It's not as crazy as it sounds.

Um, but yeah, those are the options. Daryl Taylor maybe is another option, but I think he might be more in that 10 to $12 million range. I just want the Titans to get a solid veteran depth piece because you have Jaylen Harrell as your young guy who you're developing, let's say you keep Harold Landry and you draft Abdul Carter. So you have Abdul Carter, Harold Landry, Arden Key, Baron Browning or Charles Amenahue, and then Jaylen Harold. Like I think that would be a pretty good group.

Or if you cut Harold Landry, you went with Abdul Carter, another edge rusher on day three, Jaylen Harold, Ardenden Key and Baron Brown and Charles Emmanich. Like that is a good five man group in my opinion, to go into the season. So with that being said though, well, let's talk about the interior defensive line. The Titans have Jeffrey Simmons on a hundred million dollar contract. They have Tavondre Sweat in the second round. I'd like to see the Titans bring back Sebastian Joseph Day and Keandre Coburn who both did pretty good work on the interior. It is a great interior defensive line draft class, a great interior defensive line draft class. So don't go out and pay Milton Williams

20 million a year. Don't even pay like a BJ Hill 10 million dollar a year. All of the interior defensive linemen are basically over 30 year old run stuff, run stuffers. I'm just out on any of that. Just bring back Sebastian Joseph day. He did a good job. He was a great role player last year. You have sweat. He should take a step forward. You have Simmons.

If you want more interior defensive line help, which the Titans should go get it in a great interior defensive line class and like the fourth or fifth round. I like cornerback. I don't want any money spent any significant money spent at interior defensive line, but let's talk about linebackers. Titans fans, let's continue today's edition and cap off today's edition of Locked on Titans, uh, doing our defensive free agency preview. I was going to put it into two different episodes, but quite frankly, I don't want anything out of interior defensive line. I don't want anything at a cornerback, which means there's just

three positions to talk about. Might as well, you know, the D line linebackers and safeties might have just put it all in together in one. But with that being said, do you want to remind you that with free agency starting on Monday, my show that comes out on Sunday night into Monday morning is going to be like a full free agency primer, how much cap space did the Titans have? What cuts did they make over the weekend?

If they make any who their top targets are at each position, what I think a perfect free agency hall would be for the Titans, we're going to go over all of that to get you ready for free agency, kicking off the legal tampering period. But if it's legal, then it can't be tampering. It's an oxymoron. So I'm just saying free agency opens on Monday Period, you know, we're gonna start hearing the deals all free agency opens on Monday So and i'll be doing later shows

All week next week to make sure I get all of the latest news the rumors the buzz The signings the cuts all that i'm gonna have all that for you I'll probably be going live every night at 8 PM Eastern rather than the show coming out at six. So just trying to do some programming notes for you guys. So you know what to expect, but looking at linebacker, I think linebacker is a place where the Titans could pivot. Like if they don't get Javon Holland and they don't like Pam Bynum or Trevon Moregg or anything like that.

I think the Titans could switch gears and look for a Nick Bolton, Nick Bolton out of Kansas city, the top linebacker on the market. In my opinion, uh, he's only 25 years old. So again, both of the guys that I really like, and all of the guys that I really liked that I've gone over are mostly in that 25 to 26 year old range. I would like Javon Holland, 25 Travon Moregg, 26, uh, Nick Bolton, 25, uh, Baron Browning, 26, Nick Bolton, 25, Baron Browning, 26. You know, like that is the range that I'm looking in guys who fit the timeline for the Titans.

And by the time the Titans are a competitive team, 2026, 2027, there are still players that can make a difference and help the team. So Nick Bolton, I don't want the Titans to go out and pay $15 million, $16 million for a linebacker. I don't believe in my roster philosophy is that you do not spend high-end capital at the off-ball linebacker position unless it's an elite player.

Nick Bolton is not an elite player. He's incredibly athletic and fierce, so great in run defense. He's punishing, great as a quarterback spy as well, which is incredibly more important in today's NFL, but he does struggle in coverage. And to me, it would just be a more expensive and younger version of Kenneth Murray. And if you want to cut Kenneth Murray, which I think they should do and

save $7 million and then go pay $15 million a year to Nick Bolton and say, yeah, well, we saved 7 million on Murray. So it's, you know, only half the cost really, if you think about it. Um, I don't agree with that logic, but they could certainly do that. At the end of the day, it's not a great linebacker class in the draft. So if the Titans do want to move on from Kenneth Murray, I think they will need to sign a veteran, but they need one of the young guys that they drafted last year to step up, whether it's Cedric Gray

or James Williams, or if Chance Campbell can come back and continue on the good preseason he was having. Like the Titans need a young linebacker to step up and take one of those starting roles. Like that's just what has to happen. Or they wasted those picks. Like they needed to hit on one of those linebackers. So for me, I'm looking at starting linebackers. It needs to be either Kenneth Murray or a new free agent.

And then one of the young linebackers from last year, so Cedric gray and Nick Bolton, Cedric gray and Kenneth Murray, Um, other options, Dre Greenlaw about to be 28 years old, obviously had the major injury in the super bowl came back last year, started to get back on track, but at 27, about to be 28 with injury history. I don't think the Titan should pay high-end money for Dre Greenlaw. Bobby Wagner is 34 years old. He's going to go back to Washington. If he plays football, uh, Ernest Jones, former Titan had another surgery. They're saying

he's going to be ready, but the Titans already let him go because they didn't want to pay him this off season. They're not going to go pay him. Jamie and Sherwood is an interesting guy who I identified when we talked about linebackers before. He'll probably be a little bit cheaper than Nick Bolton, probably in the $10 million range. He's only 25 years old. He was a former safety in the jets transitioned him to being a linebacker and he showed great flashes last year, sideline to sideline athleticism, the ability to drop back in coverage,

but he also plays with incredible physicality and violence coming downhill. And he has the ability to be a good Blitzer because of the speed that he brings to the table. I think that could be a good fit for the Titans I would like to get my hands on Jamie and sure would if it's significantly cheaper Than what you're paying for a Nick Bolton If you don't want to go with any of those options and you want to maybe go Down the list a little bit more. Again, after this, we are getting into average replaced. Think about like, um, I keep saying Aziz Al-Shire, but

the Texans, I don't know what they were doing there, but Robert Spillane, Tyrell Dotson from Buffalo, Eric Kendrick's 33 year old from Dallas, Alandon Roberts, uh, causeeer white, Derek Barnes, Cody Barton, and then Jerome Baker. Like that's what you're talking about. You're down into this tier. So the Titans either need to keep Kenneth Murray because, you know, Kenneth Murray had good moments. I just don't want to sink enough money into linebacker to fix that problem.

So they could keep Kenneth Murray and put Cedric gray next to him. I would be a fine with that. I would prefer a Jamie and sure would, but I'm just, I guess at the end of the day, I'm not so gung ho on getting a linebacker that I think they really need to do much. Like just, it's just not a position I'm sinking a lot of resources into continue to like the chiefs did continue to churn the mid rounds of the draft three to five fine linebackers in there and just think they let Willie gay go. They're going to let Leo Chanel go there.

Now they're letting Nick Bolton go and they just keep drafting those mid round linebackers and rotating through them. So they need Cedric gray to be keep drafting those mid round linebackers and rotating through them. So they need Cedric Gray to be one of those mid round linebackers that they can rotate through. But part of that philosophy is you don't pay for the linebacker position. And I agree with that as a roster building financial decision. But with that being said, that is going to do it for today's Defensive Free Agency Preview. I do want to mention Trey Hendrickson permission to seek a trade guys. I went on a rant yesterday about it.

The Titans don't need to make any trades for 30 year old players. It's just not where they're at to give them a big time contract extension that they're looking for. That's not what the Titans should be doing right now. But with that being said, that is going to do it for today's edition of locked on Titans free agency, right around the corner. I am your host Tyler Rowland. And this was locked on Titan.