Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Tennessee Titans Add Two Linebackers in Free Agency and Titans Remaining Free Agent Needs

Starting point is 00:00:00 The Tennessee Titans found a starting linebacker. We're going to talk about all of that and more on today's edition of the Locked On Titans Podcast. Let's get it. 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, the Titans added two linebackers in free agency,

Starting point is 00:00:52 one for depth, one a potential starter for the team. We're going to talk about those two signings, what it means for the linebacker position going forward. Also, the Titans lost another free agent overnight on day one of free agency. Demarcus Walker goes to the Chicago Bears. We'll talk about that loss and where do the Titans go from here as they move forward into day three of free agency? What positions still need to be fixed and still need to have someone added to the roster at those spots?

Starting point is 00:01:22 We're going to break that all down. But before we do, I want to thank you guys for making the Locked on Titans podcast your first listen every day. Remember, Monday through Friday, Tennessee Titans content on all platforms, all year long and always for free. Make sure that you get subscribed and stay subscribed to the Locked on Titans podcast for daily Tennessee Titans content. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network,

Starting point is 00:01:45 where it's your team every day. We're going to dive into the two signings here, and we're going to go in reverse order because the signing that happened first, in my opinion, is less important to the signing that happened in the afternoon. The Titans bring in linebacker Aziz Alshir, and Alshir is 6'2", 225 pounds, so already a bigger linebacker than what the Titans have been working with with David Long and Jayon Brown. He's got much more size to him. Aziz is only 25 years old, so Alshir is still a young player who can ascend and get better for the Titans. He's played 56 games in his four years in San Francisco with the 49ers

Starting point is 00:02:27 during that time, 199 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and two sacks. He also has two interceptions, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, a guy who's really had a pretty good start to his career. He is a guy who's been out on the field. He's played in at least 12 games in every year of his career, 15 in year one, 16 in year two. He played 13 in 2021, which was his best year of his career. Last year, he did miss five games in the middle of the season, but he came back, played in the playoffs, ended up playing 15 total games on the year.

Starting point is 00:03:02 So a guy who's been out there and played for the 49ers. And despite a little injury in 2022, it was able to stay pretty durable for them. Now, the reality is that Al Shearer is a guy like Andre Dillard, who wasn't able to get the opportunities that maybe he deserved based on his talent because the 49ers just had some really good players ahead of him in 2022. They obviously had Pete Warner, who's one of the best linebackers in the entire NFL. But also Dre Greenlaw came on as one of the better linebackers in the NFL last year as well.

Starting point is 00:03:34 Greenlaw was absolutely fantastic. But with that in mind, Al Shearer is a guy who, like Dillard, was a backup, but is a guy who may have starting level talent. So I think he makes a ton of sense for the Titans. Now at this time when I'm recording, we don't have the contract details for Al Shearer, but I have a feeling that it's a two-year deal, probably close to what David Long got. Honestly, five, six million dollars a season. I would imagine it's in there.

Starting point is 00:04:01 If anything, it's maybe a little bit less than that. I couldn't imagine a contract being any higher. So I'm certain that by the time some of you guys hear this, we'll know the contract details already. And I would imagine it would be in that realm there, but outside of the counting stats, outside of the background on Alshere, what kind of player is he? Well, Alshere is a do-it-all linebacker To put it simply, he was a guy who can stop the run. He had an 82-plus run defense grade per pro football focus. He's a guy who also has coverage ability as well. You're not going to want Al Shearer to be out guarding tight ends

Starting point is 00:04:36 and one-on-one man coverage consistently, but he was able to hold his own, and he's not a liability. He does have the athleticism and the speed that you need to play zone coverage over the middle of the field. So I think Al Shear, while not being a master of any one area at linebacker, is a guy who can do just about everything well. And I think that with that in mind, he has the ability to be a starter for the Titans. Is he a no doubt, no brainer starter for the Titans, their top number one linebacker? Probably not, but he's a guy who can come in, fill one of the starting roles. I

Starting point is 00:05:12 don't know if he'll be your sub package linebacker per se out there, but he's a guy who gives you the ability to go into the NFL draft without a five alarm fire at linebacker. With the loss of David Long, the Titans had Monty Rice, Chance Campbell, Jack Gibbons. I mean, you can't go into the NFL draft with your linebacker group looking like that, or you have no choice but to spend an early pick on the position. So the Titans give themselves some flexibility into the draft, and that's a similar thing like what I said with Andre Dillard yesterday. Is he going to be the best offensive lineman on your team? Maybe not.

Starting point is 00:05:49 Maybe that's not what you want, but can he be a certified solid starter? Yes, absolutely. Aziz Alshier can be that for the Titans. He wasn't the only linebacker signed on Tuesday, though. In the early morning, the Titans brought in Luke Gifford. Gifford is a special teams player from the Dallas Cowboys. There is, of course, always optimism when you have a player

Starting point is 00:06:10 signed that maybe they can take an increased role in the defense and play more linebacker, but here's the reality. Gifford has played 900 special team snaps for the Cowboys. He's played 74 on defense. I think there's a reason for that. The Titans always prioritize special teams. Think about this player as a replacement for Dylan Cole. Think about this player, Gifford, as a replacement for Nick DeZubnar before him. The Titans always go out and get this depth linebacker who is a special teams maven and tell us that maybe he'll be able to help on defense.

Starting point is 00:06:49 So even if Gifford doesn't help on defense, his deal was less than $2 million. He can be a special teams dynamo for the Titans, and it would still be great value. So a nice signing there. Add some depth at the linebacker position, but let's not confuse ourselves here or trick ourselves in any way to think that Gifford is a guy who we can count on on defense. He is going to be a special teams guy, and hopefully he'll be able to make a big impact in that realm. And if the Titans do end up needing him to play some snaps on defense, he's able to hold his own.

Starting point is 00:07:15 So those were the two signings that we had from the Titans on Tuesday. Again, I'm recording in the middle of the evening on Friday, middle of the afternoon on Friday, or end of the afternoon on Tuesday. On Tuesday. So that's where the Titans are at right now. But with that in mind, we're going to move forward. I want to talk about the linebacker position a little bit more. Also, the Titans lost DeMarcus Walker to the Chicago Bears.

Starting point is 00:07:38 We're going to discuss those aspects of the Titans news as well. Before we get into it, though, I do want to let you know that today's edition of the Locked on Titans podcast is brought to you by FanDuel. Look, the NFL season is over, but we are at the best part of the NBA season, which makes now the perfect time to download FanDuel, America's number one sportsbook, because new customers get a no-sweat first bet up to $1,000. That's bonus bets back. Even if your first bet doesn't win, all you got to do is download the FanDuel Sportsbook app. It's safe. It's secure. It's super easy to use. And with it being NBA season, you can bet on

Starting point is 00:08:17 anything from the point spread to the money line, to how many points a guy is going to score, how many three pointers a guy is going to make. me personally, I love single-game parlays on NBA games. You add in a bunch of different little bets to combine for one big payout. Anthony Davis over 20 points. D'Angelo Russell over 20 points. Anthony Davis 10 rebounds. Malik Beasley three three-pointers. I'm a Lakers fan, so you guys understand what I'm saying.

Starting point is 00:08:43 Add all that together, you bet a little to win a lot. It's just absolutely so much fun to watch NBA games when you got a little money on the action. So don't miss your chance to get your no-sweat first bet up to $1,000 in bonus bets when you go to fanduel.com slash locked on. That's fanduel.com slash locked on to learn more. Make every moment more

Starting point is 00:09:06 with Fandle, an official sports betting partner of the NBA. Titans fans, we are going to continue today's edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. We just talked about the two signings that the Titans made on Tuesday, two linebackers, Aziz Alshier and Luke Gifford. Now I want to talk about the linebacker position as a whole and kind of the direction that the Titans need to go in

Starting point is 00:09:41 before we transition into a conversation about Demarcus Walker and him going to the Chicago Bears. At the end of the show, we are going to talk about what positions the Titans need to go. And before we transition into a conversation about DeMarcus Walker and him going to the Chicago Bears, at the end of the show, we are going to talk about what positions the Titans still need, what's remaining on the market for them at those positions. So before we get into that, of course, we are going to talk about this linebacker group. And you add Al Shearer into the group.

Starting point is 00:09:58 You add Gifford into the group. And here's how I kind of see the ranking here. You have Al Shearer at the top as the best linebacker on the team. Underneath that, you have Monte Rice, who I think Monte Rice could compete to be a starter. There's a chance we could see Al Shearer and Monte Rice as the starters for the Titans. I think that's probably not the best linebacker group in the NFL,

Starting point is 00:10:17 but you could probably get by with that if they both are able to stay healthy. Underneath Monte Rice, I think you would add Luke Gifford. At that point in time. I think the priority there, the Titans would put him out there. And then, of course, you have Chance Campbell and Jack Gibbons, who will come back to the team. Campbell wasn't able to play due to injury last year

Starting point is 00:10:35 after being a six-round draft pick. Jack Gibbons, of course, Dr. Gibby, played some at the end of the season. Had some really good moments. I believe it was the game against Jacksonville. He was fantastic in coverage. I think he had an 88 or higher coverage grade in that game against Jacksonville. He got the interception.

Starting point is 00:10:52 Jack Gibbons definitely has some ability to come in, maybe a coverage specialist for the Titans early on. But you look at those names, and Campbell and Gibbons are no guarantee to be on the roster. As much as we enjoy the Jack Gibbons story and the Dr. Gibby moniker and all that Gibbons isn't some lock to be on the roster and Campbell didn't even play last year so you can't say that about him either so with really

Starting point is 00:11:15 just Rice, Al Shearer and and Gibbons or not Gibbons Gifford Gibbons and Gifford there we go that's going to be fun uh with with Gord, those three locked in, in my opinion. I think the last couple of spots, there's a chance that a rookie could be signed. I don't think the Titans go into veteran free agency anymore. I think they're done with free agency after getting a depth special teams linebacker and then getting a linebacker who can actually be a starter for the team. I think they're done spending money in free agency, but this could be a position where last year, yes, you could argue that the Titans definitely needed corner cornerback. So the Roger McCreary, some people come in and say that the Roger McCreary signing wasn't a surprise. The Titans needed a cornerback, but I think it was at the

Starting point is 00:11:59 in real time when it happened, people were a little surprised that the Titans were taking cornerback in the second round. I think linebacker could be a position like that. And maybe it'll be less of a surprise. Some of you guys are already in the comments saying that the Titans took a linebacker. It wouldn't be a surprise at all. Look at this group. I get it. But taking an off ball linebacker early in the draft, I think would be a bit of a surprise for me to see the Titans do that, even with the group the way that it is. But they definitely could add a late round rookie to the draft. And if they see somebody that they really, really like early on that they think can be a number one linebacker, then I think they pounce

Starting point is 00:12:36 in the first three rounds. Not the first round pick, I don't see, but maybe at 41. I know there's a guy in the draft, Jack Campbell from Iowa, who a lot of people like. There are some other linebackers that people like as well early in the draft. If the Titans get into the third or fourth round, I think they definitely consider a linebacker at that point in time. Ray and Carthon came from San Francisco. They were able to get Fred Warner in the second round. They were able to get Dre Greenlaw. I believe it was the sixth or seventh round late in the draft as well.

Starting point is 00:13:04 Either way, it was on day three. And I think they're going to try to follow that model here because inside linebacker is just a position where you don't spend a ton of capital and you have the ability to win. It doesn't have to be a position that you make a premium like you would offensive tackle, wide receiver, quarterback, cornerback, edge rusher. It doesn't have to be a premium position like that. NFL teams have proven around the league that you can win with inside linebackers from the mid rounds or late in the draft. Now, again, the Titans could choose to go with one early if they really like one and they think he can be the number one linebacker on the team for the next five years.

Starting point is 00:13:41 But if not, I think they definitely could add one later in the draft. I think it would make a ton of sense for the Titans. So are they done in free agency at linebacker? Yes, I believe so. Are they done entirely and ready to hand the starting jobs over to Monty Rice and Al Shearer? No, I don't think that's the case. I think they could still add a rookie in the draft who will come in and compete and potentially be a starter early on or down the road. Either way, I definitely could see that happening. But with that in mind, we're going to move forward. DeMarcus Walker signs with the Chicago Bears.

Starting point is 00:14:11 It's a three-year deal worth $7 million a season. Look, I know DeMarcus Walker had a really good year last year. Absolutely. Fantastic. Seven sacks, career highs across the board in every category. Absolutely fantastic season. But the Bears don't have a Jeffrey Simmons and the Bears don't have Danico Autry. And I know that Bud Dupree had his shortcomings, but the Bears don't have a Bud Dupree out there who it's a combination of all of them. The Bears have some pretty good players up front, but the Bears don't have a combination, in my opinion,

Starting point is 00:14:47 where Demarcus Walker is going to get the chances that he was able to get in Tennessee. So for me, while I like that, you're paying Demarcus Walker starting level money at that point in time, and I think he's more of a pass rushing rotational piece than he is a starting defensive lineman in the NFL. So maybe some of you guys would disagree with that. That's perfectly fine. But I was pretty surprised to see DeMarcus Walker get the kind of cheese that he got to go to the Windy City.

Starting point is 00:15:15 And honestly, at that rate, I can't be mad at all because DeMarcus Walker is going to be able to net the Titans a sixth round compensatory draft pick at that price from Chicago. So thank you, Chicago Bears. Not going to be mad about that whatsoever. Definitely do appreciate it. So we are going to move forward though. We got to talk about what the Titans still need to do in free agency. Some players are starting to get signed. There are less options on the market for the Titans. We're going to talk about some players that still remain at positions of need. Before we get into that, though, I do want to tell you guys about the best mobile game ever, the Ultimate Pro Football GM app.

Starting point is 00:15:54 I don't know about you guys, but when free agency starts happening like this, I get the itch. I want to run my own football franchise, and you can do just that on the Ultimate Pro Football GM app. Manage your franchise from top to bottom. You manage the roster, the coaching staff. You can scout players, draft players,

Starting point is 00:16:12 sign free agents, cut players, make trades. You do a simulation through the season so you can see how your team performs. You can set your formation on offense and defense, your play style and your scheme. I mean, it's absolutely fantastic. And one of the coolest things that you can do is you can actually start a league with all of your friends and compete against each other

Starting point is 00:16:31 to see who can run the best franchise right now. Right now. My listeners, if you go into the Ultimate Pro Football GM app, into the game store, in the app, and you use promo code LOCKEDON, you're going to get a 100% free boost to your franchise. Once again, that's promo code LOCKEDON in the game store, in the Ultimate Pro Football GM app. You can go to ultimate-gm.com to download the game

Starting point is 00:17:00 or just look it up on the app store on your phone. It's completely free to download. That's ultimate-gm.com, the ultimate pro football GM app. Start your dynasty today. Titans fans, let's cap off today's edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. We talked about the two signings that the Titans made at linebacker in free agency on day two. We talked about the linebacker depth at the position right now. Talked about DeMarcus Walker heading to the Chicago Bears to join Nate Davis

Starting point is 00:17:44 as well to join Dane Crook Chicago Bears to join Nate Davis as well. To join Dane Crookshank. To join Darrington Evans. I mean, there are so many former Tennessee Titans there. And you have to wonder, Ian Cunningham, who is now the, or who is an executive for the Chicago Bears, interviewed to be the Titans

Starting point is 00:17:59 general manager, which means he probably spent a lot of time scouting the Titans roster so that he could be informed for his job interview. After watching Titans film and getting acquainted with some of the players, it looks like he was willing to pay some of them to come over and play in Chicago. That's a connection that just stood out to me. It's probably why a good amount of Titans are over there right now. But either way, moving forward on the free agent market remaining, But either way, moving forward, on the free agent market remaining, the Titans still have some work to do.

Starting point is 00:18:28 Wide receiver. We have yet, at this point in time when recording, we have yet to see the Titans sign a wide receiver. We've seen guys like Alan Lazard and Jacoby Myers go off the board. So those guys got signed away. Jacoby Myers went off the board. So those guys got signed away. Jacoby Myers went to the Raiders. Alan Lazard went to the Jets. Aaron Rodgers, that deal is so done.

Starting point is 00:18:56 They're literally recruiting players that he asked them to sign. Everyone's acting like there's still confusion as to what Aaron Rodgers is doing. Give me a break. But anyways, moving right along. Lazard and Myers are gone. They got paid about $11 million a piece. That's good news for the Titans. Those mid-tier wide receivers that we talked about

Starting point is 00:19:13 in the free agency preview, those guys are going to be even cheaper than maybe what some of the estimations had. We thought a guy like McColl Hardman or Paris Campbell could be like $7 million a year. They might be even cheaper than that. They might be $5 million a year. So again, a guy like McCall Hartman,

Starting point is 00:19:28 a guy like Paris Campbell could add speed for the Titans, could have a gadget player, and you get a backup option or maybe the starting option for Kyle Phillips. And you don't put as much of an emphasis on Kyle Phillips in the slot as you did as a rookie. You got somebody who can play that so that Kyle doesn't feel like he has to.

Starting point is 00:19:44 And if he gets hurt, the Titans have somebody else who can logically fill in the slot. So those guys would make sense. Add speed to the team. I think a guy who doesn't add much speed, but would really fit the mold for what the Titans like is a guy like Mac Collins. If you add speed with a wide receiver in the NFL draft and you bring in a veteran who maybe isn't the speediest, but can fill a role for you as wide receiver four, wide receiver three, a second wide receiver for you when you're in your base packages with tight ends on early downs, I think Matt Collins could make a lot of sense. A guy like Juju Smith-Schuster.

Starting point is 00:20:18 I love Juju as a player for the Titans. I think he would be a fantastic fit running underneath intermediate routes, yards after catchability, while Traylon Burks is able to go deep and win jump balls over top of people. I think that'd be a great fit. But Juju's probably going to get paid around $10 to $12 million based on these contracts that we've seen. And if I'm Juju, there is no way that I'm coming to Tennessee on a contract of that value if I could get that value in Kansas City.

Starting point is 00:20:45 So I just don't see Juju Smith-Schuster signing with the Titans, but if they were able to do it, I would be happy about it. I think a guy that a lot of you guys like that I'm not as high on as a fit for the Titans is DJ Chark. But once again, maybe the Titans do sign Chark. Chark does have speed. He has playmaking ability. He gets open and he catches the ball,

Starting point is 00:21:02 something that the Titans have sorely missed for the last few years while they focus on blocking and things like that. That could make some sense, but I just don't think a guy like Juju or a guy like Chark is going to end up in Tennessee, but I could be wrong. I do like the options that I've been pointing out on the market, like a McCall Hardman,

Starting point is 00:21:20 like a Paris Campbell, like a Matt Collins. Even a guy like Darius Slayton could have some deep speed for the Titans, and I believe he's 6'1", so it's not like you're getting a really, really small guy either. I think all those dudes can make some sense for the Titans, and they're still on the market. At interior offensive line, if you view Andre Dillard as a left tackle, which I spent about three hours watching tape on Andre Dillard on Tuesday morning. And the more I watched the tape, the more I believe that he is a left tackle.

Starting point is 00:21:49 And the Titans definitely need to not do these shenanigans that they always do where they say, we love the versatility. We try to let the man play left tackle. All right, let him be there. I think that's where he does his best work. So with that in mind, I think the Titans need to sign another interior offensive lineman or at minimum another swing tackle who could be a backup offensive tackle. And then you still have versatility. A guy like George Fant, Yash Naiman, Cam Fleming, I think could all make sense for the

Starting point is 00:22:17 Titans. Also outside of offensive line and wide receiver where they still need help, they definitely need to add a cornerback, a tight end, a running back. I think a guy who makes a ton of sense at tight end, I keep saying, is Foster Moreau, a guy at cornerback. I like Marcus Peters or Rakusen, a guy at running back. JD McKissick was released by the Washington Commanders on Tuesday. I think he would be a perfect fit for the Titans. Jarek McKinnon would make a lot of sense as well

Starting point is 00:22:45 and bring Dontre Hilliard back. I mean, I would be okay if they went out, but they need a compliment to Derrick Henry. If the Titans don't sign a running back anytime soon, that'll be interesting to see. It'll just fuel the fires of a potential Derrick Henry trade. But I think if we see the Titans sign that complimentary back, we'll know for certain Derrick Henry is going to be back in Nashville.

Starting point is 00:23:04 Some of you guys are already convinced anyway, so I don't need to convince you anymore. But that's what the Titans still need to do in free agency. Those are some names that are available at the positions that I think make a lot of sense. That's going to do it for me today, folks. I'll be back with you tomorrow. There will be more news.

Starting point is 00:23:19 There will be more signings. I'll be here with you to break it all down tomorrow. If it's big enough news, then I'll be going live later tonight to talk about everything that's happened. But that's going to do it for me folks. As always, I am your host, Tyler Rowland, and this was Locked on Titans.

Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Tennessee Titans Add Two Linebackers in Free Agency and Titans Remaining Free Agent Needs

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.