Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Tennessee Titans MAJOR Linebacker Need, Adding Depth at Edge & Avoiding Big Money on Interior

Episode Date: March 8, 2024

The Tennessee Titans have plenty of holes to fill in the front seven of their defense and that includes two open linebacker spots. Names like Devin White and Isaiah Simmons should be targets. Also, the Titans could use a big body on the edge to mix with Harold Landry and Arden Key. Players like A.J. Epenesa and Dorance Armstrong could fit the bill. Finally, the Titans don't need to spend big on a run-stuffing nose tackle. 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 Subscribe to the TicTacTitans Film Channel:https://www.youtube.com/@TicTacTitans Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!eBay MotorsFor parts that fit, head to eBay Motors and look for the green check. Stay in the game with eBay Guaranteed Fit at eBayMotos.com. Let’s ride. eBay Guaranteed Fit only available to US customers. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply. NissanOur friends at Nissan have a lineup of SUV’s with the capabilities to take your adventure to the next level. Take the Nissan Rogue, Nissan Pathfinder, or Nissan Armada and go find your next big adventure. Shop NissanUSA.com. RobinhoodRobinhood has the only IRA that gives you a 3% boost on every dollar you contribute when you subscribe to Robinhood Gold. Now through April 30th, Robinhood is even boosting every single dollar you transfer in from other retirement accounts with a 3% match. Available to U.S. customers in good standing. Robinhood Financial LLC (member SIPC), is a registered broker dealer. BetterHelpThis episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Make your brain your friend, with BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/LOCKEDON today to get 10% off your first month. GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase.FanDuelGet buckets with your first bet on FanDuel, America’s Number One Sportsbook. Right now, NEW customers get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS with any winning FIVE DOLLAR BET! That’s A HUNDRED AND FIFTY BUCKS – if your bet wins! Visit FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON to get started. 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)

The Tennessee Titans need help at linebacker in free agency, and I'm going over the top fits 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. Free agency begins next week.

And we got some bonus episodes over the weekend here to break down the defensive side of the ball in free agency. I'm going to go over the Titans' top options at linebacker, on the edge, at interior defensive line. And then tomorrow, I'm going to cap off the defense with cornerback and safety. So a lot to discuss. And some bonus weekend episodes here of the Locked on Titans podcast. Thank you for making Locked on Titans

your first listen each and every day. Remember Monday through Friday and sometimes all week long all apps all year round always for free. You're not going to beat that anywhere else. Make sure you get subscribed. Stay subscribed. It's your team every day here on

the Locked on Titans podcast. Shout out to my everydayers tuning in Monday through Friday. Couldn't do it without you guys. Hopefully you're tuning in for these weekend bonus episodes as well. Throw a thumbs up on the video. The show is always free. All I ask for in return is the press of a button. And again, free

agency is coming next week. I'm going to be diving into all of the moves, breaking down the tape on my film channel at Tic Tac Titans of the free agency editions. And on Sunday night on YouTube, Monday morning for my podcast, folks, I'm going to do a predictive

mock free agency. What the Titans free agent class, I think, actually will look like. Don't miss any of that. But we got to talk about these linebackers. And I started with linebacker for a particular reason. I think it is a very, very important position for the Titans to attack. More important than edge or interior defensive line in the front seven in free agency. And

there are some options out there that make a ton of sense for me. I focused on, when I was going through the free agent class of linebackers, what I focused on was guys with speed and versatility. The Titans are going to play an attacking-style defense. We've heard Denard Wilson talk about that. In an attacking-style defense, and one that we saw with his mentors, Todd Bowles, Greg Williams. Now with Philadelphia and then especially with Baltimore last year,

you're going to be asking linebackers to blitz. Linebackers got to be able to run and cover and play man coverage. There has to be a ton of speed at the second level to have that attacking style defense where your linebackers are used in so many different ways. That's what I look for. And that's why the number one name on my list is Devin White. Devin White from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, former top five pick. Look, he hasn't lived up to the top five billing in Tampa Bay, and that's why they're letting him go. That's why he's hitting the free agent market.

But he is going to get paid, just like Aziz Alshair did last year. He is in that replacement level linebacker group. He's not going to get high-end money. He's going to get one year, six, one year, seven, but he can still do everything. He's got size. Well, he's not the biggest guy ever, but he's got speed and tenacity.

He wants to hit people, and he's a very, very good blitzer. Now, he can be a little overaggressive at times, and that gets him in a tough spot, and, you know, he asked for a trade before the season. His personality is what it is, but he has that first round talent still. And if you put him in an attacking style defense, like he was in in Tampa Bay, where he can blitz, he can be at the line of scrimmage. He can use his speed and his athleticism to run around and create havoc. I think it'd be a great fit for the Titans. If the Titans got two of these

linebackers that I'm about to go over, that would make a ton of sense and then have Devin White be one of them. Another name I really look like is Jordan Brooks from Seattle. He tore his ACL in 2022, came back in 2023, still had a good year, but we know that ACL guys don't really look their best until they're a full year removed

from that ACL injury. So I think Jordan Brooks has a ton of great football ahead of him and his versatility. He's so good in coverage. He can blitz if he needs to. He'll play against the run. You're going to get a bargain on him again because he's coming off the ACL.

He didn't play his best football last year. But I think Jordan Brooks is a perfect option for the Titans at linebacker. And then Jerome Baker. Jerome Baker may not be the strongest against the run, but he's got great speed. He's going to go sideline to sideline chasing running backs, and he's got great coverage skills. If you paired somebody who's maybe a little bit better in the run game,

like maybe Aziz Alshayer, you know, somebody like that, and one of these guys. Now, Aziz has decent speed, decent coverage, not quite the athlete that some of these guys are, though, but can help in the run game. I think you pair those two together, you might have something good. The final name that I want to mention here in my hype tier of

linebackers is Isaiah Simmons. If you go out and get Aziz Alshire and you bring him back, okay, I'll be happy. Not hype, but I'll be happy. And you pair him with Isaiah Simmons. Simmons, again, another flunky first-round pick, but 6'4", 230 pounds.

Freak athlete. I mean, take a chance on a guy like that for three, four million dollars, bring them in. And, and let me mention this. We just saw Kyle Hamilton, who is another six foot four freak athlete, first round pedigree. We just saw Kyle Hamilton blossom into an all pro as kind of a do it all versatileall, versatile, safety, nickel, linebacker, star-type player. Isaiah Simmons, some people thought maybe he was a safety. Maybe he's a linebacker. No one's been able to find a role for him.

In the attacking, versatile style of defense that I'm expecting Denard Wilson to play, I think they can find a role for Isaiah Simmons. Get that talent and that size out of him that made him a first round pick. I think taking a chance on a player like that is just a perfect move for the Titans. You could unearth a star who's still young and put him in the right spot with a creative defensive coordinator who knows how to use pieces like that. To me, Isaiah Simmons can't be your only linebacker that you got and sign. He has to be kind of a project pick. A project pick. Alright, but if you sign Simmons along with

one of these names, I think it would just be excellent. Aziz Alshire, look, I'm not going to be hype. I'm not going to be excited like I am with these names that I just went over, but I'll be happy if Aziz is back. Bring Aziz back. Get Isaiah Simmons. Then we're good to go. I think another guy who I'd be happy about is Willie Gay. Great speed.

He's a blitzer. Chase across the line of scrimmage. He's been used as a QB spy a ton. Again, another guy with great speed and athleticism. We need speed on the defense, especially in the attacking style defense. I'm expecting the Titans to run. So all of those names make a ton of sense for me.

The only guy that I would hate, I did my hype, my happy. The only guy I would hate is Patrick Queen. And not because I think he's a bad player, but I just don't want to see the Titans spend that much money at linebacker. He's going to get maybe 15, 16, 12, 14 million dollars, somewhere from 12 to 16. And I'm just not paying that for interior linebacker. I would rather get two of these guys for that price than one Patrick Queen,

even though I know that he is a good player. It's just about where I want to spend my money on defense. So with that being said, we got to talk about edge. I don't think the Titans need as much help on the edge as, or I don't think they're going to give as much help to the edge as maybe they need long term, but I still think that there are some good mid-tier options available for the Titans at edge, and we'll talk interior defensive line as well. Before we get into it, though, I do want to let you guys know that this bonus episode

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Titans fans, let's continue today's bonus edition of the Locked on Titans podcast, continuing to break down the defensive side of the ball in free agency before free agency kicks off next week every single year. I plan out my shows. I look at the calendar. I tell myself, Tyler, you got to make sure you get all the positions in before you get to the legal tampering period because then the news starts. Then the rumors

start. Then the reports start. And I never do it. I never do it. I get so caught up in the day-to-day news talking about all the exciting topics that pop up throughout the day with you guys. I can't help it. So paying it off to you with a weekend full of shows here. I'm going to be back with a regularly scheduled show on Sunday night.

Tomorrow night on Saturday, we're going to do the secondary. And then Sunday, I'm going to have my predictive mock free agency where I try to literally guess who the Titans are going to sign in free agency. So make sure that you stick around for that. But now we're diving into the edge rushers. And for me, you look at Arden Key $7 million Harold Landry getting $20 million

plus on the salary cap the Titans just aren't in a position to put a lot more resources or money into edge like I don't see the Titans being a big player in the edge rusher market early in the draft

or one of the big names in free agency like a Daniil Hunter, Chase Young, Jonathan Grenard, Z'Darrius Smith. I don't want any of those guys who are going to be making a ton of money, over $10 million. Look, Daniil Hunter is absolutely fantastic. Don't get me wrong at all, but he's 30 years old. The Titans shouldn't be paying him. Bryce Huff is going to get a lot more money than I'm willing to commit based on the production we've seen the last few years. Chase Young and the effort that he

showed and the injuries that he's had, I'm not giving him big money. If the Titans can get him for under $10 million, which they're not, then yeah, sure. But, you know, Jonathan Grenard is going to get $15, $16, $17 million a season. Zedaria Smith is like 32 years

old. He's going to be getting 10 plus. I'm not paying those guys. The Titans need some edge long term. Like I think long term edge rusher is a position that we don't think about enough. Like next year in the draft, like a year from now, we're going to be talking a lot about edge rusher because it's going to be time for the Titans to go back to that well

and hopefully they fix some other spots and on his desperate act like they are wide receiver offensive line cornerback so edge is a big need long term in my opinion because the Titans need a top tier edge rusher Harold Landry is a good edge rusher not great edge rusher you know what I mean so with that being said though in all that context provided there, there are some role-playing edge rushers that I think would make sense for the Titans. And what I want, what I'm thinking of is strong edge rushers.

So, Arden Key, small, slight. I mean, he's long and big, but he's not strong. You see him get knocked off. I keep going back to thinking about Christian Derusaw in the joint practice with the Vikings before the year where Arden Key tried to hit that spin move and Derasol just mocked him.

Boom! Knocked him to the ground. Arden Key is fast and long, but he's slight. He's not going to hold up against the run. He's not a great power rusher. He's got a long arm. He's got speed, but he's not going to get up in your chest and run

you over. You know what I mean? The Titans got a little of that with Danico Autry, but is he going to be back? He's 33. We can't tell. So I wanted a guy who maybe could fill the Danico Autry role, or at least had a little bit more size, more physicality to him. And you look at some names,

I think A.J. Epinesa. Makes a ton of sense from Buffalo. Can get after the quarterback. Has rushed inside. Has rushed outside. I think that makes a ton of sense. He gives you versatility. Again, we're not talking about starting edge rush.

It could be Arden Key and Harold Landry. It could be Epinesa and Harold Landry. You could do it different ways. And I just want a versatile group where if we're going against a team that's going to try to run the ball on the edges a lot, I got a big, strong, physical guy like Epineza to be out there against Arden Key who's not going to hold up as well in the run. Similarly, a name that Titans fans will shudder at,

Jadavion Clowney. Clowney's going to make less than $10 million. He's always been a better run defender than he was a pass rusher in reality. He was a physical player. Look, I know that he had a bad time in Tennessee, had the injuries, but the Titans were statistically a better defense

with Jadavion Clowney on the field than with him off the field. Okay? He wasn't the impactful player that we were all hoping that he would be, but in Cleveland, and then follow that up last year in Baltimore, he was fantastic. He's finally kind of rid himself of the stigma of being the number one overall pick. Now he's just kind of a player in the NFL,

not necessarily someone expected to be a star. And in that Baltimore defense that was versatile and multiple, and they would move him around and get him different matchups and have him running all over the place with different blitz packages and pressures and sim pressures and faking the blitz here and dropping here. And I think Jadavion Clowney coming with Denard Wilson back to Tennessee to kind of rekindle and kind of close that chapter, come full circle there. I think that could make a ton of sense. And again, he's a big physical guy who can fit well with the speed of Harold Landry, the length and the speed and the athleticism of Arden Key.

Having a guy who's big and physical and knows the defensive system that Denard Wilson is going to be trying to implement, I think that could be huge. Another guy like that is Carl Lawson. All right, he's dealt with a ton of injuries, no doubt, but he's a big physical rusher, and he's going to be less than $5 million. Like, you're going to get a bargain on him, so just take a chance.

Another guy who I really like is Dorrance Armstrong from the Dallas Cowboys. He's another guy with inside-outside rush opportunities. He can line up inside the tackles. He can line up outside the tackles. He was kind of an unsung hero in Dallas because of their good two top edge rushers. He was like their third guy, and they got to let him go. But I think adding him to Tennessee and letting him be a starter some weeks, get given somebody to spell Arden key and keep Arden key fresh throughout the year

or throughout the game to really, uh, year and game. I think that would make a ton of sense. So the only other guy here that doesn't really fit that profile who I would be interested in is Josh Uchi. Um, I think he has, you know, he's got a lot of athleticism, top pick pedigree. I think you could bring him in. And again, he doesn't add the physicality and the size that I'm looking for with the others. But if they just want to go another speed guy and just try to go speed, speed, speed,

then Uchi is a guy who I would maybe take a chance on. Again, I am not interested in Bryce Huff, Daniil Hunter, Chase Young, Jonathan Grenard, Zedaria Smith, for differing reasons. Most of it being money. Hunter is money and age. Huff is money.

Young is money and effort. Jonathan Grenard is money. Zedaria Smith, age and money. Like, I just, I'm not paying that much. And then in 2025, I'm really going on an all-out assault to try to get a top-tier edge rusher if possible. Whether it be trading up in the draft. Whether it be what's available in free agency. Whether it be through a trade. I'm going to try to fix offensive line.

Going to try to fix the secondary here. Hopefully get some additions at wide receiver. Then we got to attack some other things going forward in the next year. Alright. D-line. Edge rusher. Maybe more help at wide receiver. Things like that. So that's what I would be looking for. Edge rusher. Just adding some depth

and some strong guys. If they bring back Autry, I'm not going to be mad about that either. So just throwing that out there. But now we got to talk about the interior defensive line where the Titans need a ton of help there as well. So we're going to get into that now. Before we do though, I do want to let you guys know that this bonus episode is brought to you by GameTime.

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Titans fans, let's cap off this bonus edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. We're looking at defensive free agency. We talked linebackers. We talked edge. Now, I want to quickly just talk about the interior defensive line. Let me start off by saying this. Thank you for making the Locked on Titans podcast your first listen each and every day, Monday through Friday, Tennessee Titans content.

Tomorrow, going to go over the secondary. Day after that, doing a mock free agency prediction show. Can't wait to go over everything with you guys. And then free agency, legal tampering period, the reports, the rumors, all that stuff's going to start coming out next week. And we're going to be diving into it every single day here on the Locked on Titans podcast.

But what I really want to say is this. There are certain positions, and we can get into this in the depths of the offseason, June, July, when I can just talk general football with you guys. But my general philosophy on building a roster is you pay premium positions. There are certain positions that if you have an absolute game-changing stud,

you pay them, even if they're not a premium position. And there are certain positions where I am never, never, never going to pay a premium. Ever. Running back and interior defensive line. And I don't mean three technique pass rusher. I mean like nose tackle, like one tag, zero tag, nose tackle.

Run stuffing, two down, like T.R. Tartt. I'm paying Jeff Simmons. Don't get me wrong. I love a Chris Jones, Jeff Simmons, Aaron Donald. Yes, I'm paying that pass rusher. But just the run stuffing interior defensive lineman, I'm not doing it. So, I'm not paying. One, I'm not paying Christian Wilkins and Leonard Williams,

who are Jeffrey Simmons types, because we have Jeffrey Simmons already. So, that just doesn't make any sense. Why would I do that? You know? Like, doesn't make any sense. So Christian Wilkins, Leonard Williams out. But also, DJ Reader, 30 years old,

coming off major injury. Great player, but $10, $12 million a year? No way. Grover Stewart, 30 years old? Got popped recently? No way I'm paying that guy $9-10 million a year. Not a chance. For a two down run stuffing no tackle?

No. In his 30s? No. Sheldon Rankins? 27, maybe. But he's going to get paid. 30s? No. Sheldon Rankins? 27 maybe. But he's going to get paid. 10, 9, 8 million? No. No.

T.R. Tartt. This is what I said the whole time while T.R. Tartt was on the Titans in his final year. I'm not paying a nose tackle. The Titans got T.R. Tartt as an undrafted free agent. I'll try three undrafted free agents before Titans got T.R. Tartt as an undrafted free agent. I'll try three undrafted free agents before I pay T.R. Tartt. No.

For a two-down player who's only against the run in a pass-first NFL, no. Similarly, Daquan Jones, Fletcher Cox. Daquan Jones is 32 years old. Fletcher Cox is 33 years old. Like, if you want to bring one of them in for, you know, three, four million as like a rotational player, then sure. But like, I would much rather, I would much rather go with Javon Kinlaw, 26, who can maybe not stand up against the run as well,

but he's going to influence the pass. He's going to pass rush. He didn't live up to the first-round pick billing from San Francisco, but he was much more productive last year, and he's going to get more comfortable. And again, I think that you could see Javon Kinlaw in like a Justin Matabike role for the Titans coming from Baltimore. You see the comparison there?

I could see that. But A'shaun Robinson, 29, big-bodied run stuffer, going to be cheap. Going to be under $4 million. That is what I want. I'm not against signing veterans on the interior defensive line, but they need to be cheap. Another guy who I like, Raekwon Davis, 6'7",

26 years old. Just come over and be big. Like, I think you can get it done with that. You don't need to pay these high-priced nose stuffers. Nose stuffers. Nose tackle. Run stuffers. You don't need to do it. So, for me, I like Javon Kinlaw. He's not a run stuffer. He's an interior pass rusher who can pair with Jeffrey Simmons on the interior. I like that. But if they do go with just pure run stuffer, A'shaun Robinson, Raekwon Davis, and Folley Futakasi, who just got cut by the Jaguars, that would make a lot of sense for me as well. Cheap. You can't pay every position big money I'm not wasting big money on interior run stuffer

I'm not doing it so with that being said though that is going to do it for this bonus edition of the Locked on Titans podcast breaking down the defensive side of the ball in free agency we did the front seven here gonna have another bonus episode tomorrow for the secondary but as always I am your host, Tyler Rowland.

And this was Locked on Titans.