The Titans have added some veteran depth to their offensive line, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve signed free agent center Fernando Velasco to a contract. To make room on the roster, the Titans placed cornerback Brandon Harris, who tore his ACL last week, on injured reserve.
While the Titans list Velasco as a center, he spent most of last season at guard for the Panthers, playing 407 overall offensive snaps. The 30-year-old wasn’t a core piece of Carolina’s offensive line, but he was a useful part-time player, appearing in multiple games at both right guard and left guard, and not allowing a quarterback sack all year.
In Tennessee, Velasco may challenge for playing time at center, where Brian Schwenke is the favorite to start. Schenke, a 2013 fourth-round pick, has started 20 games at the position for the Titans over the last two seasons, but has ranked among the bottom 10 players at the position in each of those years, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). He and backup center Andy Gallik are also both dealing with hamstring injuries, so Velasco may ultimately just provide offseason depth.
Terms of the agreement aren’t yet known, but I’d anticipate a minimum salary pact for Velasco, who won’t be guaranteed a regular season roster spot. As for Harris, he had been playing out the final year of his contract with the Titans, so he appears likely to spend the season on IR, then become a free agent next winter.