The Titans’ offensive line has undergone plenty of changes in recent days, but there will be continuity in the middle of it. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the team is re-signing center Ben Jones to a two-year, $14MM deal (Twitter link).
This pact comes with $8MM guaranteed, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets, making Year 2 of the deal essentially an option year for the Titans. This will be Jones’ seventh season in Tennessee.
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Tennessee has recently moved on from two pieces to their offensive front. Last week they released Rodger Saffold along with Kendall Lamm. While it saved the team some notable cap space, it leaves question marks up front for one of the league’s most run-heavy offenses. Keeping Jones in the fold will certainly help in that regard.
Jones, who will be 33 by the start of the 2022 season, has been with the Titans since 2016. Durability has never been a concern over that time, as he has missed just one game in Nashville, and started each contest throughout his time there. PFF graded him as only allowing one sack all season in 2021, leading to an overall rating of 77.8. That is right on par with his previous performances, meaning he should still be counted on as a consistent presence along the line.
With Jones off the market, the center position continues to thin out. Ryan Jensen re-signed with the Buccaneers yesterday, leaving Bradley Bozeman as the name at the top of the list amongst free agents. Brian Allen represents another name that teams in need of a new center could be expected to pursue.