Taylor Lewan - Pro Football Rumors

No Contract Talks Between Titans, Taylor Lewan

May 30th, 2018 at 10:02pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Nate Solder recently re-set the market for top left tackles when he signed a four-year $62MM deal with the Giants back in March. The next player to threaten Solder’s spot as the highest paid tackle in the game might be the Titans’ Taylor Lewan, set to be a free agent after this season.

Lewan is playing 2018 in the final year of his rookie deal after the Titans exercised his fifth-year option. He’ll earn a $9.34MM salary this year which is most likely well below what he’ll command on the open market.

Lewan spoke with the media recently, and gave an update on talks, or lack thereof, with Titans management regarding a new contract, via Terry McCormick of Titaninsider.com. Lewan said there was “nothing worth talking about” when asked about the status of any negotiations.

While Lewan said there hasn’t been much progress recently, he isn’t sweating it, and is instead staying focuses on football. He has no plans to holdout or miss any time due to contract concerns, saying “When it comes to this kind of stuff, that’s why I have an agent. I don’t give them three percent to sit on their (expletive). I’m being serious.”

Lewan also said he’d be willing to negotiate during the season if nothing gets done this offseason. He even specifically referenced Solder, making it clear he knows his own worth, saying “I’m a professional athlete. Obviously you’re going to see those things. I see Nate Solder getting the contract he did. That’s awesome.”

Whether or not an extension gets done this summer, Lewan will sooner or later be one of the highest paid linemen in football. He’s racked up accolades since entering the league as the 11th pick in the 2014 draft, earning two Pro Bowl selections. Whether it’s by the Titans or someone else, Lewan will be getting paid next year, and he could very well best Solder’s $15.5MM per year salary.

Titans Exercise Taylor Lewan’s Option

April 25th, 2017 at 2:12pm CST by Zachary Links

The Titans announced that they have exercised Taylor Lewan‘s fifth-year option. The move will keep him under team control through 2018.

Lewan has started 31 of 32 possible regular season games in the last two seasons. Last year, thanks in part to his play at the left tackle spot, the Titans finished out third in rushing yards. Lewan was Pro Football Focus’ No. 7 ranked offensive tackle, putting him ahead of big names like Jason Peters, Lane Johnson, and Donald Penn. The Titans were fully expected to trigger his 2018 option and a new long-term deal could be in the near future for Lewan.

Teams have until May 3rd to exercise the fifth-year options on 2014 first-round draft picks, but many teams have already made their calls. With Lewan, the No. 11 pick, out of the way, only three players in the top dozen are left in limbo: Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles, Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins, Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr, and Lions tight end Eric Ebron.

AFC Notes: Browns, Osweiler, Titans

February 13th, 2016 at 8:08pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The latest from the AFC:

Given quarterback Brock Osweiler‘s lack of a track record, the Broncos have to take a cautious approach in re-signing the pending free agent, opines Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post. Osweiler was statistically superior to Peyton Manning last season – considering Manning’s struggles, that isn’t saying much – and Kiszla thinks the Broncos should offer him a three-year, $28.5MM deal. That probably wouldn’t be enough to prevent the 25-year-old from testing the free agent market, however.
Browns perennial Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Thomas said in January he wanted to see who would take over the team’s vacant general manager and head coaching positions before deciding whether to ask for a trade. The Browns’ front office is now in the hands of executive vice president of football operations Sashi Brown, and Hue Jackson is their new head coach. Both have earned Thomas’ approval, which means he’s excited to continue his career in Cleveland. “He was the No. 1 guy that I was hoping that we would hire,” Thomas said of Jackson, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “We got the biggest fish to be had in this offseason and now he was able to put together an impressive staff, so the ship’s headed in the right direction.” On Brown, Thomas stated, “I’m really happy for him. He’s a guy that I’ve gotten to know over the last couple years in Cleveland, even before he took over as the head man, even before the conversation we had after the season, I developed a relationship with him.”
Taylor Lewan‘s presence may make it difficult for the Titans to draft Laremy Tunsil at No. 1 overall, Jim Wyatt of Titans.com writes in a mailbag. A second-year left tackle, Lewan rated as the No. 12 overall tackle, per Pro Football Focus, last season.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

Extra Points: Lewan, Adams, Crimson Tide

October 30th, 2014 at 10:18pm CST by Ben Levine

Let’s take a look at some assorted notes from around the league…

Titans first-round pick Taylor Lewan pleaded guilty on Thursday to charges of disturbing the peace and being drunk and disorderly, writes Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com. The writer notes that Lewan is not expected to be disciplined by the NFL.
Stephen Holder of the Indy Star details Colts safety Mike Adams long journey to the NFL. Among the notable anecdotes was Adams reaction to a $2,500 signing bonus as a rookie with the 49ers. “Man, they gave me $2,500,” Adams said. “I was thinking, ‘Don’t you mean $25,000? I mean, this is the NFL, right?’ Man, I had to work for that $2,500. And people are calling me from back home asking me for money. Man, I was broke!”
Following the trade of Mark Barron, Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole sat down with Stephen Nelson and discussed the recent lack of success for former Crimson Tide players. The writer believes that Alabama players are “overworked” and subsequently “overvalued” in NFL drafts.

AFC South Notes: Richardson, Moncrief, Foster

August 4th, 2014 at 7:45pm CST by Rob DiRe

Trent Richardson is coming off a miserable season after the Colts traded a first-round pick to acquire him early last season, but he is committed to making more of an impact in 2013, writes Stephen Holder of the Indy Star. He wants to contribute as a three-down back, improve his pass protection, and has a goal in his mind in terms of rushing yards. He would not give out the number but admitted that it was higher than 1,000 yards,

Here are some other notes from around the AFC South:

A surprise from the Colts‘ depth chart was rookie receiver Donte Moncrief being listed as the teams starting kick returner, writes Mike Wells of ESPN.com.
“We want to win,” said head coach Chuck Pagano. “If he gives us the best opportunity to win as a kick returner as well as the receiver, then we are going to put him out there.”
The Titans had a joint practice with the Falcons today, and rookie offensive tackle Taylor Lewan got his first taste against defensive lineman from an opponent. Lewan held his own, writes John Glennon of the Tennesseean, but drew one flag for holding. He is currently battling with Michael Oher to be the team’s starting right tackle.
Texans‘ running back Arian Foster struggled with injuries in 2013, that caused him to consider leaving the game of football. He admitted so in an interview with ESPN’s Hannah Storm. Tania Ganguli, who covers the Texans for the Worldwide Leader, transcribed this part of the interview.

Taylor Lewan, Titans Agree To Terms

July 24th, 2014 at 12:42pm CST by Luke Adams

The last of this year’s 256 draftees who remained unsigned has agreed to terms with his NFL team, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean, who reports (via Twitter) that the Titans have reached an agreement with offensive tackle Taylor Lewan. With training camps opening around the NFL this week, 2014’s entire draft class is now under contract.

Lewan, who turned 23 this week, was the 11th overall pick in May’s draft, and the third tackle to come off the board after Greg Robinson and Jake Matthews. As Jason Fitzgerald’s figures at OverTheCap.com show, Lewan will have an overall four-year value of about $11.485MM on his rookie contract, including a signing bonus worth around $6.673MM. The deal will also include a fifth-year option for 2018.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk suggested a few weeks ago that the delay on Lewan’s signing may have been a result of the Michigan alum looking to replace his fully-guaranteed base salaries with roster bonuses paid out during training camp. Last year’s 11th overall pick (D.J. Fluker) didn’t receive these bonuses in his deal, but Lewan’s teammate, 2013’s No. 10 pick Chance Warmack, did get them. Considering Lewan is viewed as the Titans’ left tackle of the future, making him a more essential piece on the offensive line than Warmack, he had a reasonable case for those roster bonuses, though it’s not clear yet if he received them.

While Lewan may play left tackle down the line for the Titans, his short-term position is less clear, considering the team still has Michael Roos in place on the left side, and signed Michael Oher to man right tackle.

Latest On Four Remaining Unsigned Draftees

July 2nd, 2014 at 4:27pm CST by Luke Adams

As we’ve discussed before when covering draft pick signings – as well as those draftees who remain unsigned – the NFL’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement has taken most of the drama out of the contracts for rookies. With set amounts on signing bonuses and total values for most rookie deals, players will haggle over things like offset language, types of payment, and guaranteed money, but for the most part, there isn’t much wiggle room.

That means that we shouldn’t expect to see many – if any – holdouts when training camps get underway later this month. Still, four of 2014’s 256 draft picks have still yet to ink their contracts, so it’s worth checking in on them to see if we can discern any particular reason why that’s the case. Here are the four draftees who remain unsigned, along with the latest updates on each of them:

Justin Gilbert, CB, Cleveland Browns (1.8): As of last Tuesday, Gilbert didn’t sound like he was too involved in his own negotiations, deferring to his agent when asked about contract talks by Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. He echoed that stance later in the week, suggesting that he wasn’t sure whether he’d be in attendance when the Browns’ training camp begins. Still, even with potential disputes over offsets and roster bonuses in play at the No. 8 spot, I’d be pretty surprised if the rookie cornerback wasn’t present for the first day of camp.
Taylor Lewan, OT, Tennessee Titans (1.11): Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wrote this week that he thinks the delay on Lewan may be a result of the offensive tackle looking to replace his fully-guaranteed base salaries with roster bonuses paid out during training camp. Last year’s 11th overall pick (D.J. Fluker) didn’t receive these bonuses in his deal, but Lewan’s teammate, No. 10 pick Chance Warmack, did get them. Considering Lewan is viewed as the Titans’ left tackle of the future, making him a more essential piece on the offensive line than Warmack, he has a reasonable case for those roster bonuses. In Florio’s view, a brief training camp holdout is a possibility for Lewan.
Marqise Lee, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars (2.39): Lee was long viewed as a likely first-round pick, so the delay on his signing may be related to his trying to recoup some guaranteed money after slipping to No. 39. In his latest mailbag, John Oesher of Jaguars.com couldn’t offer any specific details on the holdup for Lee, but stated confidently that something should get done before training camp.
Billy Turner, OT, Miami Dolphins (3.67): There haven’t been many rumblings about the contract talks, who is the last third-rounder to sign. Most recently, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald wrote last Monday that the unresolved issues for Turner “are not insurmountable.”

Titans Notes: Preston, Lewan, Mettenberger

July 1st, 2014 at 10:20am CST by Ben Levine

The Titans are set atop their receiver depth chart with Nate Washington, Kendall Wright and Justin Hunter. There is a spot up for grabs behind the trio, and Lauren Moore of The Tennessean writes that second-year player Michael Preston is looking like the favorite. Receiver coach Shawn Jefferson gushed about the 25-year-old:

“He is my jack of all trades,” Jefferson said. “He knows all the positions. I can plug him in anywhere, he hustles, blocks, and is a great teammate.

“He has a great chance, but there is a lot of competition at this position. Right now, I’m not making any predictions, but as a coach I can’t live without him. That’s how much he means to me as a player and a person.”

The competition for the spot isn’t easy. Among the candidates are veterans Brian Robiskie, Derek Hagan, Dorin Dickerson and Marc Mariani. 2013 undrafted free agent Rico Richardson is in the mix, as well as a handful of 2014 undrafted free agents.

Here are some more notes from the Volunteer State…

The holdup over first-round pick Taylor Lewan‘s contract is likely regarding roster bonuses, writes ProFootballTalk.com’s Mike Florio. The offensive tackle could be looking to replace his fully-guaranteed base salaries with roster bonuses paid out during training camp. As Florio points out, this is similar to what happened with the team’s first-round pick in 2013, Chance Warmack. Warmack ended up receiving the type of contract that Lewan is seeking.
Among the team’s expiring contracts, Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean suggests that the Titans should negotiate extensions with defensive lineman Jurrell Casey and punter Brett Kern. The writer wanted to see more from quarterback Jake Locker, linebacker Akeem Ayers, defensive lineman Derrick Morgan and offensive tackle Michael Roos before extending their contracts.
Rookie quarterback Zach Mettenberger is making it his goal to be the starter “from day one,” he said on SiriusXM NFL Radio (via Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com). “I’m going to make Jake work that much harder…cause I’m coming everyday. And I’m bringing my best effort and my hardest work to the facility everyday to show that I should be the guy playing.” Mettenberger clarified that he isn’t trying to start a quarterback controversy, claiming that “any guy worth his salt” would have the same approach.

Titans Notes: Lewan, Hunter, Thompson

June 26th, 2014 at 11:03pm CST by Matt Feminis

Titans rookie first-rounder Taylor Lewan remains unsigned, but that didn’t prevent the team from training him at both left and right tackle, writes John Glennon in the Tennessean.

Here’s a few more Titans tidbits provided by offensive coordinator Jason Michael, who did an interview for the team website:

Talented but raw second-year receiver Justin Hunter has shown flashes of playmaking, and “the sky’s the limit” for him, but the staff needs to continue pushing him.
Veteran Shonn Greene (injury) and rookie Bishop Sankey (academic requirements) missed most of the team’s offseason, opening the door for Dexter McCluster to learn the system.
Another player who must make strides is Taylor Thompson, whose transition from college defensive end to NFL tight end has not gone smoothly. Michael did not call out Thompson, but did stop short of praising him, saying, “He’s still young to the position, with changing from defensive end, and I know we’ve talked about those things and at some point, he’s got to put that behind him and move forward and be a tight end…”
However, unlike Hunter, a 2013 second-rounder who scored four touchdowns and averaged nearly 20 yards per catch as a rookie, Thompson enters his third pro season with just nine catches to his credit. In a recent Daily News Journal article, Thompson admitted to enduring growing pains and a steep learning curve. Additionally, first-year position coach Mike Mularkey said his first impression of Thompson is that he’s raw and inexperienced. Thompson, whom the Titans traded up for in the fifth round of the 2012 draft, has two years remaining on his rookie contract, but the team is hoping for signs of development. He’s expected to be the team’s No. 3 tight end, but at 6-6 and nearly 270 pounds with sub-4.6 speed and natural catching ability, Thompson has breakout potential if the light comes on.

Rookie Notes: Titans, Saints, Packers

May 19th, 2014 at 3:12pm CST by Ben Levine

It hasn’t been the best couple of days for two Titans rookies. Sixth-round pick Zach Mettenberger had his first practice since tearing his ACL in November and admitted that his leg wasn’t close to 100 percent.

“I am not moving as fluidly as I have in the past but I am working hard to get back there,” the rookie told Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. “Being in the brace for two months, trying to learn how to walk, you lose a lot of muscle. … I just have to keep working.”

Meanwhile, first-round pick Taylor Lewan had his court case adjourned for four weeks, according to ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein. The 11th-overall pick requested more time to investigate the report that charges him with one count of misdemeanor aggravated assault and two counts of assault and battery. The hearing is scheduled for June 16th, the day before the Titans’ first minicamp.

Let’s take a look at some more rookie notes from around the NFL…

Undrafted rookie Tim Flanders had good reason to want to join the Saints, writes Terrance Harris of NOLA.com. Not only is the team seeking a fifth running back who can contribute on special teams, but coach Sean Payton has proven that he won’t write off undrafted backs. Flanders refers to Pierre Thomas and Khiry Robinson.
ESPN’s Packers reporter Rob Demovsky says an undrafted rookie’s signing bonus may indicate who sticks around for the regular season. The writer points to Lane Taylor, who made the team last season after inking the largest signing bonus among the Packers undrafted signees. The team signed five players to a team-high, $5K signing bonus: linebackers Jake Doughty, Jayrone Elliott, Adrian Hubbard and Joe Thomas and guard John Fullington.
Despite tearing an abdominal muscle that required sports hernia surgery last month, Jaguars‘ undrafted tight end Marcel Jensen has a good chance of making the team, writes Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union. His size and production at Fresno State, combined with the lack of tight end talent currently on the roster, gives the rookie a chance.
Of the four tryout players the Bills brought in, receiver Caleb Holley is the most likely to stick around, opines Joe Buscaglia of WGR550.com. Meanwhile, considering the presence of Jeff Tuel and Dennis Dixon, quarterback Kenny Guiton likely won’t be signed.