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Tennessee Titans News & Rumors

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/28/23

August 28th, 2023 at 8:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

We are less than 24 hours from the deadline for NFL teams to trim their rosters to 53 players. Here are the latest moves teams have made as they pare their squads down toward the in-season limit:

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

  • Released from IR via injury settlement: DB Tino Ellis

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Titans Activate OL Dillon Radunz

August 28th, 2023 at 3:21pm CST by Rory Parks

The Titans have activated offensive lineman Dillon Radunz from the PUP list, the team announced. That means that Radunz has passed a physical, which is rather a significant development for a player that tore his ACL a little over eight months ago.

Nonetheless, head coach Mike Vrabel told reporters, including Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com, that recent acquisition Chris Hubbard remains in line to start the year at right tackle (Nicholas Petit-Frere was initially ticketed for that role, but his six-game gambling suspension will require at least a temporary change of plans). Radunz, who was selected in the second round of the 2021 draft with the expectation that he would serve as a long-term OT, presumably would have been the top choice to fill in for Petit-Frere if not for his injury.

Radunz, 25, started just one game in his rookie campaign as he learned and developed behind former right tackle David Quessenberry. Although Quessenberry signed with the Bills in the 2022 offseason, Tennessee picked Petit-Frere in the third-round of that year’s draft, and he ultimately beat out Radunz for the RT post. Radunz was therefore relegated to a reserve role, and while he did end up starting four games last season — splitting his time just about equally between left guard and right guard — he received an abysmal 40.3 overall grade from Pro Football Focus (though to be fair, he did earn a terrific 78.1 pass-blocking mark).

Vrabel made it clear that Radunz would be eased back into action. Eventually, the North Dakota State product may have a chance to once again vie for the right tackle job, or perhaps for the right guard spot that still appears unsettled, but that will not happen right away.

NFC East Notes: Commanders, Kearse, Giants

August 24th, 2023 at 10:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

Battling a turf toe issue sustained Monday night, Terry McLaurin will not need surgery. But an extended rest period is underway. This hiatus has the top Commanders skill-position talent uncertain to be ready by Week 1, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Jeremy Fowler (Twitter links). McLaurin has not missed a game due to injury since 2020. The Commanders have made some big investments at wide receiver since starting McLaurin’s tenure off with little around him. Curtis Samuel is going into the final season of his three-year, $34.5MM contract, and the team has first-rounder Jahan Dotson going into his second season. But McLaurin has been one of the NFL’s best receivers, totaling his third straight 1,000-yard season months after signing a three-year, $69.6MM extension.

Here is the latest from the NFC East:

Titans Sign K Michael Badgley, Waive Caleb Shudak, Trey Wolff

August 22nd, 2023 at 11:27am CST by Adam La Rose

The Titans have made a shake-up to their kicking situation. The team announced on Tuesday that Michael Badgley has been signed, and incumbents Caleb Shudak and Trey Wolff have each been waived.

Badgley joined the Commanders last month, putting him in a competition with Joey Slye. The latter won out Washington’s kicking job, however, leading to Badgley’s release over the weekend. He has not needed to wait long to find a new opportunity, and he now stands alone as Tennessee’s only kicker in the fold.

The 28-year-old had a brief spell with the Titans in 2021, though he only appeared in one game. Badgley has been a journeyman since his impressive rookie season with the Chargers in 2018, but he rebounded last year during his time with the Bears and Lions. He converted 24 of 28 combined field goal attempts during his time with those two teams, along with all 33 of his extra point tries. That led to a re-up with Detroit in March, but things have not gone as planned since then.

Without any competition for the time being, Badgley will have the chance to secure the Titans’ kicking spot ahead of roster cutdowns next week. As for Shudak and Wolff, they will need to move quickly to find a new opportunity before the preseason wraps up. In case that does not take place, they will be available to at least join the practice squad in Tennessee or elsewhere ahead of the regular season.

Shudak is the only member of the pair with NFL experience. He signed with the Titans as a UDFA last year, but began the season on IR. He made a single appearance in Tennessee, a team which again relied on Randy Bullock at the kicker position when healthy in 2022. The latter was one of several veterans let go this offseason, however, leaving a vacancy the Titans are now turning to Badgley to fill.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/21/23

August 21st, 2023 at 8:43pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

  • Signed: LB Marvin Pierre
  • Placed on IR: TE Tyler Davis

Kansas City Chiefs

  • Signed: WR Juwan Green
  • Waived/injured: WR Kekoa Crawford
  • Released from IR: DB Anthony Witherstone

Miami Dolphins

  • Signed: QB James Blackman
  • Waived/injured: CB Tino Ellis

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

  • Released from IR: OL Scott Lashley

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

  • Signed: TE Sal Cannella

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Brian Hill comes to San Francisco with 48 career games under his belt. He had a career year for the Falcons back in 2020, compiling 664 yards from scrimmage in 16 games. The RB has bounced around the NFL a bit since, spending time with the Titans, Browns, and 49ers (two stints). Following stints in the CFL and XFL, the 27-year-old will now add some depth to a San Francisco running backs room that already includes Christian McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell, Jordan Mason, Tyrion Davis-Price, and Jeremy McNichols.

Trevon Coley started 29 games for the Browns through his first two seasons in the NFL, but he’s struggled to stay on the field since. The defensive lineman got into seven games for the Colts in 2019 and (most recently) six games for the Cardinals in 2020. In total, the 29-year-old has 100 career tackles and 3.5 sacks on his resume.

Adrian Colbert won’t play for the Bears in 2023 after being placed on IR, although there’s a chance he’s cut loose and allowed to play for another squad. The veteran safety has played in 41 career games, starting 22. He’s been limited to only 14 games since the 2020 campaign, including a two-game stint with the Bears in 2022.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/20/23

August 20th, 2023 at 8:03pm CST by Rory Parks

Here are today’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Detroit Lions

Jacksonville Jaguars

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

It appears that, like Colby Wadman before him, Palardy is just a camp body. Incumbent punter Tress Way is dealing with a back ailment, and he will only work as the holder in the Commanders’ preseason contest against the Ravens tomorrow night (Twitter link via Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post). So Palardy, who has appeared in 80 games in his career (including eight with the Patriots in 2022), will have a chance to audition for other clubs that may be on the lookout for a punter at some point.

Washington is also in need of another player to rotate in on the defensive line, as Jonathan Allen (plantar fasciitis) and Phidarian Mathis are both banged up (Twitter link via ESPN’s John Keim). Mack, who has 25 appearances in his pro career, will at least help the team get through camp and the rest of the preseason slate.

AFC South Notes: Clowney, Titans, Colts

August 17th, 2023 at 3:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jadeveon Clowney has made two visits but remains a free agent. Following his Ravens meeting, the former No. 1 overall pick visited the Jaguars. Not only did the Jags let Clowney leave, Doug Pederson indicated (via NFL.com’s James Palmer) the well-traveled pass rusher left Jacksonville without a contract offer. Clowney, 30, did not exactly part ways with the Browns on good terms, clashing with the team’s coaching staff during his second season as Myles Garrett‘s top sidekick. Clowney has now played for four teams, and while a return to the AFC South would strengthen the Jags’ pass rush, no deal is imminent.

The Jags lost Arden Key, who signed with the Titans, but reunited with Dawuane Smoot, who is coming off a December Achilles tear. Key’s exit will place more pressure on last year’s No. 1 pick, Travon Walker, who finished with 3.5 sacks and 10 QB hits as a rookie. Josh Allen remains Jacksonville’s pass-rushing anchor, but more will be expected of Walker. Clowney played for $8MM in 2021 and $10MM last year. The Jaguars hold a $10MM cap-space lead on the Ravens, carrying $18.4MM to Baltimore’s $8.8MM.

Here is the latest from the AFC South:

  • Although the Titans made a promotion to fill their offensive coordinator job for the third straight occasion, Tim Kelly has made some changes. The team has pivoted to the type of offense Kelly and Bill O’Brien ran in Houston, rather than the version of the Sean McVay attack Matt LaFleur brought with him back in 2018, Albert Breer of SI.com notes. “There’s a touch more freedom in his offense,” Ryan Tannehill said of the Patriots-style attack. “Being able to make adjustments on the fly, make changes at the line of scrimmage, a little more freedom within the route trees.” The Titans dropped from 17th to 30th in total offense from 2021 to 2022, helping lead to Todd Downing‘s ouster.
  • Tennessee is once again dealing with issues staffing its right tackle position, with Nicholas Petit-Frere incurring a six-game gambling suspension. The Titans also released Jamarco Jones, who was competing for the temporary fill-in gig, early in training camp. July pickup Chris Hubbard has taken over as the frontrunner to replace Petit-Frere to start the season, The Athletic’s John Rexrode notes (subscription required). Hubbard, who spent the past five years in Cleveland, has not worked as a regular starter since 2019 and has only started one game over the past two seasons. The Titans will have four new O-line starters in Week 1, and with Aaron Brewer sliding from guard to center, the team will not have any 2022 O-line starter playing the same position to open the season.
  • As the Colts transition to another coaching staff, Mo Alie-Cox‘s Colts roster spot might not be secure. The veteran tight end is vying for a blocking role against offseason signing Pharaoh Brown, according to the Indianapolis Star’s Nate Atkins. The Colts have Jelani Woods as a roster lock and used a fifth-round pick on Will Mallory. While Atkins notes Alie-Cox should have the upper hand on Brown, the team has some decisions to make. Kylen Granson, a 2021 fourth-round pick, is also not assured of a job in Shane Steichen‘s offense. It would cost the Colts $2.4MM in dead money to release Alie-Cox, who has been with the team since 2017.
  • The Texans are hiring former Northwestern director of player personnel Jonny Kovach as a player personnel assistant, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 notes. Multiple offers came Kovach’s way, per Wilson. Kovach had stayed on with the Big Ten program due to loyalty to Pat Fitzgerald. With Fitzgerald dismissed in the wake of the program’s hazing scandal, Kovach will make the jump to the pros.

CB Ronald Darby Visits Titans, To Meet With Ravens

August 17th, 2023 at 10:42am CST by Sam Robinson

10:42am: The Ravens indeed added Brown to their workout, Anderson tweets. This marks Brown’s first known audition since his December Achilles tear.

9:01am: More than 10 months after he suffered an ACL tear, Ronald Darby continues to generate interest. The veteran cornerback will up his summer visit count to four Thursday.

Having already met with the Texans and Vikings this year, Darby traveled to Tennessee for a Titans visit this week. In light of the foot surgery Marlon Humphrey underwent Wednesday, the Ravens are set to meet with Darby today, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (Twitter links). Darby met with the Vikings in early August and the Texans in July.

Injuries have limited Darby, 29, for much of his career. He missed six Broncos games in 2021 and went down in Week 5 of last season. Last year’s ACL tear marked familiar territory for Darby, who sustained the same injury in 2018. While the former second-round pick was able to rebound from the previous knee malady to set up another Eagles deal, a Washington pact and the three-year, $30MM Broncos accord, he is running out of time to show teams he can stay healthy.

When available, Darby has generally played well. Pro Football Focus ranked him as a top-30 corner in 2020, his only career 16-game season — one that led the Broncos to authorize that eight-figure-per-year pact. PFF also viewed the 5-foot-11 defender as having a strong start to the 2022 campaign prior to the knee setback. The Florida State product has made 88 regular-season starts and operated as a first-stringer in Super Bowl LII with the Eagles.

The Titans have made a few early-round investments at corner in recent years. They have used four first- or second-round picks on this position since 2017. While Adoree’ Jackson departed after the 2020 slate, the Titans still carry Kristian Fulton (Round 2, 2020), Caleb Farley (Round 1, 2021) and Roger McCreary (Round 2, 2022). Fulton and McCreary represent key cogs for the AFC South team, but Farley has been unable to shake his injury trouble. The Virginia Tech product, who underwent season-ending back surgery to wrap a campaign in which the Titans reduced his playing time, remains on the team’s active/PUP list. Back trouble dinged Farley’s stock coming into the NFL as well.

The Ravens are dealing with multiple injuries at the position. In addition to Humphrey’s foot procedure, second-year cover man Damarion Williams underwent ankle surgery that is expected to sideline him until at least October. Jalyn Armour-Davis and recent pickup Arthur Maulet have also missed time due to injury in training camp. John Harbaugh said Humphrey should not be expected to be shelved for an extended period, but he is on track to miss regular-season games. With this quartet down, Brandon Stephens, Kevon Seymour and Ar’Darius Washington reside as Baltimore’s top available corners.

In addition to Darby, the Ravens have former Cowboys corner Anthony Brown on their radar, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson tweets. Brown, 29, joins Darby in coming off a season-ending injury. The six-year Cowboy cover man, however, suffered his injury — an Achilles tear — in early December. Brown served as a regular Cowboys slot corner, re-signing with the team on a three-year deal worth $15.5MM in 2020. His work on that contract ended a bit early, with the Achilles tear occurring in Week 13 of last season.

Despite catching on with Dallas as a 2017 sixth-round pick, Brown started 69 games with the team. The Cowboys have not been connected to a reunion with Brown this year, having traded for Stephon Gilmore in March. Dallas also rosters Jourdan Lewis, who is also coming off a season-ending injury. While Darby has been connected to a handful of teams this offseason, Brown has hovered off the radar since his Cowboys contract expired.

Titans WR Treylon Burks Suffers LCL Sprain

August 16th, 2023 at 9:59pm CST by Ely Allen

Tennessee experienced a scare today when wide receiver Treylon Burks hobbled off the field after hauling in a deep throw in practice, as seen in this clip tweeted out by Leighton Glodek of StrictlyFootball. Luckily, it appears that Burks and the Titans dodged a bullet as an MRI revealed that he only suffered an LCL sprain, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

The knee injury will cause Burks to miss time, but he won’t be forced to miss the significant amount of time he would’ve had to miss with a ligament tear. Rapoport estimates that Burks will be out for “a few weeks.” It’s unclear if that means he’ll be ready to suit up for Week 1 of the regular season or if he’ll miss the first few weeks of the year.

This continues a less than ideal start to Burks’s NFL career after missing six games with injuries as a rookie. Due to that injury history, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Titans ease him back to the field slowly to ensure that whenever he does make his return, it will be for the long run.

If Burks is forced to miss regular season time, newly acquired star wideout DeAndre Hopkins will only see more early targets as a result. Behind Hopkins, the Titans have a lot of young, inexperienced receivers that they need to get going. Chris Moore, who had a breakout season with the Texans last year, and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, who started 17 games for the Titans in 2022, are the most veteran receivers who likely are on the field right now with Hopkins with the first-team offense. Past those three, second-year fifth-round pick Kyle Philips is expected to take a larger role in his sophomore season.

The team’s depth at wide receiver is virtually nonexistent, so losing Burks for any amount of time is a brutal loss for the offense. Tennessee will be hoping to see Burks back on the field in time for the regular season and will be hoping to see him take the next step from an average rookie year.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/16/23

August 16th, 2023 at 8:11pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor transactions from around the NFL:

Carolina Panthers

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

  • Waived from IR with injury settlement: WR Trey Quinn

Green Bay Packers

  • Waived from IR with injury settlement: WR Jeff Cotton

Kansas City Chiefs

  • Reverted to IR: CB Anthony Witherstone

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Signed: CB Matt Hankins
  • Waived/injured: CB Kemon Hall

New York Giants

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

Fry goes unclaimed on the waiver wire after being waived with an injury designation yesterday by the Broncos. This could mean that Brett Maher won’t be able to run away with the job to replace longtime kicker Brandon McManus this year. With Fry remaining on the roster, Maher will need to stay sharp in order to stay the only active kicker on the team’s depth chart.

Guidry is expected to undergo surgery after injuring his knee in a joint practice with the Buccaneers today, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. The Jets will hope he lasts through waivers as he has impressed so far in camp. If he does, New York will likely revert him to injured reserve in order to keep him on the roster.

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