The Tennessee Tiitans have just released DT Tony Brown, which I first saw posted on Football Outsiders. Jim Wyatt has now reported the Titans informed Brown’s agent he failed a physical.
Brown had knee problems all of last season and had a sub-par year, falling off drastically from 2009. I believe Brown was the Titans’ best defensive player in 2009, when he provided a strong interior pass rush.
I now get the feeling that Brown’s knee problems and corresponding decline in play was another reason, or at least a contributing factor, in the Titans’ decision to select three defensive linemen in April’s draft.
The d-line will look a lot different this year. Brown will be gone, as well as Jason Babin, who has agreed to terms with the Iggles. David Ball and Jacob Ford are both free agents and may not be back.
The new, or nearly new faces, will include Derrick Morgan, who missed most of last season with a torn ACL. The three draft picks will compete for playing time. I am hopeful the Titans will sign a free agent DE. Signing Ray Edwards would make my day.
Brown joined the Titans during the 2006 season, to provide depth after Albert Haynesworth was suspended for five games. Little did any of us imagine that Brown, a street free agent who had been cut by the 49ers and Panthers, would go on to start 59 games for the Titans and become a very good player.
The Titans re-signed Brown to a three-year extension last year, despite his knee problems for which he had offseason surgery. He should receive some type of injury settlement for the remaining two years on his contract.
Touchdown Tony was just selected as the left defensive tackle, where he started from 2007-08, on our All-Time Tennessee-era team. Brown moved from LDT to RDT in 2009.
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