As a result of the departure of Albert Haynesworth, bolstering the depth at defensive tackle will undoubtedly be high on the free agency priority list of the Tennessee Titans.
However, DT isn’t the only area in need of replacements. Due to Brandon Jones’ decision to sign with the San Francisco 49ers, the Titans will also be on the lookout for another receiving weapon for Kerry Collins.
Here’s a look at a host of potential receiving options that the Titans could choose from in the rapidly shrinking free agent market.
Good but costly
T.J. Houshmanzadeh is perhaps the best wide receiver available on the free agent market. Accustomed to playing second fiddle to Chad “Ocho Cinco” Johnson in Cincy, the time is now for Housh to become some fortunate NFL franchise’s #1 target.
Housh is a very dependable WR, as evidenced by his impressive three-year streak of surpassing the 90 reception mark. He’s also a solid blocker, which is apparently a pre-requisite for anyone interested in becoming a Titan WR.
His price-tag will likely be high, so that alone makes me skeptical about “Who’s Your Momma” finding his way to Nashville. However, for the right price, (if that’s even possible), I’d love to see the Titans sign Housh.
Laveranues Coles is a guy I pitched in a recent article. He’s tough and has been a consistent producer over the course of his NFL career.
In order to become a free agent, Coles was willing to relinquish $6 million, so attaining him should be anything but inexpensive. However, I’ve always been a fan of LC and to top it all off, he also spent a year with Mike Heimerdinger in New York in 2005.
Youngsters with upside
Nate Washington is intriguing guy with a ton of potential. A bit inconsistent during most of his tenure in Pittsburgh, Nate stepped up as a consistent source of big plays for last year’s Super Bowl champs.
I love his natural ability and his upside, but I’m a bit leery of extending a lot of money to a guy who hasn’t even sniffed a 1,000 yard season. However, he is a vertical threat, which is an important element that’s currently missing in the Titan offense.
He’s scheduled to visit Nashville soon, so don’t be surprised if Nate emerges as the one name from this list who ends up wearing the two-tone blue next year and beyond.
Devery Henderson is a speedster with an eye-popping 21.6 yards per catch during his first four years in the league. Unfortunately, his fatal flaw is his susceptibility to dropping passes.
Henderson would provide the Titans with a legit home-run threat at WR, but his inability to make the routine ones makes him a question mark in my mind.
The aging vets
Tennessee Titan fans are very familiar with Marvin Harrison. At this point in his career, he’s probably a shell of his former self but for the right price, he could emerge as a solid producer in some NFL city.
The Titans are known for extending contracts to aging vets, as evidenced by the Eric Moulds experiment and last year’s pickups of Jevon Kearse and Alge Crumpler. Of course, they also have an affinity for ex-Colts, which could make Marvin appealing to Mike Reinfedlt and Co.
Joey Galloway is another aging wideout who was recently jettisoned by his former employer. The fact that he was a teammate of Eddie George at Ohio State tells all you need to know about how long the ancient Galloway has been around.
Though it would have been great a few years ago, I’m not that optimistic about the chances of Harrison or Galloway ending up in a Titan uniform in 2009.
Your turn, audience. Which free agent WR should the Titans make a push for?
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