Free agency giveth and free agency taketh away. Hours after the official announcement that TE Alge Crumpler had joined the team, the Titans lost the services of three of their unrestricted free agents.
Antwan Odom (Bengals) Travis LaBoy (Cardinals) and Jacob Bell (Rams) will all be playing in new uniforms next season.
The departure of Odom and LaBoy hurts a defensive line that played a pivotal role in the Titans 5th ranked defense last year. The former Titans combined for fourteen sacks on a Tennessee D-line that consistently harassed opposing quarterbacks.
Despite their departures, the cupboard is far from bare. Albert Haynesworth, the defenses centerpiece, will be back next season and probably beyond once a long-term deal is finalized and the team still has Kyle Vanden Bosch, whose relentless motor will continue to wreak havoc on opposing signal-callers.
The Titans still have a few options on the free agent market who could replace the presence of Odom/LaBoy. As I mentioned in a recent article, Chris Canty is a restricted free agent who would require draft compensation if a team attempts to pry him away from the Cowboys. However, considering his age and upside, why not take a shot on a young, proven NFL vet who can stop the run and rush the passer instead of rolling the dice via the draft?
Former Titans Jevon Kearse and Kevin Carter are also available. Sure, each player’s best days are in the rearview mirror but at the right price, both could provide some depth to a Titan defensive line that is in need of bodies right now. Carters ability to play DE and DT would provide the team with some depth on the interior as well, especially considering the loss of Randy Starks last weekend. Signing Carter would kill two birds with one stone.
Meanwhile, at the guard position, Bells absence means that at least one of the starting guard spots will need to be filled. The other guard spot, manned by Benji Olson, may be up for grabs as well if he decides to follow in the footsteps of Brett Favre and hang up his cleats.
If the Titans select the free agent route to replace their losses at the guard position, Jake Scott is a likely candidate. The Titans have shown an affinity for Colts’ players over the last few years, and attaining Scott would satisfy the unwritten rule of acquiring at least one Colt per offseason.
As Andrew suggested in a previous article, Eugene Amano, Daniel Loper and Leroy Harris are in-house candidates who will compete for at least one of the vacated guard spots next year. All three players are young and capable and under the tutelage of Hall of Famer Mike Munchak, I wouldnt be shocked to see them emerge as more than viable replacements for Bell and/or Olson.
The end result of yesterdays carnage is the emergence of needs in addition to the wide receiver position. The rest of free agency and the draft will be devoted to filling the holes that have been opened up as a result of recent free agent losses.
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