June is right around the corner and there are still nine players who were on the Tennessee Titans in 2019 without a home.
The full list is as follows:
CB Logan Ryan
TE Delanie Walker
K Ryan Succop
OLB Cameron Wake
ILB Wesley Woodyard
ILB Daren Bates
OL Kevin Pamphile
CB Tramaine Brock
RB David Fluellen
There are some quality players on that list who could certainly help teams out there. Let’s take a closer look at some of the best fits for the top former Titans still available.
Logan Ryan: New York Giants
Reports have been back-and-forth about the Jets potentially landing Ryan.
One said that the team was confident they’d sign him and were close, while a more recent one suggests New York simply isn’t willing to pay the $10 million asking price of the veteran corner.
While the Jets would no doubt be a great fit for Ryan, it’s clear they aren’t willing to meet his demands — but perhaps another team in New York would be more willing to fork over the cash.
Following the arrest of DeAndre Baker, which is an ongoing and messy story that keeps taking twists and turns, the Giants are potentially facing a situation that has them down a starting corner in 2020.
We already know Ryan was born in the area and went to Rutgers, and his veteran presence and leadership would be perfect for what is a young Giants secondary.
The Giants also have the cap space to sign him, with $16 million in available funds remaining, and perhaps desperation could lead to Big Blue paying Ryan what he’s looking for, or at least closer to it than most teams.
Delanie Walker: New England Patriots
It’s just a matter of time before a team takes a chance on Walker, who is up there in years but is still a weapon in the passing game when healthy.
The Patriots could certainly use his services, although that would make Titans fans sick to their collective stomachs to see him in that uniform.
Regardless, the Patriots’ passing attack, which is normally built on the utilization of tight ends, is woefully thin at the position. Walker would provide an instant upgrade, both as a receiver and blocker.
If New England is going to get the most out of whoever starts at quarterback in 2020 (Jarrett Stidham?), Bill Belichick and Co. should look to add Walker to improve the situation at tight end.
Ryan Succop: Tennessee Titans
There are no two ways about it: Succop was an abject disaster with the Titans in 2019 after missing five of his six field goal attempts before landing on IR for a second and final time.
But the truth of the matter is the Titans are set to go into training camp with a competition at kicker between Greg Joseph and UDFA Tucker McCann, neither of whom have much or any NFL experience.
Prior to his disastrous 2019 season, Succop provided stability at the position in Tennessee with a success rate of 83.3 percent or better in each of his six seasons with the Titans.
The Titans already have Succop on the books with $2.1 million in dead money, so I wouldn’t be opposed to them bringing him back on a veteran’s minimum in order to add some veteran experience to the competition at kicker.
Wesley Woodyard: Los Angeles Rams
After the Titans drafted Jayon Brown in 2017 and Rashaan Evans in 2018, the writing was on the wall that Woodyard’s time with the Titans was coming to an end.
And that was all but confirmed in 2019, as Woodyard spent the season as a backup to Brown and Evans, playing on just 29 percent of defensive snaps. His biggest impact came on special teams, and he played well as a tandem with David Long when Brown was forced to miss time.
A team in major need of help at inside linebacker is the Los Angeles Rams, who have a lack of experience at the position and lost a key piece in Cory Littleton this offseason.
Woodyard could conceivably earn significant snaps with the Rams — that is, if they can create the cap space to sign him. Los Angeles currently has less than $600K, but Woodyard won’t be an expensive signing, so it’s realistic to think the Rams could make it work.
Tramaine Brock: New York Jets
With the Titans in desperate need of help at cornerback in 2019 thanks to the injuries to Malcolm Butler and Adoree’ Jackson, Tennessee signed Brock, who proved to be a stabilizer on defense.
However, with the Titans looking to get faster in the secondary in 2020, chances are his stint in Nashville will be brief.
If the Jets aren’t able to land Ryan in free agency, Brock is probably the next best thing. He’s a player with a ton of experience, which fits perfectly with the Jets’ young secondary, and he could compete for and win a significant role.
Cameron Wake: Atlanta Falcons
Although his sack numbers don’t exactly bear it out, Wake was very productive for the Titans before being ruled out for the season in 2019.
Wake was still getting consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks, and once he was out of the lineup Harold Landry was getting more attention, which led to his failing to notch a single sack in the Titans’ last four games.
A team like the Atlanta Falcons that always struggles to get pressure and finished tied for the second-fewest sacks in the NFL last season would stand to benefit from what the veteran can still bring to the table.
Wake always keeps himself in excellent shape, so there’s reason to believe he still has more left in the tank. And, like he did with Landry, Wake could help take pressure off newly-signed EDGE, Dante Fowler, Jr.
