The Tennessee Titans might have one more big move up their sleeve ahead of training camp, and even as late as right before the start of the 2021 season. Could adding veteran cornerback Richard Sherman be on the table?
Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski believes the Titans should consider it, as he named signing Sherman the one move Tennessee should make before the start of the season.
The Tennessee Titans have both some remaining salary-cap space ($9 million) and a need at cornerback. The team already made a major move by trading for wide receiver Julio Jones. Now, it can look at the other side of the ball.
The Titans signed veteran Janoris Jenkins and drafted Caleb Farley in this year’s first round to go with Kristian Fulton. Considering Farley’s injury history, another quality addition to the cornerback room would be wise.
As Sobleski points out, Sherman has said he wants to play for a contender, according to Bloomberg’s Ritika Gupta — and the Titans certainly fit the bill.
“I want to get to a team that’s competing for a championship, so that’s what I’m focused on and waiting for a right opportunity,” Sherman said. “When it comes, that’s where I’ll be.”
One potential roadblock for Sherman possibly joining the Titans is he won’t be guaranteed a starting spot, and even if he does grab one right away there’s no guarantee he’ll keep it the entire season.
While the Titans have some question marks on the outside, second-year corner Kristian Fulton and 2021 first-round pick Caleb Farley have the potential to emerge as impact starters opposite Janoris Jenkins.
If that happens, the aging Sherman, who turned 33 in March, could find himself playing a backup role. It isn’t clear if he’d be fine with that, but one would assume significant playing time is also something he’s looking for.
As far as money is concerned, the Titans have about $8.3 million in cap space, per Over the Cap, but still have to sign two draft picks and leave money available for in-season moves.
Sherman made an annual average salary of $9 million over his three years with the San Francisco 49ers, so even if he takes less than that the Titans still need to move money around or add voidable years to make it work.
If the Titans can squeeze him in financially and Sherman understands the worst-case scenario is a potential backup role, bringing him to Nashville would be a good move.
Not only does he add veteran leadership and some extra feistiness to a young group, but he would also help shore up a secondary that, as we said before, has plenty of question marks.
While we certainly wouldn’t mind a veteran addition at cornerback, we feel that tight end, defensive line (end or nose tackle) and kicker are all more important needs to address at the moment.
