The Tennessee Titans signed defensive lineman Jack Crawford to a one-year deal this offseason, the third former Atlanta Falcon the team has inked.
The idea behind the signing was to add depth along the defensive line after a void was left thanks to the departure of Austin Johnson, who signed with the New York Giants.
No, this was not the move to replace Jurrell Casey — at least, we hope not.
Assuming this was a depth move, it’s a good one. Crawford has experience playing at both defensive end and defensive tackle, offering quite a bit of versatility.
Crawford has spent the majority of his career as a backup after being drafted in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Raiders. While with the Raiders, Crawford was coached by current Titans defensive line coach Terrell Williams, so the team already has some familiarity with him.
While he isn’t a starting-caliber lineman by any stretch, Crawford was impressive when called into starting duty in 2018, totaling six sacks in 16 games (11 starts).
Should the Titans need him to start for an extended amount of time due to an injury, Crawford has proven he can step up and fill a void adequately.
It’s hard to say whether or not he’ll be a better depth piece than Johnson was last season, but for now this appears to be the right signing for what the Titans needed after their former second-round pick left for New York.
