The Tennessee Titans have lost another one of their own free agents this offseason, as defensive lineman Austin Johnson will reportedly sign with the New York Giants.
The news comes from Dan Duggan of The Athletic.
A former second-round pick of the Titans in the 2016 NFL Draft, the 25-year-old didn’t exactly pan out the way the team had hoped.
Johnson spent the 2019 season as a backup with Tennessee, but played extremely well in his limited duty, totaling 23 combined tackles and two QB hits. He played particularly well against the run.
Johnson likely could have started on a lot of teams based on how well he played, but the Titans just happened to be very deep on the defensive line. In 2018, Johnson made nine starts for Tennessee.
Johnson is the latest departure from the Titans’ 2019 defensive line group. The team also traded away starter Jurrell Casey to the Denver Broncos, so general manager Jon Robinson has some holes to fill.
Tennessee currently has Jeffery Simmons, DaQuan Jones, Isaiah Mack and Matt Dickerson under contract for 2020 as far as defensive linemen go.
It’s very possible Robinson will target one in the 2020 NFL Draft, and Titans fans continue to hope that a Jadeveon Clowney signing is in their future.
