NASHVILLE, Tenn. – News of Jack Conklin’s contract with the Cleveland Browns makes it easy to say, “The Titans could have paid him that.”
Jack Conklin agreed to a 3-year deal with the Browns for $42M with $30M fully guarantee, per @RosenhausSports. He earns $20mil in the first year. Wanted to keep it short due to the projected increases in the salary cap. Conklin will only be 28 when this deal expires.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 16, 2020
The three-year deal doesn’t come close to some of the pre-free agency projections for annual average that were floating around for Conklin.
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But that first-year cap hit is going to be significant given he’ll get $20 million in the first year.
Hours after the Conklin news, Tennessee locked down the man who's backed up Conklin and Taylor Lewan and who may replace Conklin.
The Titans are re-signing OT Dennis Kelly to a three-year, $21M deal with $8.75M guaranteed, per source. A chance for Kelly to take over Jack Conklin’s starring role.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) March 16, 2020
The Titans, per overthecap, were at $28,987,027 in salary cap room after their deal for Ryan Tannehill and their tag for Derrick Henry but before we learn the structure of the deal for Kelly.
Cap wise the Titans couldn't have handled Conklin, and that presumes Conklin and Rosenhaus gave them a chance to or that the Titans wanted him.
Tennessee could have room for one more significant deal that’s not super heavy in the first year, so the Titans would have to do a rare back-loaded deal.
Because out of the rest of that cap room they need to sign a draft class (over $5.3 million per spotrac) and still sign some veteran help plus keep some contingency money on hand. A long-term deal could get Henry's cap number down from the tag number of $10.278 million and create more space.
Between free agency and the draft they’ve got to address edge rusher, right tackle or third tackle, cornerback, second running back, second/third tight end and, ideally, speed receiver. That's at least six needs and it's not like fifth, sixth and seventh-round picks will come in and fill many of them. The Titans don't have a fourth-rounder.
Some of that can come from re-signing more of their free agents. Logan Ryan is probably going to wind up too expensive.
Kamalei Correa, MyCole Pruitt and Tye Smith could all fill their roles they did last year or more.
