NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Welcome to the Tennessee Titans' starting lineup, Jarvis Brownlee.
The 2024 fifth-round pick out of Louisville started 14 games as a rookie, but nine were by design. With L’Jarius Sneed missing 12 games with a quad injury and Chidobe Awuzie out for eight because of a groin issue, Brownlee was thrust into the lineup.
With the reported release of Awuzie on Saturday, a move that leaves the Titans with $12.5 million in dead cap and saves them only $1.7 against the cap, Brownlee is now a conscious choice.
Ran Carthon's 2024 free-agent/ trade class has taken two big dents so far, with the release of Awuzie and the trade of Kenneth Murray. Combined they'll cost the Titans $15 million against the cap this season.
Sneed and Brownlee will be in line to start outside, with Roger McCreary in the slot as the nickel. Darrell Baker is the fourth, and Brownlee can move inside if McCreary is injured. Gabe Jeudy-Lally is the other corner on their roster, which they will need to fill in, perhaps with a draft pick, perhaps with a veteran later, but surely with some undrafted free agents for camp.
Brownlee was sometimes too handsy, drawing called for eight penalties per NFLpenalties.com. But he played the sort of aggressive, no apologies style at corner that the Titans pledged would be their MO under Dennard Walker that Sneed and Awuzie were supposed to lead.
With a nine-man free agent class so far in 2025, the Titans are emphasizing durability. Awuzie certainly doesn't fit that mold. In the last five seasons, he's played 45 of a possible 84 games.
Sneed is also a concern, but he played in 48 of 51 games from 2021-23, though he managed a balky knee in the latter stages of that period. The Titans are hoping for a rebound and can only do so much financially through personnel turnover at once.
