NASHVILLE, Tenn. – There was a bunch of nonsensical fan panic about Jeffery Simmons.
It was as if because the franchise blew it with one foundational player in A.J. Brown a trend had begun and there was no way they’d retain the next.
Brown made clear he was going to be a squeaky wheel with one year left on his contract and was dealing with a GM who thought he could magically fill any hole who sent him away far too quickly.
I didn’t imagine Simmons going down the same path in terms of disrupting the team, though his inexperienced agent was a concern. [Unlocked]
Deals like this often get done in July, so the two sides did well to get it done now without any ticking clock and the team focused on the upcoming draft.
New GM Ran Carthon and his staff will meet next week to hash out final thoughts on prospects and set their board next week.
The defensive tackle’s new four-year agreement, as reported by Turron Davenport, is likely to soften his previously scheduled 2023 cap number of $10.753 million at a time when the Titans still need more room.
Reports say the deal is worth as much as $94 million, with a $24 million signing bonus and $66 million guaranteed. The full structure always tells the full story and that takes a few days to come out.
Coming off a season where an ankle injury kept him from peak play, the Titans swapped out Bud Dupree for Arden Key at outside linebacker and will get Harold Landry back after a season lost to a torn ACL. Denico Autry should return to more end and play less at outside linebacker.
A front four able to get regular pass pressure on its own as it did in 2021 should key the defense and the team and that starts with a disruptive Simmons in the middle of things, allowing Mike Vrabel and his defensive staff to dedicate more defensive backs to coverage.
Simmons is a roster tent pole for a team that doesn’t have enough of them. It can now go about the work of finding more.
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