ESPN recently put together a comprehensive list of the top 50 available free agents. The Tennessee Titans are expected to have over $70 million in cap space. The lawful tampering period starts on March 11. The Titans are expected to sign cornerback Chidobe Awuzie and wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, according to the latest projections.
Matt Bowen stated the following regarding Brown:
“Because of his vertical stretch ability and open-field speed after the catch on in-breakers, Brown would bring something new to the Titans’ wide receiver room. Brown has 28 career touchdowns (four with the Cardinals in 2023), 10 of which were on throws of 20 or more air yards. Brown would join DeAndre Hopkins and Treylon Burks in coach Brian Callahan’s offense to provide quarterback Will Levis with a varied set of ball catchers.
Brown would undoubtedly provide a level of deep speed to the Titans’ receiving core, which is currently lacking. Brown’s skill set would differ from that of DeAndre Hopkins. Franchise quarterback Will Levis enjoys throwing the deep ball, making Brown a natural fit in Brian Callahan’s new strategy.
Bowen then included Awuzie in his projection:
“The Titans need some veteran help in the secondary, as they have the league’s third-worst completion percentage (67.8%). At 6-foot and 200 pounds, Awuzie possesses not only the man coverage skills to battle on the perimeter, but also the fluid mobility and closing speed to play off the ball in zone schemes. Dennard Wilson, the new defensive coordinator, will be well-suited to this. Awuzie did not have a pick in 2023 with Cincinnati, but he did record 57 tackles and forced a fumble.”
Callahan is familiar with Awuzie, who plays for the Cincinnati Bengals. The Titans are almost starting from scratch at cornerback. Kristian Fulton and Sean Murphy-Bunting are unrestricted free agents, and neither player is expected to return to Tennessee. The Titans essentially have Roger McCreary at nickelback and not much else. They should start two fresh cornerbacks at the boundary positions next season. Awuzie is a legitimate candidate.
There are a couple additional possibilities I’d want to see arrive in Tennessee, but ESPN disagreed based on their estimate. They have signed right tackle Michael Onwenu to the Los Angeles Chargers. Jonah Williams, a Bengals right tackle with evident ties to Callahan, signs with the New England Patriots to assist replace Onwenu during this exercise. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of Onwenu or Williams is a top priority for the Titans in free agency.
