Getty Kenny Vaccaro #24 of the Tennessee Titans congratulates Reggie Gilbert #93 after a tackle against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the second quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at TIAA Bank Field on September 19, 2019 in Jacksonville, Florida.
The Tennessee Titans have defensive improvements high on their agenda this offseason, but the process has begun with them securing a promising depth piece for the 2020 season
The Titans announced Tuesday afternoon they agreed to terms on a one-year contract extension for outside linebacker Reggie Gilbert, who was set to become an exclusive rights free agent next week at the start of NFL free agency on March 18. Per Spotrac, Gilbert will earn $660,000 in base salary for the 2020 season.
#Titans agree to terms with linebacker Reggie Gilbert
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Gilbert was acquired in a trade last August with Green Bay in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick (No. 208 overall), as Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst revealed in late February and was confirmed Wednesday with the league’s official release of the finalized 2020 draft order.
The Titans used Gilbert as a rotational piece and a spot starter during the 2019 season with the 26-year-old linebacker racking up 24 tackles, one sack and seven quarterback pressures across 11 games, including five starts. He projects to fill a similar role in 2020 with the Titans expected to turn to free agency and the upcoming draft to lock down some new edge-rushing talent.
Harold Landry, a 2018 second-round pick, guarantees the Titans as one reliable starter at outside linebacker after he led the team with nine sacks last year, but the opposite side is less certain with Kamalei Correa set to become a free agent and 38-year-old Cameron Wake finishing last season on injured reserve.
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Draft More Likely, Given Pending Free Agents
The Titans could make a splash and chase one of the talented pass-rushers set to hit the open market next week, which includes stars such as Jacksonville’s Yannick Ngakoue or Seattle’s Jadeveon Clowney, but the potential there could be limited depending on how they address some of their other, higher-profile free agents this offseason.
Former first-round quarterback Marcus Mariota has never found his footing with the Titans and is an expected departure in free agency, but the Titans have a little more to consider with current starter Ryan Tannehill, who put himself back on the map as an NFL passer when he led Tennessee back to the playoffs and a wild-card victory over the New England Patriots.
While Tom Brady’s free agency has overshadowed Tannehill, the 32-year-old quarterback has done everything necessary to earn a place with the Titans moving forward. He replaced Mariota as starter after the Titans began the season 2-4, then helped his team win seven of the final 10 regular-season games to turn a bust of a year into a miraculous postseason run. He threw for 2,742 yards and 22 touchdowns with just six interceptions and a sharp 70.3 completion percentage.
.@Titans QB Ryan Tannehill tells us he’d like to return to Tennessee next year but right now is just waiting to see how things play out in free agency…..
“We’ll see….its gonna be an exciting couple of weeks”
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Of course, another massive reason for the Titans success — running back Derrick Henry — is also looking for a new contract. The 26-year-old running back rushed for an NFL-leading 1,540 yards and 16 touchdowns in his fourth NFL season but will be looking for a sizable pay bump after finishing out the final year of his rookie contract.
The Titans could retain both of their key offensive starters with tags if they chose, franchising Henry and putting a transition tag on Tannehill. But should they be able to negotiate a new deal with one of them before the deadline, the Titans could just as easily use their tag on starting right tackle Jack Conklin, who rounds out the team’s top pending free agents on offense.
It could be a juggling act to retain all three, but it would keep the Titans in a position to contend in 2020 after they made it as far as the AFC championship game in their last campaign.
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