Are the Titans cleaning up – or getting taken to the cleaners – with their free-agent contracts?

Breaking down the team’s top six new deals…

By John Glennon

Hit by hard by roster turnover this offseason, the Titans had no choice but to jump into the free-agent market, seeking to patch numerous holes.

The Titans have opened the wallet accordingly so far, spending $146,930,000 on free agents, the seventh-highest total in the league according to overthecap.com.

Edge rusher Bud Dupree was the big splash, as the Titans signed him to a five-year deal valued at $82.5 million.

Other notable additions have included defensive end Denico Autry, cornerback Janoris Jenkins, tackle Kendall Lamm, cornerback Kevin Johnson and wide receiver Josh Reynolds.

So just what do these new Titans contracts look like compared to how other teams are spending in free agency? Are the Titans cleaning up on their deals? Or are they being taken to the cleaners?

See what you think after taking a closer look at the Titans’ six biggest free-agent additions to the roster:

Player: Bud Dupree

Position: Edge Rusher

Former team: Pittsburgh

Contract: 5 years, $82.5 million

2021 market comparison: The Titans ponied up big-time for Dupree in comparison to the rest of the market at the edge position. Tennessee’s deal for Dupree offers the most overall earnings ($82.5 million) of any other edge rusher that entered the free-agent market, as well as the most guaranteed money ($35 million). Dupree’s average annual value of $16.5 million is second only to Tampa Bay’s Shaq Barrett ($17 million), and his guaranteed-at-signing money ($33.8 million) is also second only to Barrett ($35 million) among newly signed edge rushers. Some of the newly signed edge rushers with average annual values below that of Dupree include Cincinnati’s Trey Hendrickson ($15 million), the Jets’ Carl Lawson ($15 million), the Patriots’ Matthew Judon ($13.6 million), the Lions’ Romeo Okwara ($12.3 million) and Carolina’s Haason Reddick ($8 million).

Overall market comparison: Among all NFL edge rushers under contract – not just those signed in 2021 – Dupree’s average annual value ($16.5 million) ranks 11^th, tied with Arizona’s Chandler Jones and Green Bay’s Za’Darius Smith. The top three edge rushers in the league, in terms of average annual value, are the Chargers’ Joey Bosa ($27 million), the Browns’ Myles Garrett ($25 million) and the Bears’ Khalil Mack ($23.5 million).

Bottom line: The Titans were desperate for significant help on the edge after last year’s team totaled just 19 sacks. So they had no choice but to dive into the market right away and pay big money.

Author: John GlennonMulti-media journalist with extensive expertise covering the NFL, NHL, professional soccer and more, including the Tennessee Titans and Nashville Predators for The Tennessean with articles, videos and podcasts. Strengths include the ability to write quick, concise and thorough analysis, as well as the ability to uncover unique human-interest stories. In working as a reporter, John developed skills that extend beyond the sports journalism world. An efficient and effective communicator, John is confident, calm and productive under deadline pressure and knows the power of the written word. John brings to Broadway Sports a work ethic second to none, an intellectual hunger, and an ability to inform and entertain readers, viewers and listeners. Reach out directly to John at: