Jon Robinson had seen enough.
After watching his club drop its second straight game on Sunday, enduring another terrifying performance from the secondary, the Titans General Manager took action.
Tennessee has agreed to send one of its three sixth-round picks to the Los Angeles Chargers in exchange for fourth-year cornerback Desmond King. King was originally drafted by the Chargers in the fifth round back in 2017.
If you’re a frequent reader of Broadway Sports, you’re already aware of King as our own Mike Herndon has written about him twice in the last week as one of a few potential trade targets.
Throughout his career, King has excelled in zone coverage and seen less success in man defense. He is a willing and effective run-stopper, unafraid to stick his nose in the pile and make a tackle.
In 2018, his best season to date, King was named to the NFL’s All Pro defense as a first-team cornerback and second-team punt returner.
As far as cost, King comes with a small cap hit, $1.1M of which the Titans will be responsible for paying. He’s on the last year of his rookie contract, which means Tennessee is either looking for a one-year rental to make a run this season, or they could have potential long-term interest in the young cornerback. Either way, it’s a savvy move for a team in desperate need of cornerback help.
More details about King from Mike’s earlier article today:
“King is young (25), cheap, and has a lot of experience playing in the slot at a high level. In fact, he’s PFF’s highest-graded slot corner in the NFL since 2017. He also provides some special teams value as a punt returner.
It should be pointed out that King had his worst year as a pro in 2019, allowing completions on 87% of passes thrown his way according to PFF, and was effectively benched for Chris Harris Jr. earlier this season. However, even with the recent struggles, I have a hard time believing that King wouldn’t be a significant upgrade over the likes of Chris Jackson and Johnathan Joseph in the Titans secondary.“
Whatever King’s struggles might’ve been towards the end of his time in Los Angeles, there’s little doubt that he will be an upgrade for a Titans defense that has shown so little resistance to opposing passers this season.
Another plus trait? King is a brilliant return man, more known for his punt return ability than kick off returns but with the ability to handle both duties.
The Titans acquired immediate, much-needed secondary help for a low cost and very little risk. It’s a wise move for a team currently struggling to compete at an elite level.
Nice move that removes one defensive liability. Now opposing QBs may have to work through a read or two instead of having unlimited immediate options…
YES!!
I am liking this move! We needed an experienced CB in the worst way!! Hope he’s a leader as well. Titan up!