Paying Landry Not Titans' Only Option

NASHVILLE – There’s never a good year to lose a talented edge rusher like Harold Landry.

But there are better years than others, and 2022 seems to fall into that category for the Tennessee Titans.

With just a week remaining before other teams can start negotiating with pending unrestricted free agents – and less than 24 hours before Tuesday’s 3 p.m. CT deadline for teams to use the franchise tag – Landry’s future with Tennessee remains cloudy.

In a perfect world, the Titans would love to bring back the 2018 second-round pick who has led them in sacks each of the last three years, especially after a career-best 2021 season that saw him total 75 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and 12 sacks.

But those numbers – along with the fact Landry has started 52 straight regular-season games and played more than 950 snaps three years in a row – come with a price tag. Spotrac estimates Landry’s market value at $68.4 million over four years ($17.1 million per season), Pro Football Focus at $60 million over four years ($15 million per season).

Those numbers may be too difficult for the Titans to swallow given A) they’ve got work to do to create salary-cap room this offseason; and B) the team has big contracts upcoming to players like A.J. Brown and Jeffery Simmons.

Tagging Landry would limit long-term salary-cap damage for the Titans but would incur a short-term financial impact. The NFL released the 2022 franchise and transition tag values Monday, and having to spend $18.702 million (the franchise tag value for linebackers) or $17.859 million (the franchise tag value for defensive ends) wouldn’t do anything to help the Titans' salary-cap situation for the coming season.

If Landry does move on, however, options are available.

In my mini-mock draft for the Titans a couple of weeks ago, I envisioned Florida State edge rusher Jermaine Johnson with the 26th overall pick. SI.com has edge rushers making up 10 of his top 50 overall prospects. Similarly, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler has nine edge rushers in his top 50 prospects, and Pro Football Focus has 11 edge rushers in its top 50 prospects.

Johnson is one name that appears regularly among prospects ranked between Nos. 15 and 40 overall. So does Arkansas’ Travon Walker, Penn State’s Arnold Ebiketie and South Carolina’s Kingsley Enagbare.

The free-agent market looks promising as well, supposing the Titans might want to replace Landry with two players – a high draft pick and a more experienced edge rusher.

PFF’s list of top potential unrestricted free agents includes 13 edge rushers among the top 110. CBS Sports’ list of top 25 potential defensive players includes eight edge rushers, and Pro Football Network has 11 edge rushers in its top 75 of overall.

The Titans obviously wouldn’t be chasing the cream of the edge-rushing crop in free agency. Those players would cost just as much – or more – than Landry.

But there appear to be plenty of options to add a player at lesser cost, someone who could bolster a pass-rushing rotation that might also include Bud Dupree, Rashad Weaver, Derick Roberson and a potential draft pick.

Perhaps the Titans might tempt a still-productive veteran talent into a one- or two-year deal, someone like Justin Houston (4.5 sacks last year, 12.5 over the last two years). Perhaps it’s versatile Kyle Van Noy (at least five sacks for the last three seasons), who was released by New England on Monday. Perhaps the Titans might focus their attention on younger players that appear to be on the rise, like Detroit’s Charles Harris (7.5 sacks last season) or the Chargers’ Uchenna Nwosu (five sacks last season), just to name a couple.

None of those free agents would single-handedly replace Landry right awa. But combine one of them with a 2022 draft pick – someone with Landry-like potential down the road – and the problem might be solved.

The Titans will surely be disappointed if they can’t hold on to a homegrown, edge-rushing talent like Landry.

But if finances force that move, it’s a good year for options on the edge.