Once again we are hearing reports that the players and owners are close to getting a CBA deal done. It is always good to hear that, but I will not be getting my hopes up until they actually announce that the deal has been signed. There are just too many things that can go wrong.
One of the things that is being reported that will be included in this deal is that unrestricted free agency would go back down to 4 years meaning that any player who has been in the league for at least four years and doesn't have a contract for 2011 would be an unrestricted free agent.
The main guys that this would be an issue for with the Tennessee Titans are Jacob Ford, Leroy Harris, Ahmard Hall and Stephen Tulloch based off this tweet from John Glennon and the contract info for the Titans on Rotoworld.
Tulloch and Ford would be pretty hot names on the open market. We have had a lot of debates here about Tulloch, and while I don't think he is that valuable, there is no doubt that he is a tackling machine. My gut is that he plays somewhere else in 2011.
Ford only had 3 sacks last year, but he had 12.5 in the two years before that. We all know how important getting a pass rush is with the front four, and Ford has proven he can do that when healthy. My guess would be that the Titans want to bring him back, but he might get offered a deal they aren't willing to match.
Harris is a guy that the Titans will want back, and they should be able to get him at a good price considering how poorly he played last season. Mike Munchak believes in him, and since he is an offensive lineman I will trust Munch.
My guess is that Hall comes back as well.