Alterraun Verner
(FA)
All the talk in Tennessee this offseason is centered around free agent corner Alterraun Verner, who is coming off two excellent seasons as a starting outside corner. Verner made plenty of plays in 2013 on his way to an All-pro and Pro Bowl nod, with 5 interceptions and a phenomenal 23 passes defensed.
Beyond this Verner is an accomplished tackler, one of the best at his position in fact. He plays with smarts and aggression in proper doses, with great anticipation skills to boot. Losing Verner would be unfortunate for a team that has been hitting its stride in the secondary. He may be expensive, but he's worth his value to anchor the back four and give new DC Ray Horton plenty of added flexibility to draw up plays inside without having to worry about coverage on the edges.
Jason McCourty
($3.5 Million in 2014, +3 million roster bonus)
McCourty has a very underrated year for a corner, his play shutting down many a wideout and forcing QBs to look in Verner's direction. He has rated 6th and 10th among all corners per PFF the past two seasons respectively. Like Verner, McCourty is a strong tackler, as evidenced by the play below.
At this point, McCourty is still young, and a long-term mainstay on the outside in Tennessee. I expect him to benefit with a more aggressive scheme under Horton, though things may be different next season should Verner not return.
Coty Sensabaugh
($570k in 2014)
Sensabaugh relished his role in the nickel corner spot in 2013. While not stellar, Sensabaugh showed off some skills that make him an ideal nickel specialist. He got out of the gate slowly, but the Titans seem comfortable with him in the slot going forward. While I am hesitant to say he is not a good fit outside, it is likely he remains in his current position unless injury forces a change. With Coty still operating on his affordable rookie deal, he is great value for the Titans, especially in a league where nickel corners are becoming increasingly important.
Tommie Campbell
($645k in 2014)
Campbell is a special teams player at this point. The camp competition last season between him and Verner was somewhat of a joke, and further proof the prior staff were poor evaluators. Campbell's speed has proved effective on special teams, and he works as a fill in in the case of injury. That said, he has had major issues with penalties to this point, and doesn't look to be earning any real snaps at corner any time soon.
Blidi Wreh-Wilson
($519k in 2014)
The rookie played under 100 snaps in 2013, but he made the most of them. Wreh-Wilson played fairly well in that limited time, but his talent is still somewhat unknown at this point. The prior staff viewed him as an eventual starter, so it will be interesting to see how he is brought along by the new staff now he has an year under his belt.
With Khalid Wooten waived from the roster, "Trouble" is the youngest player in the cornerback group, and one who could provide valuable insurance should Verner not return to Tennessee for the 2014 season.
Looking Forward
I sound like a broken record at this point, but this all is predicated on how the Verner situation plays out. Should he return, I can foresee the Titans doing little if anything to alter the cornerback group. Should he leave however, there really isn't another player on the roster that the team should be comfortable handing the starting job to. Free agency would be the best bet, with a lot of corners on the market this offseason, which should drive down the price. The Titans have been drafting corners at a high rate the past few years, I see that tailing off with the group just about set.
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