The Chris Hope discussion has been brought up many times here during this offseason. Pro Football Weekly brought the Hope topic up earlier this week noting that he is scheduled to make $6.5 million in salary in 2011, plus a $500,000 roster bonus. That is a high price to pay for a guy that is in the decline years of his career.
The PFW article mentions that Jerry Gray could try playing him closer to the line of scrimmage, which would no doubt be better for Hope, but that is still a steep price to pay. There is a chance the Titans could cut him and bring him back for less money, but they are going to do something about that contract.
The article also says that the Titans aren't big spenders in free agency so they won't go after guys like Eric Weddle and Melvin Bullitt. It is true that they aren't big spenders in free agency, but I don't think that is the reason they won't go after those guys. I think they will do their best to make one of the guys they already have on the roster, Nick Schommer, Robert Johnson, Myron Rolle or Tommie Campbell, before they look at bringing in anyone new.
Of course there is always the chance that Jerry Gray hates all of those guys and loves Weddle. These are the types of questions that we are left to sit and ponder until the lockout ends. I hate the lockout.