We already took a look at the
draft picks in contract years but oftentimes it's best to extend a player when they are showing promise but haven't yet quite made the hurdle. Waiting until that contract or breakout year can have big consequences a/k/a the
Joe Flacco situation. There are several
Titans entering year 3 of their 4 year deals and one entering year 4 of a contract with a voidable year. Are there any players the Titans should consider extending before the price tag rises? I think you can certainly make a case for
Jurrell Casey and
Derrick Morgan. What about the others?
Linebacker Akeem Ayers
180 tackles, 8 sacks, 5 QB hits, 22 QB hurries, 2 batted passes, 9 passes defended, 1 interception, and 2 forced fumbles (1 FR)
7/29/2011: Signed a four-year, $4.927 million contract. The deal included a $2.083 million signing bonus. 2013: $822,864, 2014: $1,046,796, 2015: Free Agent
Linebacker Colin McCarthy
106 tackles, 0 sacks, 2 QB hits, 3 QB hurries, and 2 forced fumbles (2 FR),
7/28/2011: Signed a four-year, $2,495,400 contract. The deal included a $455,400 signing bonus. 2013: $555,000, 2014: $645,000, 2015: Free Agent
Quarterback Jake Locker
211 of 380 for 2718 yards, 7.15 average, 14 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, 49 carries for 347 yards, and 4 fumbles
7/29/2011: Signed a four-year, $12,586,002 contract. The deal is fully guaranteed, including a $7,653,456 signing bonus. 2013: $1,519,182, 2014: $2,091,273, 2015: Free Agent
Defensive Lineman Jurrell Casey
106 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 7 QB hits, 12 QB hurries, 3 forced fumbles (1 FR) and 1 pass defended
7/29/2011: Signed a four-year, $2.732 million contract. The deal included a $617,436 signing bonus. 2013: $580,000, 2014: $670,000, 2015: Free Agent
Defensive Lineman Derrick Morgan
94 tackles, 10.5 sacks, 24 QB hits, 69 QB hurries, 7 batted passes, 1 forced fumble (1 FR),
7/31/2010: Signed a five-year, $15 million contract. The deal contains $11 million guaranteed. Another $4 million is available through incentives. 2013: $1.045 million (+ $115,000 workout bonus), 2014: $1.365 million (+ $115,000 workout bonus), 2015: $1.685 million (Voidable Year), 2016: Free Agent
Morgan makes the list because of that voidable year. Details are sketchy at best but it appears incentives and such can reduce this dealt to a 5 year deal. You could argue Morgan had a breakout year in 2012 as he ranked out as the #4 DE per Pro Football Focus for 4-3 ends.
Defensive Lineman Karl Klug
27 tackles, 10.5 sacks, 7 QB hits, 24 QB hurries, 4 batted passes, 5 passes defended, and 2 forced fumbles
7/29/2011: Signed a four-year, $2,234,452 contract. The deal included a $194,452 signing bonus. 2013: $555,000, 2014: $645,000, 2015: Free Agent
Offensive Lineman Byron Stingley
Has only played in 3 games, 116 snaps but looked good in limited action
7/28/2011: Signed a four-year, $2.15 million contract. The deal included a $110,500 signing bonus. 2013: $555,000, 2014: $645,000, 2015: Free Agent
This list doesn't include restricted rights free agents (RFAs) but the include Beau Brinkley, DaJohn Harris, Nathan Enderle, Thaddeous Gibson, Zach Clayton, and Alvester Alexander.
Also, all contract information is per Rotoworld which is an excellent sports website if you haven't ever checked it out.
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