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The Titans are likely to be thin at edge rusher when the travel to Miami to take on the Dolphins in week 1. Derrick Morgan and Harold Landry sound like long shots to play in the opener. That leaves them with just Brian Orakpo, Sharif Finch, Kamalei Correa and Aaron Wallace on the outside. There are a couple of guys available that could help the Titans:
Surprised to see some legit edge-rusher talent available on the night of final cuts. John Simon should be signed very quickly. Steven Means should be claimed high in the waiver order.
— Evan Silva (@evansilva) September 2, 2018
Here is what the good folks over at Stampede Blue had to say about John Simon:
The three biggest reasons this move comes as such a shock is that: 1) Simon was arguably the most consistently effective pass rushing defensive end all preseason, 2) there is a lack of proven veteran leadership on the Colts defense generally, 3) Simon is the epitome of the type of player that Chris Ballard has constantly described as ideal for the Colts locker room and fits into the “tough” mantra head coach Frank Reich has espoused since he arrived in Indianapolis.
Bleeding Green Nation had this to say about Steven Means:
With the 2018 preseason in the books, Means has again showed why he’s worth keeping around not just for his leadership, but for the quality of his play. Heading into the week 4 game against the New York Jets, Means ranked tied for 5th in pressures (11) according to Pro Football Focus. Among defensive ends with at least 30 snaps, he ranked 4th in pass rush productivity. It’s an understood and necessary qualifier that Means takes a healthy amount of reps against second and third stringers, but the technique and traits he displays on film are impressive nonetheless.
Both guys are “vested” which means they don’t have to clear waivers. Jon Robinson could be working on bringing them in as we speak.