The Tennessee Titans began the offseason with over 30 free agents to make decisions on, and that list grew when the team parted ways with a handful of veterans in moves that were fully expected.
While the majority of Tennessee’s free agents have been signed, there remains over a dozen former Titans still available on the open market.
Among them is defensive back Joshua Kalu, who I’ve suggested the team re-sign after going through a 53-man roster projection and seeing just how thin Tennessee is at safety behind Kevin Byard and Amani Hooker, which is a problem considering Hooker’s injury history.
Another player I’d obviously love to see the Titans bring back is Ben Jones, but I think that ship has sailed and is less realistic than a reunion with Kalu.
Advertisement
But that’s another story for another day. For now, here’s a look at the list of former Titans who remain unsigned and available in free agency.
VFLs in the NFL: Season in review for former Tennessee standouts
The NFL regular season is over and the playoffs are about to be underway.
Advertisement
This marks the end for some former Tennessee standouts while others continue the hunt for a Super Bowl.
Here is how each former Vol performed this year.
TALK ABOUT IT INTHE ROCKY TOP FORUM
Trey Smith (OG) – Chiefs
The lone Pro Bowler out of Tennessee this year is Smith. The Chiefs’ starting right guard, Smith produced a PFF grade of 78.8. This was the sixth-best on Kansas City. The Chiefs are now the 1-seed in the AFC.
Alvin Kamara (RB) – Saints
In 14 games, Kamara was a workhouse like usual for the Saints. He hit 6,779 rushing yards which is the franchise record. His final line on the year was 950 rushing yards and six touchdowns with 68 receptions for 543 yards and two touchdowns.
Advertisement
Jauan Jennings (WR) – 49ers
Jennings had a breakout year for the 49ers. With injuries decimating the wide receiver room, Jennings stepped up to produce 975 receiving yards and six touchdowns in 15 games played.
Darnell Wright (OT) – Bears
A former top-10 pick in his second year with the Bears, Wright was Chicago’s starter at right tackle. He finished the year with a PFF grade of 62.4.
Byron Young (OLB) – Rams
After an elite rookie year, Young continued his effective play as a sophomore. He finished with 62 tackles and 7.5 sacks with a forced fumble. Los Angeles won its division and is in the playoffs.
Joshua Palmer (WR) – Chargers
While battling through injury and appearing in just 15 games, Palmer had another solid year. He posted 39 catches for 584 yards and a touchdown with the Chargers who made a push to the playoffs.
Alontae Taylor (CB) – Saints
Emerging as one of the best young cornerbacks in the NFL, Taylor had another year of personal success. On a bad Saints team, he managed 89 tackles, two forced fumbles and 16 passes defended. This came in appearances in all 17 games.
Advertisement
Cedric Tillman (WR) – Browns
Before injury derailed his breakout season, Tillman was hitting his stride with the Browns. He put up 339 yards and three touchdowns in 11 games during his second year.
Derek Barnett (DE) – Texans
Capping off the season with a scoop-and-score touchdown, Barnett appeared in 16 games in his second year with the Texans. He produced 26 tackles, five sacks, two forced fumbles and two recovered fumbles.
Jaylen McCollough (S) – Rams
McCollough ended up possibly being the best undrafted free agent in the class. In his rookie year, he was a big part of the playoff-bound Rams’ defense where he contributed 43 tackles and four interceptions.
Darrell Taylor (DE) – Bears
In his first year with the Bears, Taylor had another productive year. With Chicago, he produced 32 tackles, three sacks and two forced fumbles.
Shy Tuttle (DT) – Panthers
In year two with the Panthers, Tuttle appeared in 15 games. He posted 46 tackles and forced a fumble.
Advertisement
Cade Mays (C) – Panthers
Mays made nine appearances and eight starts, all at center. He was given a PFF grade of 66.1 on the year.
Jaylen Wright (RB) – Dolphins
In his rookie year, Wright was a bit buried on the depth chart. He still put up 249 yards on 68 carries with the Dolphins.
Cordarrelle Patterson (RB) – Steelers
In his first year with the Steelers, Patterson saw as little run as he’s seen in his long career. He rushed the ball 32 times for 135 yards. He also caught 12 passes for 80. Pittsburgh earned a wildcard spot.
Hendon Hooker (QB) – Lions
Hooker played the role of Jared Goff’s backup this year in his first year fully healthy. He posted 62 passing yards in relief. Detroit is the top seed in the NFC.
Joe Milton III (QB) – Patriots
Milton didn’t play in a single game until the final one of the year. In a game that would’ve gave the Patriots the No. 1 overall pick with a loss, Milton led New England to a win with 241 passing yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 16 yards and a score on 10 carries.
Advertisement
Joshua Dobbs (QB) – 49ers
Dobbs carved out a role as a career backup and continued it with the 49ers. He posted 361 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions while making one start.
Jalen Reeves-Maybin (LB) – Lions
Considered one of the best special teamers in the NFL, Reeves-Maybin also is a reserve linebacker for the Lions. He posted 14 tackles and a forced fumble for the top NFC team in the conference.
Jalin Hyatt (WR) – Giants
It’s been tough sledding for Hyatt in his early career. In year two, he caught eight passes for 62 yards in limited action.
Theo Jackson (S) – Vikings
On the top wildcard team in the NFC, Jackson is a reserve safety for the Vikings. He earned 17 tackles and an interception in his third year.
Morgan Cox (LS) – Titans
Cox wasn’t able to reach his sixth Pro Bowl but he had another impressive season as Tennessee’s long snapper.
Advertisement
John Kelly Jr. (RB) – Browns
Kelly was a member of the Browns’ active roster but did not record any stats this season. He also played two games with the Ravens.
Velus Jones Jr. (WR) – Panthers
After being let go by the Bears, Jones found a new home with the Panthers. He caught one pass for eight yards.
Dee Williams (PR/KR) – Giants
Williams began the year as the Seahawks’ returner but costly mistakes put him back on the market. The Giants scooped him up off waivers.
Ramel Keyton (WR) – Raiders
As an undrafted free agent, Keyton earned a spot on the Raiders’ active roster. He caught one pass for seven yards as a rookie.
Emmanuel Moseley (CB) – Lions
Moseley missed the season on the non-football injury list.
Advertisement
Princeton Fant (TE) – Cowboys
Fant spent a lot of time on the practice squad but was on the active roster by the end of the year. He did not record any stats.
Michael Palardy (P) – Cardinals
Palardy revived his career with the Cardinals at the end of the year. In four games, he had a long of 54 yards and downed one punt inside the 20 in 13 attempts.
Matthew Butler (DT) – Raiders
Butler appeared in seven games with the Raiders this year. He produced nine tackles.
Micah Abernathy (S) – Falcons
Aberthany appeared in six games where he made three tackles with the Falcons.
Cameron Sutton (CB) – Steelers
After an alleged domestic violence led to a warrant issued for his arrest, Sutton was cut by the Lions while not turning himself in to police. He eventually turned himself in and was charged with misdemeanor battery. The Steelers signed him and he contributed 15 tackles and three passes defended.
Florida held Tennessee, which entered the night as the country’s last remaining undefeated team, to just 43 points. (James Gilbert/Getty Images)
It took them several months, but the Volunteers have finally fallen.
No. 8 Florida absolutely rolled over top-ranked Tennessee on Tuesday night in a massive statement win for the Gators. Florida picked up a dominant 73-43 win over Tennessee at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center, which marked the Volunteers’ first loss of the season. It was the first time Florida had beaten a No. 1 team at home in program history.
That paved the way for a new team to overtake them in the rankings next week and kept the door open in the SEC after the Vols’ historic start.
Advertisement
Florida dominated in the first half and got out to a 34-15 lead in the first 20 minutes. The Gators held Tennessee to just 4 of 29 from the field in the first half, too, and 0 of 14 from beyond the arc. The Vols didn’t even get on the board until a Felix Okpara free throw nearly seven full minutes into the game. Nothing was working at all.
Though Tennessee improved slightly in the second half, it was way too late. Florida still came out of the locker room on a 30-15 tear to put the game away with more than five minutes left on the clock. Tennessee was way too out of it to make a difference.
Alijah Martin led the Gators with 18 points and six rebounds, and Denzel Aberdeen added 16 points off the bench. Florida went just 6 of 20 from the 3-point line, but it out-rebounded Tennessee by 18.
Chaz Lanier led Tennessee with 10 points and seven rebounds after he shot 1 of 9 from the 3-point line. Zakai Zeigler was the only other player to hit double figures. He had 10 points and a rebound, and went 1 of 6 from behind the arc. Tennessee finished the game shooting just 21% from the field and 4 of 29 from the 3-point line as a team.
Tennessee had been the top-ranked team in the country for over a month. The Vols entered conference play with several major wins under their belt, including double-digit victories over Louisville, Baylor, Syracuse and Miami. They even beat then-No. 23 Arkansas by 24 points on Saturday, which pushed them to 14-0 for the first time in more than 100 years.
Advertisement
The Gators entered Tuesday night needing to make a statement. While they started out the season a perfect 12-0, they didn’t play a single ranked team in that stretch. Then they fell on Saturday to No. 10 Kentucky in their SEC opener.
But after Tuesday night, it’s clear their start wasn’t a fluke. While Tennessee will be fine after putting this off night behind it, the Gators are clearly ready to compete with the top tier in the SEC.
A Hendersonville police officer has been decommissioned and temporarily suspended from duty pending an internal investigation after he was stopped by a Sumner County deputy Monday and charged with driving under the influence and assault on an officer, authorities confirmed Tuesday.
According to an arrest affidavit, Steven Wilson was driving 104 miles per hour in a 65-mile-per hour zone on Highway 86, and he continued on toward Exit 6 after a deputy activated his overhead lights and siren in an attempt to stop him.
Wilson was seen with “bloodshot-watery eyes” and the odor of intoxicating beverage was coming from his vehicle once he did pull over, the affidavit said.
When he was asked to get out of his car, Wilson asked Deputy Oscar Vazquez to turn off his body camera, the affidavit notes. It also said that when Vazquez refused, Wilson grabbed at the deputy’s body camera repeatedly and eventually grabbed at Vazquez’s left wrist.
Advertisement
Body camera footage also shows Wilson grab his car keys off the hood of Vazquez’s cruiser and begin walking back to his car before Vazquez grabbed Wilson, the affidavit said.
A struggle ensued, and Vazquez is heard asking responding officers to “step it up” in coming to the scene, the affidavit notes of the footage.
At least four responding deputies and a Hendersonville police officer arrived and struggled to gain control of Wilson, who was warned he would be Tased, the affidavit said.
Four deputies were ultimately able to take Wilson to the ground and handcuff him, the affidavit said.
Advertisement
Vazquez suffered a cut near the pinky finger of his left hand while trying to handcuff Wilson, but he did not seek medical attention for the wound, according to documentation from authorities.
Wilson did not consent to a blood test, but the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office obtained a warrant for one and conducted a blood draw shortly before 4 a.m. on Monday.
A search of Wilson’s car revealed two small Jack Daniels bottles and two unopened White Claw beverages, authorities noted.
“Based on the speeds he was traveling, his intoxication, and his action during the traffic stop, I believe that Mr. Wilson was a danger to himself and the public,” the affidavit said.
Reach reporter Craig Shoup by email at cshoup@gannett.com and on X @Craig_Shoup. To support his work, sign up for a digital subscription to www.tennessean.com.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25822958/010824_Nintendo_Switch_2_3D_printed_mockup_ADiBenedetto_0001.jpg "Is this the Nintendo Switch 2?")
