Harold Landry sees front 4 as group to lead Titans to Super Bowl

Outdoors linebacker Harold Landry loves taking part in for the Tennessee Titans and needed to do no matter he wanted to make that proceed.

Now that he has a five-year deal value a reported $87.5 million as a key piece of Tennessee’s move rush, Landry has turned his consideration to the largest purpose why he needed to stay with the Titans.

Chasing this franchise’s first Lombardi Trophy.

“We’re actual assured that we now have the staff to exit and win a Tremendous Bowl,” Landry mentioned Thursday. “I believe our entrance 4 can lead the cost. However … deep down that’s one other principal purpose why I got here again right here is as a result of the tradition here’s a profitable tradition, it’s a confirmed profitable tradition. And that was actually necessary to me as a result of we all know we now have the staff to do it.”

Tennessee has reached the playoffs every of the previous three seasons below coach Mike Vrabel and 4 of the previous 5. The Titans’ streak of six straight profitable seasons is second within the NFL to solely Kansas Metropolis with 9.

The Titans earned the No. 1 seed within the AFC with Landry making a career-high 12 sacks and taking part in in his first Professional Bowl as an damage substitute. They misplaced within the playoffs to Cincinnati, however Landry joined deal with Jeffery Simmons and lineman Denico Autry on the one NFL staff with three gamers with no less than eight sacks every.

Tennessee completed with 43 sacks, greater than double the 19 in 2020 when the Titans confronted repeated questions why they could not get higher stress quarterbacks. Linebacker Bud Dupree, the highest free agent signee final March, had three sacks as he spent the season working his method again from a torn proper ACL.

Landry sees himself with Autry, Simmons and Dupree as sharing the identical mindset, at all times wanting to enhance and be the very best on the sphere.

“I simply suppose that that’s a attribute you could like lead the cost to have that influence on the staff to exit and win a Tremendous Bowl,” Landry mentioned.

A second-round select of Boston School at No. 41 general in 2018, Landry has the sixth-longest streak amongst NFL defensive gamers with 52 straight video games began. He has performed 64 consecutive video games since sitting out his first recreation, main the Titans in sacks three straight seasons, with a team-high 31 sacks over his first 4 seasons.

The Titans agreed to phrases with Landry on a brand new deal whereas nonetheless roughly $10 million over the wage cap. They agreed to a one-year take care of lengthy snapper Morgan Cox on Thursday.

Tennessee additionally began clearing much-needed cap house Thursday by waiving left guard Rodger Saffold, reserve offensive lineman Kendall Lamm and operating again Darrynton Evans. Releasing Saffold saved about $10.5 million in cap house, whereas Lamm’s launch saved $3.2 million, in keeping with Spotrac.com.

A 12-year veteran, Saffold turns 34 in June after taking part in three of the 4 years on his contract with Tennessee following signing as a free agent. He began 46 video games in that span, together with 15 in 2021. Lamm began considered one of 12 video games he performed final season.

The Titans drafted Evans within the third spherical in 2020 to be a change-up to Derrick Henry. However accidents restricted Evans to 6 video games mixed over two seasons. He ran 16 occasions for 61 yards and caught 4 passes for 38 yards and a landing.

Releasing Evans leaves Tennessee with just one participant from the primary three rounds of the 2020 draft nonetheless on the roster, cornerback Kristian Fulton, a second-round decide that 12 months out of LSU.