Speculation on any level is a dangerous game in the NFL. Perhaps more than any league on the planet, situations change, and develop, at a breakneck pace; teams change hands between coaches on a regular basis. Often, a franchise’s identity is tied to the loyalty of their fans more than anything, or anyone, else. The Tennessee Titans are one of those such franchises.
From the later years of Mike Vrabel’s still often debated regime to the outright failure of Brian Callahan’s short-lived takeover, Titans fans have stayed the course through one of the team’s worst stretches in remote recent history.
Now, under Robert Saleh, guessing about big-game free agents (see our comprehensive big board) is about as fun and unimaginable as it gets for a franchise in dire need of good news. Most recently, the appearance of a two-time Pro Bowl linebacker on the team’s radar began to suggest exactly that.
Suggesting Good News
After being seen as a trade candidate for many defensively needy teams across the league, including Tennessee, Edmunds was released by the Chicago Bears in what came off as a relative surprise. From there, rumors about his potential destination spread from fanbases on all sides.
Of course, given the Titans’ existing need at the LB position, Tennessee fans began to dig for threads tied to Edmunds as well. Fortunately, they didn’t have to look far.
Chicago Bears linebacker Tremaine Edmunds (49) and safety Kevin Byard III (31) | Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images
Not only did a clip of Saleh during his time with the New York Jets resurface, in which he praised the Bears LB as one of the best at his position, but insiders, too, have begun to chime in on the obviously sensible fit herein.
Edmunds’ release comes off of a season in which he tied a career high in interceptions (four), adding a sack and 61 solo tackles to the fray as well. At 27, he remains a veteran hot commodity that fits the Titans’ rebuilding scheme on multiple levels.
A Multi-Level Fit
As Saleh works to rebuild and rebrand a defense for which he will call plays in Nashville, an addition such as Edmunds would fall cleanly alongside ones the Titans have already made; chiefly, their wave-making trade for EDGE Jermaine Johnson.
The latter trade also suggested Saleh and his staff’s penchant for hauling in playmakers that he has previous connections to. Saleh didn’t coach Edmunds like he did Johnson, but both were within his vision during his run with the Jets.
To that end, Edmunds simply feels like the lethal second piece to this past-driven defensive puzzle.