Titans Free Agency Roundup

Yeah Jonnu isn’t worth $11M. Not many TE’s in the NFL are worth that. I’m surprised the tag number is so high for TE’s. I guess the Kittle and Kelce contracts have inflated things a bit.

 

Yeah, no way we will tag Jonnu. Makes zero sense.

 

That’s fine. My point is 2.

Jonnu is more important to our offense than most understand. His yardage totals are uninspiring, but he is a matchup problem for a lot of teams and he is great in the red zone. We tag him and sign him to a more cap friendly deal. Teams tag player and sign them to deals all the time. Most Titan fans think Frank Wycheck was a god. Jonnu is a better tight end than he was. If we let him walk and he blows up watch all the people in here calling for Jrobs head for not signing him.

2nd.. why would we let this guy walk for nothing? Lots of teams will be after him. If we could get say a mid rounder or something? Why not? But you can’t trade him unless he is under contract.

Who knows what they do? I’m going to wait and see. I don’t want to lose any weapons from the offense.

Do I want to pay him $10 million? Nope. It would make him the 5thish highest paid TE in the league, but I don’t want him going to the Colts or Jags either. Tag him and you can have some control over where he goes.

 

He had his “breakout” year with 8 TD. A total of 8 the previous 3 years.
Smith is extremely replaceable. Let him hit FA, let teams fight after him, he’s not worth half those tag prices.

No one has ever thought wycheck a god. Literally no one. But he was better than smith. Not a great bar.

Players leave the titans and “blow up” all the time. It happens. If Smith isn’t going to get used in the fashion you think his talents represent, then why bother signing him?
I also don’t think he’s worth a mid round pick. 4th is the highest I could see, but I don’t think teams would trade for him.

I do agree on your point of tagging him to work a long term deal for cheaper, but when he has a $9-10 mil deal for this year sitting there, can’t see him signing for a whole lot less overall, just spaced out more. Still overpriced.

 

I don’t completely disagree. I just don’t think we are going to be very happy with what we have without him. I don’t think 82 year old Delanie Walker is the answer either. Who knows....

 

Well firkser would be the answer, DW would be a #2 TE.

 

Theres so many tricky pieces of the salary cap.
1. The cap is viewed on a 4 year snap shot.
2. Previous years unused cap is rolled over
3. Teams can easily turn money into gauranteed bonuses that they pay the player now, while pushing the rest of their salary to future years. Meaning, the player sees the same money they would have but the team gets more space.

The Colts and Jags dont have to do the financial gymnastics we do, but we have plenty of tools to make the moves we need to make. It really just depends on how much we are willing to push the chips in on the next year or two. And with AJB on a rookie deal, Henry in the last few years of his prime, and a couple years left on our QBs deal.... I dont think going all in is a bad move.

That said, big free agent signings ALMOST never equate to next year team success. I'm for bringing back our guys, finding some roll players, and drafting our big needs.

 

He can make just as much money but have it converted to gauranteed, while the team pushes the cap hit out to future years. Not saying we will or should, just that we can and Tannehill has plenty of reason to agree.

 

TE salaries 2020

Tight End Contracts and Salaries | Over The Cap

 

Jonnu Smith's projected market value in free agency

says around 8mil a year.

also this tidbit which someone said earlier...

If the Titans aren’t going to utilize Smith’s freakish athletic abilities more, it makes no sense to pay him that kind of money. Instead, the Titans should use those resources elsewhere and opt for a cheaper starting tight end who can block and has a reliable set of hands.