NASHVILLE, Tenn. – While it’s not clear if the Titans will be looking at any remaining veteran additions before training camp, it is clear they will not be looking at one: Ndamukong Suh.
The Titans courted him last spring before the former Lions and Dolphins defensive lineman landed with the Los Angeles Rams for a one-year deal reportedly worth $14 million.
But indications are that the Titans do not judge Suh to be a fit and that they may not have been as high on him as we believed a year ago after they had him in for a visit in March.
The market for Suh has been quiet, with an early report indicating he prefers to stay West if possible.
The Titans drafted Jeffery Simmons 19th overall, but the defensive lineman is recovering from Feb. 19 surgery to repair a torn left ACL. In a best-case scenario, he is unlikely to be ready to help the team until the final third or quarter of the season.
The Titans also added Brent Urban, a free agent from Baltimore who played for defensive coordinator Dean Pees with the Ravens. Urban has not been an especially productive pass rusher, which is where the Titans need the most help. Still, Urban had 23 quarterback pressures in 2018, per Pro Football Focus, compared to four for Austin Johnson last season.
Suh, meanwhile, had 57.
He's 32 and he was not as effective for the Rams beside Aaron Donald as the team might have expected last season based on his reputation and contract.
It is certainly possible Suh left Nashville last March and the team was less excited about him than we thought. I wrote at the time that Ndamukong Suh's Nashville visit is a two-way audition.
All the post-visit feedback we got was from his side, predominantly through the reporting of Jordan Schultz.
Ndamukong Suh tells me that his visits w/both the #Saints and #Titans went well. While he has yet to speak w/Drew Brees, he really enjoyed Sean Payton and DC Dennis Allen. Also realizes how much TENN has to offer as a playoff team w/a formidable D-Line. Both teams were impressive
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) March 19, 2018
Here’s Vrabel’s reaction to missing out on Suh last year.
ICYMI: Mike Vrabel on #Titans missing out on Ndamukong Suh. pic.twitter.com/0HEUBqm8mG
— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) March 27, 2018
Every year a player or two lasts on the market well beyond the draft as the free-agent outlier and it's his turn.
Suh still seems like the sort of player who should fit virtually everybody and if he could play beside Aaron Donald he certainly could play next to Jurrell Casey. Frankly, they needed him more last year than this year. But a year ago the team didn't know that DaQuan Jones and Austin Johnson would do so little from a pass-rush perspective in their first year working under Vrabel.
And still, they finished third in points allowed per game. eighth in yards allowed per game and 10th in third-down efficiency.
They know what they've got know and still seem content moving forward with it while waiting on Simmons.
While the Titans wait, they will continue to search for the best possible people to use around Jurrell Casey, choosing from DaQuan Jones, Urban, Johnson and Matt Dickerson while also sorting through Dee Liner, who’s got a bit of experience, and three undrafted rookies: Amani Bledsoe, Braxton Hoyett and Isaiah Mack.
Hoyett, like Simmons, played at Mississippi State, so the Titans saw a lot of him on film as they studied the player they wound up choosing in the first round.
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