NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Last week, I wrote about how difficult it was going to be for Rashad Weaver to get snaps on defense despite his excellent training camp and preseason play.
Well, it's not going to be difficult anymore.
Pool photo/ Donald Page, Tennessee Titans
Harold Landry, fresh off a new five-year $87 million dollar contract with $35.25 million guaranteed, tore his ACL at practice Wednesday per Adam Schefter. That means he will be out for the season.
It's a big dent for the Titans' team strength, a front four that was expected to get to the quarterback regularly without help. Landry has gotten progressively better and finished his fourth season with 12 sacks and a Pro Bowl appearance.
The Titans have not frequently had good depth on the edge.
But Weaver showed well in his rookie camp a year ago as a fourth-rounder out of Pitt. But he broke his fibula in the Titans' third game and lost the remainder of his rookie season. Adeniyi was signed from Pittsburgh as a free agent as a special tamer, but he got chances on the edge while a fellow newcomer from the Steelers, Bud Dupree, recovered from his torn ACL.
Adeniyi made splashes in just 207 defensive snaps -- 20 percent -- with 2.5 sacks and eight quarterback hits.
But neither of them will be able to move around the way Landry does, playing as a stacked backer, dropping into coverage, rushing and doing some of everything. And if the Titans need to blitz more to get pressure that will change a lot.
Maybe the move with Derrick Henry that gave him more guaranteed money and lowered his cap number by over $5 million was made in part, to free up money to make a move to help replace Landry.
For now, Tennessee will now have to rely on that duo and may call up David Aneinih from the practice squad. The undrafted rookie out of Houston got to the quarterback three times in the preseason.
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