Paul Kuharsky, ESPN Staff Writer 7y

Corners who struggled as Titans finding work elsewhere

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Titans made Logan Ryan a priority in free agency and landed him, but still need help at cornerback.

They will add at least one in the upcoming draft, which is widely regarded as having a deep and talented group of corners.

The position is on the list of needs for a good share of NFL teams. And as bad as some of the Titans' recent corners have been, they might still be in the league this season.

It can be a consistently difficult position to fill, and fans often have unreasonable expectations for corners.

As bad as Perrish Cox, Valentino Blake and Coty Sensabaugh played for the Titans in recent seasons, they all found new teams willing to give them another shot.

Last week, the Giants signed Blake to replace another former Titan, Sensabaugh, who jumped to the Steelers.

Sensabaugh played in all but five games in four seasons with the Titans, starting 15 in 2015, his final season in Tennessee. He signed a surprisingly big three-year, free-agent contract with the Rams with $4.5 million guaranteed and was cut after playing in just three games. He played 10 with the Giants after inking a midseason deal with them.

A week ago, Sensabaugh got a $425,000 bonus to sign a two-year deal, with scheduled base salaries of $775,000 in 2017 and $1.4 million in 2018. There is no guarantee in that second-year money, so it could amount to a one-year contract.

Blake's one-year deal with the Giants paid him $20,000 upon signing and will give him another $40,000 if he's on the 53-man roster for one game. He's slated for a sixth-year minimum base salary of $775,000.

Blake started one game for the Titans last season and played in all 16. He was supposed to be an ace special teamer, but was more noteworthy for two monster gaffes in the span of five plays in a loss at Indianapolis.

Cox started nine games in 2016 before he was a late-season cut.

Officially signed on Jan. 21, Cox got no up-front money from the Seahawks. He gets $20,000 if he's on the 53-man roster for Seattle's first game of the season and can earn $60,000 more in $3,750 per-game roster bonuses. He's scheduled for a $775,000 base salary, the minimum for a player of his tenure.

Whether the Titans find a rookie corner at No. 5, No. 18 or with one of the two third-round picks -- 83rd and 100th -- they expect to field a group better than the one that took the field in 2016.

Defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau hasn't been handed a lot of highly-drafted corners but doesn't have a big history of relying on rookie corners. LeShaun Sims played in 13 games and started two last season after being drafted in the fifth round.

Where will any drafted rookies fit in with Ryan, Brice McCain, Jason McCourty (unless new talent makes him expendable with a big salary due), Sims and maybe Kalan Reed?

That will be one of the team's big post-draft questions.

^ Back to Top ^