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Tennessee Titans have ‘kicked tires’ on Cary Williams

By Will Osgood

Jul 26, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Cary Williams (26) catches the ball during training camp at the Novacare Complex in Philadelphia PA. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 26, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Cary Williams (26) catches the ball during training camp at the Novacare Complex in Philadelphia PA. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Tennessee Titans may be interested in recently released CB Cary Williams. 

Cut by the Philadelphia Eagles on Tuesday, amid a swirl of moves made by head coach and main personnel man Chip Kelly, Cary Williams may not have to wait long to find a new employee.

It is not a total surprise given that Williams is still playing the cornerback position at a high level. Such is he that the Tennessee Titans may be interested in his services, according to Titans beat writer Jim Wyatt on Twitter.

Williams’ release from the Eagles on Tuesday came for two primary reasons: 1) He was outspoken at times in Philadelphia, especially while the team went through the Riley Cooper snafu in the summer of 2013. 2) Williams was set to make over $8 million in 2015, according to Spotrac. He would have cost all of that against the Eagles’ salary cap.

The Eagles, by all appearances, are taking a hard line against players who cost a lot of money and are not perfectly content playing under Kelly.

Hence, last offseason’s trade of DeSean Jackson and yesterday’s blockbuster deal with the Buffalo Bills to rid themselves of Pro Bowl running LeSean “Shady” McCoy and acquire former Oregon linebacker Kiko Alonso.

The Eagles, under Kelly, appear to be taking a modified NFL version of “moneyball” to personnel decisions.

The Titans, with Ken Whisenhunt as head coach, are stuck in the dark ages. When asked last offseason, before his first year running the Titans, about using analytics, Whisenhunt was pretty straight forward.

“I probably don’t understand it,” he continued later, “I mean, I respect it, I respect the fact that you can do studies and that you can put time in about it. But to me…there is a lot of feel and emotion involved.”

In a recent broad scope piece on ESPN.com about all 122 professional sports teams’ use of analytics, the Titans were near the bottom not just in the NFL, but overall.

And yet, the Titans are “kicking the tires” on a player who is valued by use of analytics. Based on a per coverage snap basis, Williams gave up just 1.15 yards. That was best on the Eagles’ team last year, though ultimately not among the elite in the NFL.

Williams, a Miami native, was drafted by the Titans in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL draft out of Washburn College. He played most of his first two seasons in Tennessee, going back and forth between the active roster and the practice squad.

He was signed off the practice squad in November 2009 by the Ravens where he went on to have great success before leaving for the Eagles in the offseason preceding the 2013 season.

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