Tennessee Titans sign free agent Brian Orakpo
By Cory Buck
The Tennessee Titans have reportedly signed free agent linebacker Brian Orakpo.
The Tennessee Titans have nabbed one of the last remaining impact players on defense in free agency by signing former Washington Redskins pass rusher Brian Orakpo, as reported by Adam Schefter at ESPN.
Big early morning move out of Tennessee: Titans reached agreement with former Redskins LB Brian Orakpo, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 13, 2015
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The move helps fortify a Titans defense that tied for the third-most points allowed in the NFL last season. Their pass rush sat in the middle-to-bottom of the league. Orakpo has tallied 38.5 sacks in four healthy seasons, but he has struggled to stay on the field, having only one healthy season in the last three to his credit. He tore his pectoral muscle early in the 2014 season and was placed on the IR as a result.
With Washington more in a rebuilding phase, they could hardly afford to meet the demands of the 28-year-old pass rusher, which prompted his move to free agency. The Titans, also mired in a rebuild, had more than enough cap space to meet his demands, which were latest released by Fox’s Mike Garafolo.
Brian Orakpo's deal with the Titans: four years, $32 million base value, $35 million max, with $13.5 guaranteed, per source.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 13, 2015
The Titans seem to also have no issue with Orakpo’s health history, though the team notably offered less than half of the full contract value in guaranteed money, which speaks to a league-wide concern about the pass rusher’s health. Orakpo is likely signing with the Titans because they offered the most guaranteed money.
That figure is a bit lower all around than pass rusher Jerry Hughes received from the Buffalo Bills. Hughes received over $20 million in guaranteed money on the five-year deal he signed on the eve of free agency. The annual average of Orakpo’s deal is only about $1 million less per year, but that guaranteed money and the one fewer year of term is telling as to how his injury history may have cost him a bigger deal though.
Orakpo was a slam dunk for free agency once he tore his pectoral muscle after having been franchise tagged by Washington. The team wasn’t interested in re-applying the franchise tag and Orakpo wasn’t interested in giving a discount on a long-term contract. Now Brian Orakpo hopes to prove Washington wrong while wearing a Titans jersey.
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