NFL free agency begins next week and general manager Ran Carthon must decide who will be part of the Tennessee Titans' rebuilding under coach Brian Callahan.
Negotiations with free agents can begin on March 11. NFL teams can sign free agents on March 13, the official start of the league calendar year.
Don't be shocked if you hear about deals as soon as the window opens.
AllTitans.com has been presenting the arguments for and against re-signing some of the 24 Titans with expiring contracts. So far:
- Center Aaron Brewer;
- Linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair;
- Edge rusher Denico Autry;
- Cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting;
- and running back Derrick Henry.
Let's talk about cornerback Kristian Fulton. First, here are some career highlights:
- Played in 11 games in 2022 and posted a career-high 48 tackles to go along with an interception, three stops for loss, five passes defended, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.
- In 2021, recorded career-highs in games played (13), games started (13), interceptions (2), and led the team in passes defended (14), which also tied for 11th place in the NFL.
- Fulton has 154 career tackles and four interceptions.
No. Don't do it
A season-ending hamstring injury caused Fulton to miss the final four games and also revealed some discord that might have forecast changes to come.
When reporters asked Fulton about getting placed on the list after the Dec. 11 win against the Miami Dolphins, he appeared to be caught off guard.
"I just found out myself," Fulton said. "I was going to try to get back for the team. I knew we had five games left, so I’m going to do what I can to help. Y’all can talk to (Titans coach Mike) Vrabel about how that went down. I don’t know. I just found out."
Fulton has missed 26 of 67 games since joining the Titans and 2023 was Fulton's worst season. His Pro Football Focus rating was 46.4, 118th in the NFL last season.
Of the 22 available free-agent cornerbacks, Fulton is ranked 17th.
Yes. Give Him Another Chance
With a new coaching staff, including defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson, the change of scenery that Fulton needs may be with his original team. Wilson has built a reputation for developing defensive backs.
When healthy, Fulton can cover speedy receivers and that's something the Titans don't have a lot of as the roster is currently constructed. It might be worthwhile to see if a new coaching staff can inspire a change for the better.
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