The Tennessee Titans underwent the start of a roster overhaul this offseason. Ran Carthon was hired as the team’s new general manager, coming over from the San Francisco 49ers. He started purging the roster, moving on from high-priced veterans as he reshapes the roster in his vision.
It will take more than one offseason for Carthon to fully turn things around, but there were a lot of moving parts this offseason. More veterans could be on the move as quarterback Ryan Tannehill, running back Derrick Henry and safety Kevin Byard have all been involved in trade rumors to some degree.
The Titans have some pieces in place to remain competitive this season, but Carthon is certainly making some moves with an eye toward the future. That was made very clear during the 2023 NFL Draft when he made a move up the board to draft Will Levis in the second round despite having 2022 third-round pick Malik Willis on the roster with Tannehill already.
The Titans have already made one major long-term commitment this offseason, agreeing to a monster extension with defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. However, in the opinion of Kristopher Knox over at Bleacher Report, another should be on the horizon.
Knox believes that cornerback Kristian Fulton should be the next player that the Titans prioritize an extension with before the season gets underway. It is hard to argue against that, as Fulton has played at a high level since being a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft out of LSU.
Injuries have been an issue for him, as he has missed at least four games in every season of his career, including 10 as a rookie. But, when on the field, he has proven to be a capable playmaker and a very solid cover corner.
In 30 career games, Fulton has four interceptions and 20 passes defended. In the last two seasons, he has allowed a passer rating of only 83.0 while in coverage. He is someone that Carthon and the Titans should be looking to keep long-term even if he was part of the last regime.
The upside is certainly there for the LSU product. Working out an extension now would be in the best interest of the Titans. If Fulton puts together a healthy season in 2023, he has shown Pro Bowl-level talent.
If he were to achieve such an accolade, his price tag would only go up. Turning only 25 in September, Fulton is someone that not only helps the Titans win games now but is young enough to be a long-term building block for the franchise in their reset.
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