Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

ESPN says Tennessee Titans should sign 2023 Pro Bowler in free agency

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Zach Ragan | Last updated 3/1/24

ESPN's Aaron Schatz thinks the Tennessee Titans should sign a cornerback that's coming off his first Pro Bowl season.

Schatz listed Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson as key free agency move that he thinks the Titans should make this offseason.

From ESPN: The Titans ranked 31st in DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average) covering No. 1 receivers last season; only the Commanders were worse. Both corners -- Kristian Fulton and Sean Murphy-Bunting -- are free agents, while Caleb Farley is going into the last season of his rookie contract and can't get healthy. (He didn't even get on the field in 2023 due to a lingering back issue.) Cornerback is a huge need for the Titans, so they should go after the best on the market, starting with Johnson. He allowed only 4.2 yards after the catch last season and led the NFL in my cornerback coverage DVOA. He also had 10 passes defensed and four interceptions, and Chicago ranked third in DVOA covering No. 1 receivers.

Johnson was selected by the Bears in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

The former Utah standout developed into a key defensive player for the Bears over the last few years. At times last season, Johnson was the NFL's highest graded cornerback (via Pro Football Focus). And over the last two seasons, Johnson's coverage grade is second among all NFL cornerbacks.

Jaylon Johnson: 88.7 coverage grade since 2022

second among all CBs pic.twitter.com/1bWXtRq7xk
— PFF CHI Bears (@PFF_Bears) February 23, 2024

A to Z Sports projected recently that Johnson will receive a four year deal worth $80 million with $38 million in fully guaranteed money and a year one cap hit of $11 million.

That would be quite a financial commitment by the Titans, but the franchise has plenty of cap space available to sign a player like Johnson (Titans have around $78 million in cap space entering the offseason, which is No. 2 in the NFL).

There aren't many positions where spending that much cash on a player is wise. Cornerback, however, is one of those positions.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: