Former Titans LB Rashaan Evans signs one-year deal with Falcons

The Tennessee Titans declined the fifth-year option attached to the rookie contract of linebacker and 2018 first-round draft pick Rashaan Evans last spring and then let him hit free agency when the new NFL year opened in March. 

Evans won't be returning to Tennessee but will nevertheless find himself working with familiar faces later this year. 

Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, Evans' agents have confirmed he's reached an agreement on a one-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons. The 26-year-old played under Falcons head coach Arthur Smith and defensive coordinator Dean Pees when those two were employed by the Titans. 

Specifics about his contract were not known as of early Monday evening. 

According to Pro-Football-Reference, Evans started in 50 of the 59 regular-season games he's thus far appeared in and recorded a career-best 111 total tackles during the 2019 season. As Ben Arthur noted for the Nashville Tennessean, though, Evans' numbers dropped the following campaign, and he was then slowed by injury issues this past season. 

In all, Evans accumulated 317 total tackles, three sacks, two interceptions, three fumble recoveries, one forced fumble, 13 quarterback hits, and eight pass breakups during his Tennessee tenure. The Titans, meanwhile, have now "lost" Evans, running back D'Onta Foreman, safety Dane Cruikshank, linebacker Jayon Brown, and defensive tackle Kyle Peko during free agency.