Three Free Agent LBs Titans Can Sign

The Tennessee Titans are undergoing a massive overhaul at the inside linebacker position. The team traded Ernest Jones IV in the middle of the season before sending Kenneth Murray Jr. to the Dallas Cowboys in the spring.

The Titans signed Cody Barton, but ESPN analyst Aaron Schatz thinks that the team needs to sign another veteran.

"The Titans don't really have credible inside linebackers on the roster besides veteran free agent addition Cody Barton," Schatz wrote. 

"Otis Reese IV played only 8.4% of Tennessee's defensive snaps last season. Second-year players James Williams and Cedric Gray played 10.5% and 4.5% of defensive snaps, respectively. One of the veteran LBs still on the market -- Ja'Whaun Bentley, Kyzir White or Shaq Thompson -- would fit here."

Here's a look at each of the three linebackers mentioned and what they could bring to the team.

Ja'Whaun Bentley

Bentley tore his pectoral muscle in Week 2, ending his 2024 season extremely prematurely. He is working on getting healthy for the upcoming year while looking for a new team to play for.

From 2021-23, Bentley recorded over 100 tackles in each of those seasons with the Pats, leading the team in that category.

Kyzir White

White played in all 17 games last season for the Arizona Cardinals, coming in second place in tackles on the team behind All-Pro safety Budda Baker.

White could fill in that role next to Cody Barton on the Titans defense if he were to sign.

Shaq Thompson

Thompson has played in just six games for the Carolina Panthers since 2023 with season-ending injuries costing him early in each of the last two seasons.

Thompson has spent all 10 seasons of his career with the Panthers, and even though he can play both inside and outside linebacker, he could be a low-risk, high-reward option for the Titans in either role if he is healthy.