With a new coach in place, the Tennessee Titans still have some important decisions to make this offseason. What to do with Chris Johnson is on the top of the priority list, but not the first one that needs to be made. Because of the language in his contract, the Chris Johnson decision does not need to be made for months. Following the NFL Scouting Combine, free agency is the next component of the NFL off season that requires decisions be made. First and foremost, a team must decide what to do about their own free agents. The Titans have starters from last season that are scheduled to be free agents this year, notably Alterraun Verner and Bernard Pollard.
Bernard Pollard signed with the Titans late last offseason after being a cap causality with the Super Bowl winning Baltimore Ravens. He signed a 1 year deal with Tennessee and quickly came in to the locker room and offered veteran leadership to a position group that was talented, but lacked true leadership and attitude. The playing style of Pollard really helped safety Michael Griffin to thrive as a ball-hawk, centerfielder that he has the potential to be after seasons of disappointment. Re-signing Bernard Pollard has to be a high priority for the Titans, as long as his asking price is not too high.
Alterraun Verner was a 4th round draft pick of the Titans who has done nothing but exceed expectations despite the fact that he is still looked upon as undersized and a step slow. Coming off of the first Pro Bowl season of his career and a 2nd team All-Pro selection, Verner is poised to test the free agency waters and see what his true value is. The Tennessee Titans are not in the driver seat on this negotiation and will probably lose Verner to another team because of their unwillingness to renegotiate with him the way the team did with fellow CB Justin McCourty.
Other free agents for the Tennessee Titans this year: QB Rusty Smith, RBs Jackie Battle and Leon Washington, WRs Kenny Britt, Marc Mariani, Kevin Walter, and Damian Williams, OL Mike Otto, Kevin Matthews, Chris Spencer, and Rob Turner, DTs Antonio Johnson and Ropati Pitoitua, and LB Zac Diles.