By Ron Wynn
NASHVILLE, TN — The Tennessee Titans made a move to bolster their secondary and add veteran leadership late last week when they signed Jonathan Joseph to a one-year deal. It was reported worth $2 million total ($1.5 guaranteed), with the possibility of it reaching $3.25 million if. he achieves all the incentives. While he won’t be a starter unless something unexpected happens, Joseph’s salary will be considerably less than the person he’s being slotted in to replace in Logan Ryan, who made a reported $10 million last season.
According to statistics from Pro Football Focus, Joseph had an excellent year for the Houston Texans. His coverage grade was ahead of both Malcolm Butler and Ryan’s, though he played five more games than Butler. He had two fever than Ryan, whose interception against the Patriots was one of the year’s defensive highlights. But Joseph’s ability to play the boundary gives the Titans more options in the slot. They can utilize Joseph on the outside, which allows Jackson to play the slot in certain packages if necessary.
While getting more sacks is a defensive priority for the 2020-21 season, so is better pass coverage and more turnovers. The Titans rush to the AFC title game was more a result of a much improved offense that averaged over 30 points a game once Ryan Tannehill took over at QB. While they expect the offense to be even better with Tannehill at the helm from the start, there’s also hope for tighter coverage from the secondary, especially with Butler due to return from injury and Jackson’s addition.
Ryan was expected to sign with the Jets, but had not done so at press time.
