Musket Fire » Tennessee Titans

Tennessee Titans to host John Abraham

Joe Soriano — Thu, 02 May 2013 15:18:06 +0000

The New England Patriots are still being linked to John Abraham, and there is still the possibility that the Pats add the high-impact, veteran pass rusher. Sources close to Mike Loyko stated that the move is “likely”, but I’m not sure what to think these days regarding Abraham. What we do know, however, is that Ian Rapoport is reporting that the Tennessee Titans will host John Abraham on a two-day free agent visit for today and tomorrow.

Josh D. Weiss-USA TODAY Sports

This is the first bit of relatively concrete news that we have heard on John Abraham for a while, and the move made by the Titans to work out John Abraham is definitely an interesting one. In my opinion, Abraham is going to be out of a job for as long as he wants, because he can hold out on teams as much as he wants in order to add a favorable deal. He can choose when to sign with a team, but Abraham’s asking price has been deemed too high by several teams (the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots likely balked at his asking price earlier) so he will have to tone things done.

The news that the Titans are working out Abraham is definitely not good news for Patriots fans, because it means that the Patriots will have a key competitor for Abraham’s services. We don’t even know if the Patriots are still interested in signing Abraham after drafting both Jamie Collins and Michael Buchanan, but they really should be interested in adding a player who is still a great defensive end and showed it over the past few years with the Atlanta Falcons. He may be old, but he is still a talented player.

We’ll see how quickly things move forward for the Titans and Abraham, and we’ll see either how badly the Titans want to sign Abraham or how badly Abraham wants to get signed. That all depends on Abraham’s demands, and we’ll see if the Titans decide to give John Abraham a formal contract offer during (or immediately after) his visit to Tennessee.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.

Chicago Bears interested in Andy Levitre

Joe Soriano — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 17:30:09 +0000

Buffalo Bills left guard Andy Levitre is a wanted man on the free agent market, and this comes as no surprise given his incredible pass blocking ability on the inside. The Bills really should have offered this guy a contract, because they will find it very difficult to hold onto Levitre now that quite a few other teams are pressing after Levitre. The Tennessee Titans are the most well-known suitors, and Levitre now has a new suitor.

Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the Chicago Bears have interest in Andy Levitre, who also has interest from the Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts. Levitre is the best pass-blocking guard in the NFL, and he is also no slouch as a run blocker. The Bears are not only interested in adding big talent at the tackle positions, but now they are also going after the premier interior offensive lineman on the free agent market this year.

The Bears are currently pressing hard after tackles Jake Long, Phil Loadholt, and Jermon Bushrod, and it will be interesting to see just how much interest they have in Levitre. To me, the best fit for Levitre is the Titans, and I have a feeling they will end up signing him. The Titans have a huge need in the interior of the offensive line, and adding Levitre would certainly make Chris Johnson a lot more happy about his offensive line situation. With Steve Hutchinson now retired, the Titans interior looks even more barren, and Levitre would be an excellent addition next to standout Fernando Velasco- he would immediately give the Titans a viable interior.

Although tackle is the more publicized need because it is such a huge one for the Bears, this team could also use help at guard. Brandon Moore is another player the Bears are expected to take a look at, but Levitre is likely Plan A.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.

Denver Broncos now interested in Andy Levitre

Joe Soriano — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 16:04:07 +0000

The Buffalo Bills will do whatever they can to keep Andy Levitre in Buffalo, but it’s going to be extremely difficult with several teams vying for Levitre’s services. One of these teams is the Tennessee Titans, who are desperate for help on their chronically poor interior of the offensive line in order to help out Chris Johnson. The Indianapolis Colts have been interested, and there are rumblings that the San Diego Chargers have interest in Levitre as well.

Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

Those four teams would love to sign a guy like Levitre due to their situations at guard, and now Ian Rappoport is reporting that another AFC West team has interest in Levitre; the Denver Broncos.

Levitre broke out in 2011 and quickly became regarded as one of the best guards in the NFL. One of the best pass protectors out there, Levtire is also solid as a run blocker and would be a top prize for the teams interested in him. The Bills really should have offered Levitre a contract sooner, because the waiting has made it more difficult for these guys to sign him. Because now, they are going up against several teams for his services, and the Tennessee Titans seem to be throwing everything out there in order to sign him.

Fans in the AFC East know that this big interest in Andy Levitre comes as no surprise, because he is simply a dominant guard in pass protection, and he is easily the best interior offensive lineman on this market. Now one of the most coveted players in the league, it will be interesting to see what kind of money Levitre gets from a team in a bidding war. I have a feeling that the Bills won’t be able to keep Levitre on the squad.

The Chicago Bears have also been linked to Levitre before.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.