INSIDE SLANT

[March 14, 2015]  The Sports Xchange

The Tennessee Titans announced contract agreements with linebackers Brian Orakpo and Derrick Morgan, tight end Anthony Fasano, kicker Ryan Succop and defensive lineman Karl Klug.

Orakpo reportedly agreed to a four-year, $31 million contract. He could earn a maximum of $35 million, with $13.5 million guaranteed.

Morgan's deal is reportedly for four years and $27 million, with $10.5 million guaranteed.

Orakpo, 28, has spent his entire NFL career with the Washington Redskins since being selected 13th overall in the 2009 NFL draft. Orakpo, a three-time Pro Bowler, played in just seven games in 2014 before going on injured reserve in October due to a torn pectoral. He has 254 tackles and 40 sacks in six NFL seasons.

Morgan, 26, has spent his entire career with the Titans since being selected 16th overall in the 2010 draft. Morgan totaled a career-best 63 tackles and tied a career-high with 6.5 sacks in 2014. He has accumulated 191 tackles and 23 sacks in five NFL seasons.

Succop's three-year deal is reportedly valued at $2.4 million per year. The 28-year-old Succop, who joined the Titans last season after playing the previous five seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, was 19 of 22 on field goals and a perfect 27-for-27 on extra-point attempts.

Terms for Fasano and Klug were unknown.

Fasano has played nine seasons with three teams, starting 109 games. He has caught 253 passes for 2,799 yards and 31 touchdowns for the Dallas Cowboys (2006-07), Miami Dolphins (2008-12) and Kansas City Chiefs (2013-14).

Klug, a fifth-round pick in the 2011 draft out of Iowa, totaled 31 tackles and two sacks last season. Over his four-year career, Klug has registered 48 tackles and 14.5 sacks, playing in all 64 games.

"I'm happy that we were able to get these deals done," general manager Ruston Webster said. "Outside linebacker was a position that we needed to address heading into the offseason. Derrick is a true pro and you could see his growth in a new system. Brian has a proven record and adds a different dimension to our group. Fasano is a quality veteran player who has all-around tight end ability. I thought Succop had a good first season with us and Klug is just a good football player who can help us in a number of areas. Adding to the roster is a long process and we will keeping working at it to add players that can help us."

--Quarterback Jake Locker, the eighth overall pick by the Tennessee Titans in the 2011 NFL Draft, announced he will retire after just four NFL seasons.

Locker's history of injuries that began during his three seasons at the University of Washington continued into the NFL, and he started just 23 games over four seasons. He signed a four-year, $12 million contract as a rookie, and was set to become an unrestricted free agent Tuesday.

"I am retiring from football after much reflection and discussion with my family," Locker said in a statement Tuesday. "I will always be grateful for having had the opportunity to realize my childhood dream of playing in the NFL and for the lifelong relationships I developed because of that experience.

"Football has always played a pivotal role in my life and I love the game, but I no longer have the burning desire necessary to play the game for a living; to continue to do so would be unfair to the next organization with whom I would eventually sign. I realize this decision is surprising to many, but I know in my heart that it is the right decision and I look forward to spending more time with my family and pursuing other interests."

There is some speculation that Locker might be interested in trying his hand at baseball.

As a senior at Ferndale (Wash.) High School in 2006, he was selected in the 40th round by the Los Angeles Angels but already had decided to play football at the University of Washington. Although Locker didn't play in college, the Angels drafted him again three years later -- this time in the 10th round as an outfielder --- and retain his rights until this summer.

However, on Tuesday, Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto said the team has "no interest" in Locker.

"I really don't know much about him as a football player, and I only know a little bit about his baseball past as an amateur," Dipoto said, according to the Los Angeles Times. "We're going to focus on the group we have here (in spring training)."

With the Titans, Locker started five of seven games he appeared in as a rookie, primarily serving as a backup to Matt Hasselbeck. Locker was named their starter entering the 2012 season but tore a muscle in his non-throwing shoulder on Sept. 30. He returned to the lineup Nov. 9 and finished the season with 2,176 passing yards and 10 touchdowns against 11 interceptions in 11 starts.

Locker opened the season as the starter again in 2013 but suffered a hip injury on Sept. 29 and then a season-ending Lisfranc injury on Nov. 10 and was limited to seven games.

Entering the final year of his rookie contract in 2014, Locker again was named the starter coming out of training camp. However, he was benched on Oct. 22 and eventually placed on injured reserve Dec. 14, finishing the season with five starts in seven appearances and the team made no attempt to re-sign him.

For his career, Locker has thrown for 4,967 yards, 27 touchdowns and 22 interceptions while being sacked 60 times.

--The 2014 Tennessee Titans were a train wreck, and now head coach Ken Whisenhunt, general manager Ruston Webster and the rest of the staff are sifting through the wreckage and trying to get the franchise back to respectability.

That starts at the top as Titans CEO Tommy Smith sent out a letter to season ticket-holders urging them to stay the course and noting that there would be improvements on the field and off for the 2015 season.

Smith's form letter concluded with the following:

"We had a lot of change in the 2014 calendar year, both on the field and off, and we understand that not all of it was up to the standards you expect. You have my word that we are working for you to improve all aspects of what we do.

"Our players personnel staff is hard at work preparing for free agency and the draft. Our top pick in 2014, Taylor Lewan, was among a group of talented young players acquired a year ago. We look forward to adding to that nucleus this off-season as we continue to build a winning team you can be proud of.

"We do not take you for granted and we welcome your feedback - whether it is an idea that will improve the stadium experience or a problem you are having, we want to know about it. Feel free to contact us (either through our Season Ticket Service Team or [e-mail]) with those suggestions or concerns.

"I am looking forward to a successful 2015, and I look forward to you joining us again this season."

Those changes started with the resignation of long-time head of marketing and administration Don MacLachlan and the firing of the ticket manager and his assistant.

Changes are also expected to bleed over to the football side as well, where the Titans hope to be active in free agency with around $47 million worth of space under the salary cap. The Titans have holes to fill and money to spend, meaning there could be four to six early free-agent signings as Webster attempts to upgrade the roster and make the Titans competitive again with players who fit what the Titans are now doing on offense with a vertical passing attack and on defense with a 3-4 system.

The Titans do have 21 free agents currently as the new league year dawns, but in all honestly, other than kicker Ryan Succop and punter Brett Kern, most of the other unrestricted free agents probably won't be asked back for 2015.

-----------------------------------------------

NFL Team Report - Tennessee Titans - NOTES, QUOTES

--The Titans granted the request of veteran safety Bernard Pollard, releasing him on March 3 about a month after he had popped off on Twitter about the firing of front-office executive Lake Dawson and requested his release.

Pollard had some parting shots as he went out the doors as well, telling The Tennessean newspaper that the Titans need to change their culture by not bringing in free agents from losing teams to fill roster spots.

"I'm not going to say they can't win here," Pollard told the paper. "I believe they can win. But they need more pieces. And they need more guys from winning organizations to help turn things around. When you bring in free agents from losing teams, they go from one losing team to another. So you are not changing things, because his culture is, 'OK I have been losing every year anyway, so I am doing the same thing here.'"

--The Titans claimed outside linebacker/defensive end Jonathan Massaquoi off waivers from the Atlanta Falcons. Massaquoi had six sacks during three seasons with the Falcons. He was a fifth-round draft choice of Atlanta in 2012 out of Troy.

--The Titans lost assistant strength and conditioning coach Jason Novak to Central Michigan, where he will head up that university's weight program. Novak is the son of former NFL assistant coach Frank Novak.

--Long-time left tackle Michael Roos made official what had been expected since the end of the season by announcing his retirement.

Roos, a second-round pick in 2005 from Eastern Washington, spent all 10 of his NFL seasons with the Titans and had missed just one game before being felled by a season-ending knee injury in Week 5 last year.

-----------------------------------------------

NFL Team Report - Tennessee Titans - STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

The Titans and punter Brett Kern agreed on a five-year, $15 million contract Saturday (March 7). Kern was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent March 10.

That would put Kern among the top eight NFL punters in average pay. He just finished a four-year, $5.2 million deal.

Kern, who joined the Titans in 2009, is the franchise record holder in career punting average -- 44.9 gross and 40.0 net. Last season, he broke his team record with a 40.8 net average, punting a career-high 88 times for a gross average of 46.8 yards.

TEAM NEEDS

1. Outside linebacker: The Titans need help in the pass rush and at the linebacker position in general. If they go for a quarterback, defensive tackle Leonard Williams or receiver Amari Cooper in round one, it doesn't eliminate the need for bodies at the linebacker position with a continuing transition to a 3-4 scheme.

2. Tackle: The Titans released veteran Michael Oher and now have an immediate vacancy at right tackle that will have to be addressed in the draft and/or free agency. The Titans have other issues along the offensive line as well (most notably the play of left guard Andy Levitre, who has been a disappointment since signing as a free agent). But fixing the right tackle spot is one of the top priorities this offseason.

3. Cornerback: Jason McCourty is plenty solid as one cornerback, but the other side, manned first by Blidi Wreh-Wilson and then by Coty Sensabaugh, struggled at various times throughout the season. The Titans can help some of the problem by upgrading the pass rush so the corners don't have to cover as long. But still a personnel upgrade through free agency or the draft is expected here.

PERSONNEL TRACKER

FRANCHISE PLAYER: None.

TRANSITION PLAYER: None.

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS (not tendered offers)

--LB Kaelin Burnett (not tendered as RFA) was signed off the Cardinals practice squad; he failed to make much of an impression in a late-season trial.

--WR Kris Durham, (not tendered as RFA) claimed off waivers from the Lions, was inactive for most of the season until Justin Hunter suffered a spleen injury. The Titans could do worse than Durham as a fifth receiver.

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS

--FB Jackie Battle made the move from running back to fullback last year and was a good special teams contributor. It's not out of the question for him to return, but the Titans may want to get younger at the position.

--TE Chase Coffman was a decent in-season fill-in after Craig Stevens and Taylor Thompson went down. The Titans probably will look elsewhere for bodies now that both Stevens and Thompson are healthy again as the second and third tight ends.

--LB Quentin Groves was signed after cuts were made to help fill a role on special teams and be a backup, and he wound up getting quite a few snaps on defense after Akeem Ayers was traded and Kam Wimbley suffered a hamstring injury. Defensive coordinator Ray Horton was familiar with him, which helped, but he probably won't be back.

--WR Derek Hagan was out of the league in 2013, but earned a roster spot with a strong camp. He earned his keep on special teams, but probably won't return with the Titans looking to make changes.

--CB Brandon Harris was claimed off waivers from the Texans. He played a little bit at cornerback where all except Jason McCourty were found lacking. The fact that he didn't stand out doesn't help his cause.

--LB Colin McCarthy, the Titans 2012 defensive captain, was about to be tossed overboard in the switch to the 3-4 last summer, but he suffered an injury and landed on injured reserve instead. McCarthy will look to get his career back on track somewhere else in 2015.

--TE Matthew Mulligan was added to the roster after a rash of injuries; he was just a stop-gap to get through the remainder of the season.

--OL Eric Olsen was cut in camp, then re-signed after injuries hit. He helped bridge the gap to the end of the season, but won't be back.

--QB Jordan Palmer was a late-season pickup after injuries knocked both Zach Mettenberger and Jake Locker out for the season.

--OL Chris Spencer, the interior backup at both center and guard, was pressed into starting duty after center Brian Schwenke's injury. Look for the Titans to move on from Spencer in an effort to get younger and better.

--T Byron Stingily has been mostly a bench player in four years with the Titans. He was a project that never really took off, though he played OK in spurts when pressed into action. It wouldn't be the worst thing for the Titans to bring him back on a minimum deal as the third tackle.

--T Will Svitek became a punchline after a mic'ed up segment of Texans star J.J. Watt going against him and dominating throughout the game. Svitek's struggles were symbolic of just what kind of season the Titans had in 2014, as he did not play well and the Titans seemed to offer little in the way of help him. He won't return in 2015.

--RB/KR Leon Washington had a far bigger role than anyone would have thought, getting a lot of touches as the third-down back, receptions and carries that should have gone to Dexter McCluster or Bishop Sankey, but inexplicably didn't. The Titans look to move on from the veteran.

--WR Nate Washington basically all but said he wants a chance to win when he talked about the end of his six-year run with the Titans. He matured and was at times a clutch player, but it appears to be time for both him and the Titans to move on.

--S George Wilson, a solid role player, was pressed into starting duty after Bernard Pollard's Achilles injury. Probably winds up elsewhere, though you can't rule out a return in a backup role.

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: None.

EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENTS

--TE Brett Brackett had two separate stints on the roster after injuries hit at the tight end position, but that doesn't guarantee that the Titans will keep him for the coming season.

PLAYERS RE-SIGNED

--LS Beau Brinkley: Potential RFA; $5.75M/5 yrs, $840,000 SB.

--P Brett Kern: Potential UFA; $15M/5 yrs.

--DE Karl Klug: UFA; terms unknown.

--LB Derrick Morgan: UFA; $27M/4 yrs, $10.5M guaranteed.

--K Ryan Succop; 3 yrs, terms unknown.

PLAYERS ACQUIRED

--WR Harry Douglas: FA Falcons; 3 yrs, terms unknown.

--TE Anthony Fasano: FA Chiefs; terms unknown.

--DE Jonathan Massaquoi (waivers Falcons).

--OLB Brian Orakpo: UFA Redskins; $31M/4 yrs, $5 SB/$13.5M guaranteed.

--S Da'Norris Searcy: UFA Bills; $23.75M/4 yrs, $4.5M SB/$10.5M guaranteed.

PLAYERS LOST

--QB Jake Locker (UFA/retired).

--T Michael Oher (released/failed physical).

--S Bernard Pollard (released).

--T Michael Roos (UFA/retired).

-----------------------------------------------

[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.