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Titans sign Wesley Woodyard to four-year deal, add to estimable linebacker corps

Wesley Woodyard has been a valuable do-it-all player. (Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) New Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Ray Horton just gained another
Doug Farrar|
Titans sign Wesley Woodyard to four-year deal, add to estimable linebacker corps
Titans sign Wesley Woodyard to four-year deal, add to estimable linebacker corps

Wesley Woodyard has been a valuable do-it-all player. (Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)

New Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Ray Horton just gained another estimable chip for a defense that has been on the upswing. On Friday morning, the Titans announced that they had agreed to terms with former Denver Broncos linebacker Wesley Woodyard on a four-year, $16 million deal. An undrafted free agent out of Kentucky, Woodyard became an indispensable part of Denver's defense with his ability to do just about everything expected of a linebacker at a very high level -- tackle with anticipation, cover tight ends and slot receivers, and rush the passer -- all at multiple positions.

Through six seasons in Denver, Woodyard played in 87 games, starting 39. He totaled 265 solo tackles, eight sacks, five interceptions and 15 passes defensed. His breakout season was 2012, when he amassed 5.5 sacks, 70 tackles, three interceptions and six passes defensed. He was well on his way to another strong season in 2013, but suffered a stinger (neck/shoulder injury) in early October against the Dallas Cowboys. That set him back, but Woodyard still managed 52 tackles, 1.5 sacks, one interception and four passes defensed in just 10 starts. He also increased his forced fumbles total from one in 2012 to a career-tying two in 2013.

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But it's in coverage that Woodyard fits Horton's scheme so well. In 2012, he ranked first overall among 4-3 outside linebackers in Pro Football Focus' coverage metrics, and adapted fairly well with a position switch from weakside 'backer to inside in 2013. Horton demands versatility from his linebackers, and this is why it's a perfect fit -- certainly on paper.

Grade: B.

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Doug Farrar
DOUG FARRAR

SI.com contributing NFL writer and Seattle resident Doug Farrar started writing about football locally in 2002, and became Football Outsiders' West Coast NFL guy in 2006. He was fascinated by FO's idea to combine Bill James with Dr. Z, and wrote for the site for six years. He wrote a game-tape column called "Cover-2" for a number of years, and contributed to six editions of "Pro Football Prospectus" and the "Football Outsiders Almanac." In 2009,  Doug was invited to join Yahoo Sports' NFL team, and covered Senior Bowls, scouting combines, Super Bowls, and all sorts of other things for Yahoo Sports and the Shutdown Corner blog through June, 2013. Doug received the proverbial offer he couldn't refuse from SI.com in 2013, and that was that. Doug has also written for the Seattle Times, the Washington Post, the New York Sun, FOX Sports, ESPN.com, and ESPN The Magazine.  He also makes regular appearances on several local and national radio shows, and has hosted several podcasts over the years. He counts Dan Jenkins, Thomas Boswell, Frank Deford, Ralph Wiley, Peter King, and Bill Simmons as the writers who made him want to do this for a living. In his rare off-time, Doug can be found reading, hiking, working out, searching for new Hendrix, Who, and MC5 bootlegs, and wondering if the Mariners will ever be good again.

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