Veteran Safety Comes Home Via Trade

Nashville Native Ugo Amadi is on his third NFL team in a matter of weeks after being dealt for the second time this month.

NASHVILLE – In their continuing efforts to bolster the defensive backfield, the Tennessee Titans have turned to a local talent.

The Titans acquired defensive back Ugo Amadi and a 2024 seventh-round from the Philadelphia Eagles, in exchange for a 2024 sixth-round pick Wednesday.

The 5-foot-9, 201-pound Amadi is a Nashville native who played at Overton High School. His addition pairs him with rookie safety Theo Jackson, another Nashville native and Overton grad.

To make roster room for Amadi, inside linebacker Monty Rice was placed on the Reserve-Physically Unable to Perform list. Rice, who is still recovering from a torn Achilles suffered last year, will have to miss at least the first four games of the season.

Amadi, who was traded from Seattle to Philadelphia on Aug. 15, has played 47 games over three NFL seasons. He has 12 starts, five in 2020 and seven in 2021. The 25-year-old totaled 54 tackles, one interception and six passes defensed last season for the Seahawks.

Amadi is listed as a safety, but has actually played much more at the slot cornerback position, per Pro Football Focus. In 2021, for instance, Amadi played 549 snaps at slot corner and just 34 at free safety.

Expect Amadi to see plenty of action on special teams as well. He played 691 special-teams snaps for Seattle last season, and 551 special-teams snaps in 2020.

Adding Amadi is the latest in a slew of moves by the Titans at defensive back.

On July 23, they signed safety Josh Kalu. On Aug. 8, free-agent safety Adrian Colbert was added. On Aug. 17, the Titans claimed defensive back Lonnie Johnson off waivers from Kansas City and acquired safety Tyree Gillespie from the Las Vegas Raiders.

Also on the roster at safety – behind starters Kevin Byard and Amani Hooker – are Jackson and A.J. Moore.

The loss of Rice for at least the first four games of the season will hurt depth at inside linebacker. A third-round draft pick last season, Rice totaled 36 tackles in 10 games – including four starts.

The Titans have a pair of experienced starters at inside linebacker in Zach Cunningham and David Long, but those two are backed up by two players (Dylan Cole and Joe Jones) with a combined one NFL start, and two rookies (Chance Campbell and Jack Gibbens).