Another Cornerback Finds a New Team
There were seven cornerbacks on the Tennessee Titans’ active roster at the end of last season. Five are now with other franchises.
Tye Smith became the latest – and last – to sign with a new team when he joined the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday. The 28-year-old was an unrestricted free agent because his last contract with the Titans expired at the end of last season.
The other two, 2020 draft picks Kristian Fulton (second round) and Chris Jackson (seventh round), remain with Tennessee.
Before Smith, Malcom Butler (Arizona), Adoreé Jackson (N.Y. Giants), Desmond King (Houston) and Kareem Orr (L.A. Rams) all found new teams. Butler, Jackson and Orr were all released. King was an unrestricted free agent.
That group was part of a pass defense that struggled for much of last season. With little help from a pass rush that had fewer sacks than all but two NFL teams, Tennessee ranked 29th against the pass, gave up more first downs passing than any team in the AFC and allowed a league-high 111 third-down conversions.
Smith had been with the Titans longer than any of the others because he was a guy they just could not seem to let go. In four seasons with them he played 36 games and made 49 tackles, intercepted one pass and forced two fumbles. He spent all of 2018 on injured reserve.
He originally signed with Tennessee as a free agent following the 2016 season. He re-signed early in the 2019 offseason, was released that November and brought back three days later due to injury issues at the position. He re-signed again in 2020, initially was placed on the practice squad but was moved to the active roster for the opener and spent all season – save for three weeks on injured reserve – as part of the active roster.
He played 12 games (three starts) and made 14 tackles with one tackle for loss in 2020.
A fifth-round pick by Seattle in 2015, he spent time with the Seahawks and with Washington before he made his way to Tennessee.
