Titans under cap with one cut, decline to extend McNair’s option
The NFL announced Thursday afternoon that teams had been given an extra 72 hours before the start of free agency. But the Titans went ahead and discussed a variety of moves with the most important being the decision not to pay McNair $50 million to extend his deal three more seasons
Instead, the Titans will pay a $1 million fee not due until Sept. 1 that keeps him under contract through 2006.
“We’ve had a premise and a game plan for that set aside all along in our plans — a Plan A, Plan B, Plan C type of thing — so we’ve been able to work through it,” general manager Floyd Reese said.
The Titans, who released left tackle Brad Hopkins on Wednesday, also declined options on backup quarterback Billy Volek and linebacker Peter Sirmon. Volek is signed through 2007, and Sirmon’s deal now runs through this season.
Hopkins ranks third in team history in games played with 194 and second in starts by an offensive lineman with 188, behind only Bruce Matthews. Agent Mark Bartelstein said they were leaving the door open to a possible return, and Reese said Hopkins deserved the right to look for more money elsewhere.
“If he can’t find something that suits him, he may be back. So again, we have not severed that relationship,” Reese said.
Team officials exercised options on offensive tackle Michael Roos and cornerback Pacman Jones that added a year to each of their deals. They also exercised an option on free safety Lamont Thompson and extended his deal for three years.
Coach Jeff Fisher said the 6-foot-6, 315-pound Roos is their new left tackle. A second-round draft pick out of Eastern Washington last year, Roos started every game last season, the last 15 at right tackle.
They extended one-year tenders to quarterback Matt Mauck, running back Jarrett Payton, converted safety Marcus Randall, linebacker Cody Spencer and safety Donnie Nickey.
They also renegotiated right guard Benji Olson to a four-year extension and running back Travis Henry to a new deal after a season in which he ran 88 times for 335 yards. Fisher said he expects Henry to take part in the offseason program starting March 21 and to be healthy for the season.
These moves were much less traumatic than a year ago when the Titans were forced to release six veterans in a salary cap purge.
“We talked about the plan last year,” Reese said. “We went through it. We had a tough time. We purged. We got past that. We said this year we would be 100 percent better off. We are 100 percent better off.”
Now a team that had so little money that filling the practice squad has been a problem at the end of the last two seasons is ready to test free agency with anywhere from $4 million to $6 million. Their first move was pre-emptive with the signing of defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch.
They also may sign center Justin Hartwig and safety Tank Williams, but both players will be testing free agency starting Monday. Reese expressed optimism that they may be able to bring back one or both, especially if free agency is filled with as many veterans as expected.
“We will be able to participate in free agency,” Reese said. “We will not be a big player. We will be able to participate. The players we have now, we have money pocketed in three or four different places.”
The Titans will be scouring the free agent market and willing to bring in a new player to replace someone currently on the roster, especially if some top players are released in what Fisher called these “unusual” circumstances.
“You couldn’t come off a 4-12 year and say we’ve got stars across the board,” Fisher said. “We’re going to try to create competition at every single position we can.”