Givens signs with Titans; Mawae reaches deal
“My role at this team will be bigger,” said Givens.
Givens caught 59 passes for 738 yards and two touchdowns last year for New England. He would be a big boost for a receiving corps that featured three rookies last season with only one player with more than two years’ experience.
Givens’ agent, Bradley Blank, said the deal includes an $8 million signing bonus.
The Titans and center Kevin Mawae agreed to a four-year, $13 million deal with a $4 million signing bonus, according to Mawae’s agent, Mark Bartelstein. The 35-year-old Mawae, a six-time Pro Bowler, missed much of last season with a triceps injury and was released last month by the New York Jets.
Both players bring some much-needed experience to an offense that struggled in the 2005 season with injuries and an offseason purging of veterans to meet salary cap restrictions. The Titans ranked ninth in passing yards per game, but 23rd in rushing yards per game and 21st in points per game.
Titans coach Jeff Fisher said Givens should immediately slide into the role of lead receiver — a standing he fought for in New England with Deion Branch and Troy Brown.
“He researched it for the past couple of days,” Blank said of Nashville and the Titans. “He thinks Fisher is a straightforward guy, he liked the facilities, and spent a lot of time with the position coaches.”
“My opportunities here to flourish were a little bit better,” Givens said Tuesday.
Titans coach Jeff Fisher said he expects Givens’ experience should help second-year players Brandon Jones, Courtney Roby and Roydell Williams develop into better wide receivers.
“I’m a guy who leads through my actions rather than my words,” Givens said.
The move also will put Givens ahead of veterans Drew Bennett and Tyrone Calico. The Titans gave Bennett all of 2005 to prove himself after they released Derrick Mason. He responded with 58 catches for 738 yards and four touchdowns — a big drop from 2004 when he had 80 catches for 1,247 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Calico, a second round pick in 2003, struggled throughout the 2005 season after having his left ACL repaired in 2004.
Givens said he’s been watching quarterback Steve McNair for years and is excited at the chance to be catching throws from him. He said he expects that McNair will properly prepare any quarterback the Titans may draft in April.
Titans General Manager Floyd Reese said he had been interested in Givens for not only his speed and ability, but also his work ethic.
“He will hopefully be a Titan for a number of years and finish his career here,” Reese said.
For his career, Givens has 158 receptions for 2,214 yards and 12 touchdowns in four years with New England. He is the Patriots’ career leader in postseason touchdown catches with seven.
The Mawae deal comes a day after center Justin Hartwig agreed to a five-year contract with the Carolina Panthers worth $17 million. Reese said Mawae has fought through injuries in a way that reminded him of the retired lineman Bruce Matthews whose 296 games over 19 years was more than any non-kicker in NFL history.
“Kevin has been extremely durable just year after year,” Reese said. “Kevin is one of those guys who understands what winning is and knows how to win and can help everybody along that way.”
His 180 career games and 177 starts will make him the second-most experienced player on the Titans roster, just behind punter Craig Hentrich, who has played in 192 games in 13 seasons.
Givens and Mawae are two of three free agents signed by the Titans in two days. The Titans and linebacker David Thornton agreed Monday to terms on a five-year deal worth more than $22 million with an $8 million signing bonus.
Reese said he’s also pursuing Pittsburgh Steelers safety Chris Hope to add depth to the secondary where the Titans started rookie cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones and free safety Lamont Thompson last year. Reese is allowing Tank Williams to test free agency.
Hope, who had 69 tackles last year and three interceptions for an average 20-yard return, was expected to meet with the Miami Dolphins on Tuesday and the San Francisco 49ers on Wednesday.
“I followed him to his hotel … tucked him in bed,” Reese joked.