Titans remain in full chase mode for Super Bowl
NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Titans remain in full chase mode for another Super Bowl berth, spending what they need to compete and willing to draw the line only when they have serious questions.
The Titans restructured or extended a handful of contracts and reached new, long-term deals with All-Pro linebacker Keith Bulluck, tight end Erron Kinney and receiver Drew Bennett to get below the NFL’s salary cap by Tuesday’s deadline.
They wound up releasing only one player — veteran offensive lineman Tom Ackerman — and are waiting to see if they want to match an offer for defensive end Jevon Kearse.
General manager Floyd Reese said they postponed the inevitable but want to take advantage of talent like co-MVP Steve McNair.
“You get greedy that way. So somewhere down the line are we going to pay the piper? You bet we will. We’ll try to fend it off and fight it off as long as we can. As we’ve seen every team in the league that has won over a long period of time, you will pay at some period,” Reese said.
The Titans have won 56 games during the past five seasons, reaching the playoffs four of those five years. But they haven’t been to the Super Bowl since 2000 when they came up short against St. Louis.
Reese said returning is their only goal. But he thinks the Titans did a better job this year structuring deals to limit the pain in coming years.
But the Titans’ six-year, $36 million deal with a $12.5 million bonus for Bulluck is the team’s latest step in trying to keep a core group of players together, then fill in the remaining holes through the draft where the talent is young and cheap.
Bulluck led the Titans with 171 tackles last season and hasn’t missed a game since becoming a starter in 2002. He said he doesn’t miss testing the free agent market because he is more interested in building a dynasty in Tennessee.
“If I don’t get a Super Bowl ring, all it counts for is I was a great football player who made a lot of money,” Bulluck said. “There’s plenty of those out there.”
Signing Kinney means the Titans filled the starting slot left vacant by the retirement last month of Frank Wycheck. Kinney set career highs in every category last season, including receptions (41), receiving yards (381), touchdowns (3) and starts (16).
Tennessee entered the offseason approximately $16 million over the salary cap, which was among the highest such figures in the NFL. The franchise received a little assistance when the league announced the cap for this season would be $80.6 million, higher than teams anticipated.
Kearse, who started only 17 games the past two seasons, and defensive tackle Robaire Smith are likely gone as unrestricted free agents. That leaves 20 remaining starters from a team that went 12-4 last season and lost to eventual Super Bowl champion New England in an AFC divisional playoff.
Reese still has work left in free agency, but it involves bringing back Tennessee’s own players. He wants to sign McNair’s backup, Billy Volek, and hold onto receiver Justin McCareins, a restricted free agent the Titans tendered high enough to receive a first-round draft pick if they can’t match another team’s offer.
Tennessee saved most of its money by restructuring or extending contracts for McNair, defensive tackle Kevin Carter, safety Lance Schulters, left offensive tackle Brad Hopkins, right offensive tackle Fred Miller and right guard Benji Olson.
The Titans wanted to alter running back Eddie George’s deal, which involves a base salary of $4.25 million with a $1 million roster bonus. Reese said the Titans could afford to pay that to George, who averaged 3.3 yards per carry in 2003.
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