The Titans Arthur Smith Free Agents May Want in Falcons

We don’t know who will be on Arthur Smith’s technical team yet, but we Does find out who will be attacking the free agency for the Titans of Tennessee this spring. The simple fact that these players played for or at least on the same team that Smith coached means speculation about an influx of former Titans to Atlanta is a very reasonable thing to speculate on. Let’s do this today.

A tip of my hat to my old friend Aaron Freeman, who saved me several minutes by gathering all the free Titans 2021 agents in a tweet.

From the list above, here are the most likely candidates to join Atlanta, in my humble opinion. Prepare to be disappointed, as Falcons won’t be sitting in a lot of cover space and because there are only a handful of highlights in this class for Tennessee. I added two players who are not on Aaron’s list, but they deserve consideration, and we will target them first.

RB D’Onta Foreman

Foreman is a legitimately intriguing addition to the Falcons backfield, even though I didn’t expect him to necessarily have a prominent role in it. Foreman advanced 95 yards on 22 shipments in a very limited role in Tennessee last year, and showed flashes in 2017 as a rookie back. He has since recovered from an injury and the Texans cut him off for what they call bad work habits, but he will only be 25 in 2021, he will run with energy and be accessible. With only Ito Smith, Qadree Ollison and Tony Brooks-James under contract, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the team add Foreman to the mix along with a draft choice.

OG Jamil Douglas

The old Falcon would be an accessible depth for a team with very little depth in the interior. This is not particularly exciting, but it is true.

TE Geoff Swaim

We would all love to see Jonnu Smith in Atlanta, due to his productivity and talent, but I have a feeling that teams like the Patriots, Jaguars and Jets, who are hungry for passing options in position, will put more money and muscle into trying to catch him . Swaim, however, looks like a strong candidate to join.

The blocking tight end caught 9 balls for 83 yards and a touchdown last year and played 33% of offensive snaps, as well as 34% of special team snaps. He was useful in opening holes for Derrick Henry and would almost certainly be called upon to play a similar role in Atlanta, with Hurst probably dominating the snaps and targets. Given the intersection of skill, cost and familiarity with Smith, it is worth keeping an eye on Swaim and MyCole Pruitt.

OL Ty Sambrailo

You all missed this man, didn’t you?

Sambrailo played 39% of the snaps and started 5 games for the Titans in 2020, ranking with a respectable 65.9 Pro Football Focus score. The Falcons don’t have many offensive reserve players under contract – although they should make hiring Matt Gono a priority – and Sambrailo’s familiarity with Smith and his proven ability to do a good job in attack is a good omen for his chances to return to Atlanta. We can only hope that Smith has an unlikely touchdown pass prepared for him.

DL Jaedeveon Clowney

It is probably a remote hypothesis, but I am including it because I am still in love with Clowney and its value in the open market may not be what it was before.

In the past two seasons, Clowney has had three combined bags. He played in just 8 games in 2020 after playing in just 13 in 2019, and he controlled only 12 pressures (by Professional Football Referral) in those 8 games. He’s still a force against the race and still a capable pass rusher, but he hasn’t produced at an elite level since 2018.

He is still only 28 years old and would be an excellent addition to a team hungry for help in the defensive line. If the right defensive coordinator comes in and Clowney’s next contract doesn’t break the bank, he must be a target.

DL Jack Crawford

He is perfectly capable of playing defense and riding on the inside and was a fan favorite during his days in Atlanta. The versatility, his solid work as a pass rusher and his possible connections with Smith’s defensive team can make it a deep budget signature for this Falcons team.

CB Desmond King

Falcons are suffering because of reserve cornerbacks. We are not sure who will lead the defense of Arthur Smith, but if he is a member of the current team in Tennessee, King may be at stake as a reserve and compete for a starting position. He has experience since his days with the Chargers, has dealt with punt returns in the past and probably will not break the bank as an addition. Very little is decided after AJ Terrell on this depth chart, so King may find Atlanta an attractive landing spot for that reason too.

Who would you add if you were Terry Fontenot and Arthur Smith?