Titans Face Big Offseason Decision on Linebacker Derrick Morgan

Last offseason, the Tennessee Titans let cornerback Alterraun Verner hit unrestricted free agency and quickly lost him to Tampa Bay in The Game Of Revis. While there were reasons to believe that Verner was not the elite top-notch corner he showed himself to be in 2013, he was also a building-block player for a team that needed them, and the Titans never proactively moved to keep him on the team.

Left to their own devices, the Titans spent last season shoving cornerbacks Blidi Wreh-Wilson and Coty Sensabaugh into the role that Verner left, like a child trying to hammer the square peg into the circular hole. It went as horribly as could be expected.

Enter outside linebacker Derrick Morgan. 

Morgan, 26, checks a lot of the same boxes that Verner did. He's not a star, but a capable building block. The Titans have never really been proactive on keeping him. And so the Titans will, again, watch one of those players hit unrestricted free agency in March unless they do something about it now. 

Year	Sacks	Hurries (PFF)	Hurries (FO)	QB Hits
2011	2.5	19	10.5	6
2012	6.5	42	28.5	21
2013	6.0	37	19	14
2014	6.5	37	n/a	8

Morgan is not much of a finisher, as you can see above. He only has 23 career sacks. But the value of the Josh Norris-coined "disruption equals production" means that Morgan is perhaps underrated by those numbers. After all, he seems to get quite a bit of pass pressure. He's stretched as a No. 1 pass-rusher, but I think he checks in somewhere between a solid No. 2 and a great No. 3. 

Tennessee's pass rush right now is almost entirely comprised of Morgan and defensive lineman Jurrell Casey. Per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), the two combined for 42 percent of Tennessee's hurries last season, and exactly half of their quarterback hits. 

While the Titans may be able to replace Morgan with their No. 2 overall selection, and perhaps improve on him, it's hardly a guarantee. Moreover, as I said, this team is in desperate need of building blocks. Why would it be a bad thing if they had Morgan opposite another strong rush linebacker?

Defensive coordinator Ray Horton's complicated blitz schemes can generate some sacks and pressure, yes, but down-to-down pressure threats can create a lot of tension on an opposing offense. That's what Morgan has done so far in his career.

Players	Sacks	QB Hits	Hurries	Pass Rush Grade
Casey/Morgan	12	23	65	+34.8
All other Titans	29	23	89	-30.2

But instead, the Titans appear to be approaching Morgan, like they did with Verner, as the child hammering something into the wrong hole. Morgan was moved from defensive end to linebacker and, to be charitable, had some growing pains with the switch.

Morgan told The Tennessean's John Glennon that he had to "adjust to coverage and responsibilities," which is not a surprise. He also struggled in run defense for a team that really didn't need any extra help in that area.

The name that comes to mind when I think of Morgan's free agency is another Verner teammate: Defensive end Michael Johnson.

Johnson, too, fled his team after a subpar season. Johnson is undoubtedly a better run defender than Morgan, but as pass-rushers, they have a similar pressure-heavy skill set. Oh, by the way, Johnson signed a five-year, $43.7 million deal with the Bucs last offseason, with $24 million in guaranteed money.

Player	Years	Snaps	Sacks	Hurries	Hits	Contract
Michael Johnson	2012-2013	1,899	15	75	25	Five years, $43.7 million, $24 million guaranteed
Derrick Morgan	2013-2014	1,842	12.5	71	22	???

When you keep in mind how few true edge-rushers hit free agency, and factor in that the salary cap will only be growing over the next few seasons, I expect Morgan to come in pretty close to Johnson's overall compensation package. 

That's a lot of risk for the Titans to take on given Morgan's lack of star power. And yet, if they don't sign him, the replacements could leave the pass rush in dire straits. It's an unenviable situation for a team that doesn't need any more of them. My belief is that the Titans will try to replace Morgan's production elsewhere, mostly because I don't think they believe he's a good fit for Horton's defense. 

But whether they re-sign him or not, I think the Titans will eventually lament not being proactive on a second deal for Morgan. An expanding salary cap creates an environment that rewards teams for locking up players to prices that seem crazy today but will be a drop in the bucket tomorrow.

This didn't have to be a problem for the Titans. But it is one. 

Rivers McCown is the AFC South lead writer for Bleacher Report and the co-host of the Three-Cone Drill podcast. His work has also appeared on Football Outsiders and ESPN.com. Follow him on Twitter at @riversmccown.