Tennessee Titans: Which Free Agents Should They Let Walk?

The Tennessee Titans' first season under Mike Munchak didn't end spectacularly. Despite a victory in the season finale, it ended better than we expected, while at the same time still letting us know how far they have to go.

New general manager Ruston Webster takes over for the newly promoted Mike Reinfeldt, and will begin handling the team's free agents after discussing those players with the coaching staff.

Tennessee has a whopping 19 unrestricted free agents heading into this offseason—20 before re-signing Craig Stevens.

The team is expected to continue to make major changes on the defensive side of the ball. 

Who does the team need to bring back and who should they let go to keep this team moving in the right direction?

Donnie Avery, WR

Avery was added to the Titans' roster after Kenny Britt suffered a season-ending ACL tear.

He spent the majority of the season as a healthy scratch and was largely ineffective when active.

There's no real reason to keep Avery around when the team can bring in a young prospect of its own through the draft.

Jordan Babineaux, S

If Babineaux can be brought back at a reasonable salary, then the Titans will jump to the deal table as quickly as possible.

While Babineaux did perform well in Chris Hope's stead this year, he is still not quite worthy of being a starting safety in the NFL.

The team could do a lot worse at strong safety and work on finding a player to develop via the draft.

Patrick Bailey, LB

Bailey's sole purpose on this team is to be a special teams stalwart. 

2011 was easily his worst season to date, as he finished with just nine tackles after never finishing with fewer than 14 in the first three seasons of his career.

I expect Bailey to be brought back at the veteran minimum, but he will have to compete with a more complete linebacker for a roster spot in training camp.

Dave Ball, DL

Since coming to the Titans, Dave Ball has become a quality backup defensive lineman capable of making spot-starts without much letdown at the position.

He is a bit undersized for new defensive coordinator Jerry Gray's emphasis on having big linemen and linebackers, despite being 6-foot-5.

With the amount of players set to hit the free agent market, the team should decide to bring back some solid depth for at least another year.

Kevin Curtis, WR

At age 33, Kevin Curtis has lost much of the speed that made him an intriguing option early in his career. 

He suffered a broken hand in the Titans' preseason finale and never saw the field again. With just seven receptions over the last three seasons combined, Curtis may have hit the end of his career.

Expect a lot of young competition at the position to make up for his departure.

Cortland Finnegan, CB

Cortland Finnegan is one of the most physical and feisty players in the game. He went through a bit of a down year in 2010, but showed a return to form this past season after being giving nickel back duties.

When he plays the way he did in 2011, he is a top-10 cornerback in the league. Finnegan seems to be resigned to the idea that he has played his last game as a Titan.

The emergence of Jason McCourty and Alterraun Verner has made Finnegan a bit more expendable, and the Titans may be a bit cautious to give him a long-term deal. But in the end, top-flight cornerbacks are hard to come by in this league.

I think, eventually, something will get worked out—barring any ridiculous contract offers being thrown his way.

Michael Griffin, S

Griffin has all the ability in the world, but can never seem to get his head screwed on correctly.

On far too many occasions he seems to suffer from mental lapses, resulting in blown coverages or poor pursuit angles.

He is an extremely emotional player who can be negatively affected by anything going on in his off-field life.

Perhaps a change of scenery would do him some good, because his days in Tennessee are over.

Ahmard Hall, FB

The re-acquisition of Quinn Johnson doesn't bode well for Hall's return to Tennessee this offseason.

Hall spent the final minutes of the Titans' season finale on the bench after suffering a concussion. This is certainly not the first concussion of Hall's career.

He is still an effective blocker, but with Chris Johnson averaging 3.99 yards per carry this season and the number of concussions increasing, I expect the Titans to go in a different direction at the position.

Chris Hawkins, CB

Hawkins surprised most fans and writers last offseason when he made the Titans' roster over veteran defensive back Frank Walker.

In the end, Hawkins spent most of the season on the Titans' practice squad. He will likely be brought back as a camp body and could be place on the practice squad again.

William Hayes, DE

It's sad to say, but Hayes is the team's best run-stopping end.

Hayes lacks the ability to get into the backfield and pressure the quarterback, but he does a solid job of staying on his feet and makes his way into the play on run dons.

Hayes doesn't appear to be a solid fit for Tennessee's new scheme. He lost his starting job this past season to Derrick Morgan and should be easily replaceable.

Chris Hope, S

After 10 years in this league, Chris Hope just doesn't have what it takes to be a starting-caliber safety anymore.

Hope fits more of the mold for what is fast becoming an obsolete version of a strong safety.

With the league becoming more and more pass-heavy, teams are looking for safeties who are much more capable in coverage.

It's evident that Hope has lost a step or two over the last two seasons making him a major liability in coverage. 

Expect to see him in another team's uniform next season.

Jason Jones, DL

From 2008-10, Jason Jones proved himself to be capable of being an upper-echelon defensive lineman.

However, for the 2011 season, Jones was moved from defensive tackle to defensive end for the team's new emphasis on being bigger on defense.

The move did not suit the four year veteran, as he was woefully ineffective throughout the season.

Because ones doesn't truly fit into new defensive coordinator Jerry Gray's plans to be bigger and the emergence of rookie defensive tackles Jurrell Casey and Karl Klug, it doesn't look like Jones fits into the Titans' future.

Perhaps he will make his way to St Louis to join former head coach Jeff Fisher and make his return to the defensive tackle position.

Mike Otto, OT

Otto was drafted back in 2008 to be developed as a the team's primary offensive line backup at tackle. With the likes of Michael Roos and David Stewart starting ahead of him, Otto hasn't seen much action.

He has made two starts in his career and his proven to be capable of stepping in at both tackle and guard.

First-year head coach Mike Munchak was questioned a bit about keeping 10 offensive linemen after cutting the roster size down to 53 players, but things worked out OK.

However, Otto may want to explore his options on another team that is not as set at tackle. Byron Stingily was drafted in last year's draft and looks primed to takeover Otto's role in 2012.

Good luck elsewhere, Otto.

Barrett Ruud, LB

Ruud was brought in to take over the Titans' middle linebacker position, because the team didn't like the size of Stephen Tulloch or his inability to force turnovers. 

However, Ruud seemed like a questionable fit for the new scheme, as he doesn't have the ruggedness to make plays in the running game the way Tulloch did.

After suffering a few injuries, rookie Colin McCarthy outplayed the veteran by a mile.

Don't expect to see Ruud back in the two-toned blue next season.

Jake Scott, G

Part of the talk heading into this offseason is focused on the Titans' weak play on the interior of its offensive line.

Since the departure of Kevin Mawae the team has lacked a true road grader at center or guard. Titans fan witnessed opposing defenses in the backfield on far too many run plays this season.

With Scott being the only starter in the unit to be a free agent, expect there to be a more run-oriented offensive lineman to be brought in to turn things around.

Tim Shaw, LB

Like teammate Patrick Bailey, Tim Shaw is relied upon for his special teams capabilities.

However, Shaw has consistently been the better of the two players, both on special teams and in actual linebacking skills.

I fully expect to see Shaw back on the squad when the 2012 season rolls around.

Malcolm Sheppard, DL

At 6-foot-2, Sheppard is undersized for a defensive tackle in any scheme. But he was picked up off of waivers from the Houston Texans to help out at defensive end.

He hasn't seen a lot of playing time during his two years in the league, which doesn't bode well for him being brought back for anything other than a camp body.

Anthony Smith, S

After six seasons in the NFL, Smith has played for four different NFL franchises.

He has been a career backup at the position and has too many athletic deficiencies to overcome. He also does not possess any real talent as a special teams player, hurting his stock even further.

Ultimately, a merely adequate backup safety with no special teams ability is a luxury that this team can ill afford to waste a roster spot on for a second season.

Fernando Velasco, G

On a team that starts Leroy Harris and Eugene Amano, Velasco has been unable to secure a starting job.

He started three games in 2010 (two at center, one at guard), proving to be adequate; but he is clearly still a developmental player.

Velasco will be brought back only if the Titans decide to fill other needs in the draft and free agency. He will likely return at the veteran minimum and continue to backup at center and guard.