2012 NFL Free Agency: Dan Koppen Will Reportedly Visit Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans have already made one move to fortify the interior of their offensive line this offseason—inking former Pro Bowl guard Steve Hutchinson to a free-agent contract—and it appears the team is preparing to make another, as Jason LaCanfora of the NFL Network reports they’ll bring center Dan Koppen in for a visit today.

Koppen, who has spent the entirety of his nine-year career with the New England Patriots, was limited to just one game in 2011, suffering a season-ending ankle injury during New England’s Week 1 win over the Miami Dolphins.

He’s a former 2003 fifth-round draft pick from Boston College who morphed into an offensive line cog for Bill Belichick, providing extreme consistency and dependability in protecting Tom Brady.

Koppen plays with an above average anchor in the passing game and although he’s not a mauler, he’s a functional run blocker who can out-leverage defenders.

The strength of his game—at least in the eyes of his former head coach—may be his intelligence, as Belichick once said about Koppen,

"

Seeing the front seven, even sometimes the secondary rotation on a particular play . . . he does that very well and is on the same page with our quarterback. He's really good at that, probably as good as anybody I've ever coached.

"

The Titans started Eugene Amano at center in 2011. However, he has endured major struggles in each of the past two seasons after signing a fat contract to take over for Kevin Mawae as the full-time center in Tennessee before the 2010 season. 

He’s still due somewhere in the vicinity of $11 million over the next three seasons, so the Titans may be looking to secure a replacement in the event that Amano’s ineffectiveness continues and he proves unworthy of his steep paycheck.