Antwon Blake to Titans: Latest Contract Details, Comments and Reaction

Defensive back Antwon Blake struggled during the 2015 season for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but the Tennessee Titans gave him the opportunity to redeem himself in 2016 following Thursday's news.

According to Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com, "The Titans and Blake on Thursday agreed to terms on a one-year contract."

Blake started his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars and played with the Steelers the past three seasons. While his durability and ability to stay on the field in the injury-riddled NFL jump out, he hasn’t made a huge statistical impact in the box score:

Season	Team	Games	Combined Tackles	Interceptions	Passes Defended
2012	Jacksonville Jaguars	16	12	0	0
2013	Pittsburgh Steelers	14	11	0	0
2014	Pittsburgh Steelers	16	42	1	6
2015	Pittsburgh Steelers	16	76	2	11

That didn’t stop Blake from generating plenty of interest this offseason. Mike Reiss of ESPN reported he held visits with the New England Patriots, Titans and Detroit Lions, and Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk opined that teams in pursuit of Blake could be looking to move him into a lesser role in 2016 after he was inconsistent as a starter last year.

While Blake was a starter last season, his overall struggles were a primary reason the Steelers allowed the third-most passing yards in the league in 2015. He had difficulty keeping up with speedy receivers in single coverage and also had trouble bringing down elusive ball-carriers and pass-catchers in the open field.

His issues were evidenced by this damning Pro Football Focus update:

Curt Popejoy of Steelers Wire (of USA Today) didn’t exactly have a glowing review for Blake as the defensive back entered free agency:

"

The stories of his inability to cover and tackle are the stuff of legend this season. Every time a player makes a catch, you can be sure that Blake will come in, head down and arms back so he doesn’t accidentally see the ball carrier, or wrap him up. I’m not sure what the Steelers coaches see in Blake, or why they continue to trot him out there in lieu of some of the other talent on this roster, but let’s hope that this type of season will put a merciful end to his tenure in Pittsburgh. 

"

Alas, the Titans may not rely on Blake as heavily as Pittsburgh’s suspect secondary did in 2015, which could open the door for improved play and more timely opportunities. He has also been a solid special teams contributor in the past and could slide into that role in Tennessee. 

If nothing else, he gives the Titans an additional piece of depth in the secondary as they look toward a potential playoff push in 2016.