The March 11th start of NFL free agency is almost upon us.
So this week we’ll look at 10 free agents I think should get a look from the Titans.
We've considered Pittsburgh outside linebacker Jason Worilds (since transition tagged), Brian Orakpo (since franchise tagged), Oakland end Lamarr Houston, Jets offensive tackle Austin Howard and Arizona linebacker Karlos Dansby.
Antonio Smith, DE/DT, Houston
Age: 32
Drafted: Fifth-round pick by Arizona out of Oklahoma State in 2004.
Career: Ten seasons with the Cardinals and Texans. 140 games, 117 starts, 41.5 sacks, 10 passes defensed, 10 forced fumbles, 11 fumble recoveries. One Pro Bowl.
2013: Started 15 games with five sacks, with one pass defensed and one forced fumble.
From ESPN Texans reporter Tania Ganguli: “He's a very strong pass-rusher, can overpower opponents and was a really nice foil to J.J. Watt. A great locker room guy, despite his antics.
“His teammates really like him and he likes to help them. Bill O'Brien and Rick Smith have both spoken highly of him in the past few weeks and he's under the impression he has a good chance of returning. Concern is he's not especially young.”
From ESPN.com’s resident scout Matt Williamson: “Smith is a penetrating 3-4 end that is one of the better interior pass-rushers in the league. However, he is up in age and his best football might be behind him.”
PFF says: No. 7 interior lineman.
My rationale: The guy is a pro who is versatile in a 3-4 front, lining up at end on early downs and able to kick inside in rush situations. He's a veteran presence who has helped two teams and can be a good contributor for a couple years.
