Where do the Tennessee Titans stand as a team heading into the 2023 season? Many would argue they are no longer Super Bowl contenders and could be closer to a rebuild than a trophy. For vested veterans like Kevin Byard, who is a two-time All-Pro, yet is also set to turn 30 this fall, waiting for the Titans to be competitive again may not be ideal.
Meanwhile, for the Titans, having an aging safety with a $19.6 million cap hit in 2023 and a $17.8 million charge in 2024 may not be ideal. Trade rumors suggested the seven-year pro may be available this past offseason, but obviously, talks didn’t get far.
Yet, teams frequently make changes once training camps get near, and according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, teams interested in adding a talented safety could find a willing trade partner in the Titans with Byard. But who might be interested in adding the
New York Jets
The Jets are all in, right? They didn’t trade for a 39-year-old quarterback so they could miss the playoffs. No, the Jets’ competitive timeline started the moment Aaron Rodgers touched down in the Big Apple.
Defensively, after allowing the fourth-fewest points per game, coach Robert Saleh’s unit has few questions. But if we’re getting picky, adding a rangy free safety to the secondary could be viewed as a big boost.
Both Jordan Whitehead and Chuck Clark graded as the 46th-best safety out of 88 qualifiers per Pro Football Focus. With Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed, the Jets may be able to get by with lackadaisical safety play, but why not add another playmaker like Byard? He’s proven to be one of the best ballhawks in the league, with 27 interceptions since arriving as a third-round pick in 2016, and would create yet another obstacle for opponents trying to sail one past the Jets.
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Los Angeles Chargers
Derwin James and Asante Samuel Jr. already hold down the Chargers’ secondary quite well. The Bolts allowed the seventh-fewest passing yards per game in 2022. But Nasir Adderley, last year’s starting free safety decided to retire at the age of 25.
After allowing Adderley to test free agency, there’s a chance the Chargers didn’t want him back anyway. But they also didn’t do much to replace him, so now Alohi Gilman, a sixth-round pick from 2020, is the next man up, with 2022 third-round pick JT Woods also waiting in the wings.
But the Chargers can’t afford to gamble in the AFC West, taking on Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson, and Jimmy Garoppolo. Coach Brandon Staley and the rest of this organization want to not only show last season’s playoff appearance wasn’t a fluke but also that they’re ready to take on even the toughest competition in the NFL. With Byard’s playmaking ability, those inevitable shootouts with the game’s top offenses could favor the Chargers.
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Philadelphia Eagles
Perhaps knowing his team was a piece or two short, general manager Howie Roseman traded for CJ Gardner-Johnson last August. Now that Gardner-Johnson has moved on in free agency, the Eagles once again have a hole at safety.
Right now, last season’s undrafted rookie Reed Blankenship appears penciled in as the starter, with K’Von Wallace and rookie third-round pick Sydney Brown likely to factor in too. But if the Eagles want to take that next step, showing they still deserve consideration among the NFL’s best, getting another proven playmaker like Byard could go a long way once the playoffs start.
- Kevin Byard’s stats last season: 108 tackles, 4 INT, 6 PD
Byard has seen it all in his NFL career. He won’t be surprised by any coverage assignments or caught off-guard when an experienced quarterback tries to play pre-snap games at the line of scrimmage. If the Eagles want to ensure they’re one of the last teams vying for the Super Bowl once again, there may not be a better addition available than Byard.
