Teams spent hundreds of millions filling key needs on the first day of NFL free agency. This is a common trait that plays out each and every year, where some signings pan out and others end up being costly mistakes. The Tennessee Titans hope their biggest gamble turns out to be a risk worth taking.
Yet other teams aren’t impressed with one of the Titans’ decisions early on in free agency.
Related: 10 biggest winners from NFL free agency Day 1
Paying Dan Moore $21M per season nets Tennessee Titans ‘D’ grade in NFL free agency
The Tennessee Titans hired a new head coach last offseason, surprisingly firing Mike Vrabel and hiring former Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan. The first year results were a massive disappointment, with Callahan’s Titans going just 3-14, effectively ‘earning’ the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
With so many needs to fill on both sides of the ball, the Titans had a lot of work to do when the offseason kicked off. Their roster-building process started right away in free agency, where they signed former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Dan Moore Jr to a four-year contract worth up to $82 million.
It’s a shocking figure for a player who has never been tabbed as an All-Pro selection, let alone a Pro Bowl nod. Not to mention, Moore graded 46th among 141 tackles analyzed by Pro Football Focus last season, which is far from an indication that he’s worth top-15 tackle money.
Meanwhile, some, like The Athletic’s Mike Jones believe the Titans’ Moore signing merits a ‘D’ grade, which is the worst grade handed out to all signings on the first day of free agency.
“The 2021 Pittsburgh fourth-rounder certainly looks the part at 6-foot-5, 315 pounds. However, he has struggled, surrendering the most sacks (34) and pressures (181) in the NFL since 2021. Can he develop into a more reliable protector in Tennessee, where the Titans allowed 52 sacks in 2024, sixth-most in the NFL?”
The Athletic’s Mike Jones on Tennessee Titans’ Dan Moore signing
Surrendering the most pressures and sacks in the NFL since 2021 doesn’t sound like a winning formula. It’s not like the Titans have a veteran quarterback prepared to deal with constant pressure at his blindside either. Yet, perhaps there are other plans in the works.
For now, the decision to pay an average tackle top-tier money continues to look like a questionable decision. Yet, maybe there’s something the Titans coaching staff knows about their newest signing that few others do.
