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John Franklin-Myers, Broncos standout and Robert Saleh disciple, signing with Titans
- Story by
- John Franklin-Myers, Broncos standout and Robert Saleh disciple, signing with Titans
The Tennessee Titans are bringing in big-time defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers as an NFL free agent per posts Franklin-Myers made on his social media account. Per reports, he's signing on a three-year contract worth up to $63 million per reports from ESPN and NFL Network .
Franklin-Myers, 29, has been one of the NFL's most consistently productive interior defensive linemen across the last five seasons, especially as a pass disruptor. Over his last two seasons with the Denver Broncos , Franklin-Myers logged 14.5 sacks and 96 total pressures. For comparison, Titans All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons logged 16 sacks and 109 pressures over that same span.
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Titans coach Robert Saleh has a long history with Franklin-Myers. After three years of struggling to find a foothold in the NFL, Franklin-Myers found a starting role on Saleh's defense with the New York Jets in 2021 and immediately became a difference-maker. In three years under Saleh's tutelage, Franklin-Myers started 50 games and put up 106 tackles, 14.5 sacks and 154 quarterback pressures. He did so primarily lining up as a defensive end and edge defender with the Jets, but he's since bumped inside into more of a hybrid tackle-end position on the Broncos' dominant front alongside top-tier teammates Nik Bonitto and Zach Allen .
Could Nahshon Wright, left, Jauan Jennings, Kevin Byard, top, Jamel Dean, bottom, and Tyler Linderbaum be Tennessee Titans's targets for free agency.
(Getty Images (3) / USA Today Sports / Imagn Images)
51. Mitchell Trubisky: QB | Age 31 | Previous team: Buffalo -The Titans need a reliable, experienced backup QB. Trubisky knows Titans OC Brian Daboll's system already and can help mentor Cam Ward.
50. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine: WR | Age 28 | Previous team: Miami -Nothing wrong with a couple of depth pieces who know your locker room and know what it feels like to win in your city.
49. Corey Levin: G/C | Age 31 | Previous team: Tennessee -Nothing wrong with a couple of depth pieces who know your locker room and know what it feels like to win in your city.
48. Chris Manhertz: TE | Age 33 | Previous team: New York Giants -A blocking specialist at tight end who spent the last two years with Daboll. Easy fit for a strong role player.
47. Roy Lopez: DL | Age 28 | Previous team: Detroit -A versatile, multi-use defensive lineman who can play end, tackle or nose. Think of Lopez as Sebastian Joseph-Day insurance if he moves elsewhere.
46. Oli Udoh: OT | Age 29 | Previous team: Tennessee -Don't waste a good swing tackle. Keep him around if you can and preserve continuity.
45. Ahkello Witherspoon: CB | Age 30 | Previous team: Los Angeles Rams -Witherspoon grew up in the league under Titans coach Robert Saleh's wing in San Francisco. Could be a steadying presence in a cornerback room in need of several bodies.
44. Jihad Ward: DE | Age 31 | Previous team: Tennessee -Ward's another holdover from the 2025 Titans who makes sense. Don't sleep on how productive he was on last year's beat-up defense.
43. Brian Robinson Jr: RB | Age 26 | Previous team: San Francisco -Robinson's a bruiser with starting experience who's also been productive catching passes. He shouldn't touch the ball 300 times, but he helps an offense.
42. Gabriel Davis: WR | Age 26 | Previous team: Buffalo -Can you believe Davis doesn't turn 27 until April? The Bills veteran knows Daboll's system and has plenty of experience running routes from the slot and perimeter.
41. Reed Blankenship: SAF | Age 27 | Previous team: Philadelphia -It's not high on the Titans' list of needs, but a reliable centerfielder of a free safety could help. Enter the former Middle Tennessee State player who's started 50 games in Philly.
40. Dylan Parham: OG | Age 26 | Previous team: Las Vegas -A young four-year starter who can fill a hole at guard, if there ends up being one.
39. Tyrod Taylor: QB | Age 36 | Previous team: New York Jets -There aren't many free agents around who've played for Saleh, Daboll and defensive coordinator Gus Bradley. Taylor's the perfect blend of first-hand experience, mentorship for Ward and game readiness if needed.
38. Rasul Douglas: CB | Age 30 | Previous team: Miami -The Titans are going to need a veteran cornerback like Douglas who'll help foster the rebuild on a short-term deal.
37. Quincy Williams: ILB | Age 29 | Previous team: New York Jets -Williams was an All-Pro under Saleh's watch in 2023. Inside linebacker isn't a huge need for the Titans, but the reunion makes sense.
36. Nahshon Wright: CB | Age 27 | Previous team: Chicago -Wright might end up being one of the highest-paid free agents on the market this year, but he's a classic boom-or-bust coverage option with really only one year of starting experience. A lot of risk for a huge investment.
35. Jamaree Salyer: OL | Age 25 | Previous team: Los Angeles Chargers -Having a swing lineman who can fill in at both guard and both tackle spots is an immense luxury. Salyer's that guy in this class.
34. Tyler Allgeier: RB | Age 25 | Previous team: Atlanta -The fact that Allgeier was as productive as he was playing behind Bijan Robinson shows he deserves a chance to be a starter somewhere, or at least a rotational one.
33. John Simpson: OG | Age 28 | Previous team: New York Jets -Starting guards are getting more expensive, but Simpson's a reasonable investment with past Saleh ties.
32. Bradley Chubb: Edge | Age 29 | Miami Dolphins -If Chubb's willing to sign on a short-term prove-it deal, he'd be a great asset as a productive player and mentor in this Titans rebuild.
31. Kirk Cousins: QB | Age 37 | Previous team: Atlanta -Consider Cousins the best backup QB on the market. He'd be one heckuva mentor for Ward.
30. Chig Okonkwo: TE | Age 26 | Previous team: Tennessee -Okonkwo was the Titans' leading receiver last year. Depending on the new regime's feelings about TE Gunnar Helm, Okonkwo is an option worth considering keeping around.
29. Travis Etienne: RB | Age 27 | Previous team: Jacksonville -The Titans' needs at running back are hypothetical but feel real. Etienne improves the room, but the question is who'd be released to make space.
28. Sebastian Joseph-Day: DL | Age 30 | Previous team: Tennessee -Good quality starters who've seemingly enjoyed their times in Tennessee. The Titans don't get worse for retaining them.
27. Kevin Zeitler: OG | Age 35 | Previous team: Tennessee -Good quality starters who've seemingly enjoyed their times in Tennessee. The Titans don't get worse for retaining them.
26. Cade Otton: TE | Age 26 | Previous team: Tampa Bay -Again: It's tough to weigh the Titans' need for tight end depth against the investment in Helm. Otton's an all-around good player though.
25. Alontae Taylor: CB | Age 27 | Previous team: New Orleans -Taylor's a local kid made good who'd improve the cornerback room. The question is how well he'd fit as a nickel in Saleh's defense.
24. Romeo Doubs: WR | Age 25 | Previous team: Green Bay -The first in a long line of free agents in this top 25 who fall in the bucket of "how much do you want to pay for a No. 2 receiver?"
23. Kevin Byard: SAF | Age 32 | Previous team: Chicago -Too good, too valuable, too beloved and too easy of a PR move to not at least consider bringing back.
22. Riq Woolen: CB | Age 26 | Previous team: Seattle -There's no denying how dominant Woolen is at his best. There might be questions about how to count on Woolen being at his best often enough to justify a big contract.
21. Cordale Flott: CB | Age 24 | Previous team: New York Giants -Flott was quietly a very effective rotational cover corner for the Giants last year and deserves a chance at a long-term starting role.
20. Dre'Mont Jones: Edge | Age 29 | Previous team: Baltimore -The Titans got a fifth-round pick for trading Jones in November. Now they can bring him back and he'll factor in as a No. 1 edge option again.
19. Kenneth Walker III: RB | Age 25 | Previous team: Seattle -It's hard to imagine the reigning Super Bowl MVP hitting the market, but the Titans would have to explore adding him if such an event comes to be.
18. Jauan Jennings: WR | Age 28 | Previous team: San Francisco -Another local kid, and another No. 2 receiver option. He helps the team for the right price.
17. Alijah Vera-Tucker: OG | Age 26 | Previous team: New York Jets -Vera-Tucker missed all of 2025 with injury. There's clearly risk involved to bringing him in, Saleh connection or not, but he's clearly also a starting-caliber interior lineman.
16. Daniel Faalele: OG | Age 26 | Previous team: Baltimore -Maybe not significantly better than Vera-Tucker, but also not coming off an injury.
15. David Onyemata: DL | Age 33 | Previous team: Atlanta -If anyone can be "famously underrated," it's Onyemata. Pair him with Jeffery Simmons for a mean interior duo.
14. Odafe Oweh: Edge | Age 27 | Previous team: Los Angeles Chargers -Whoever signs Oweh is going to have to pay him like a No. 1 edge rusher. While it doesn't feel aligned with the Titans' strategy to do so at a premium position, Oweh's got tremendous upside.
13. David Edwards: OG | Age 28 | Previous team: Buffalo -Edwards is going to demand a hefty price, but that's fair for a cornerstone option on the offensive line.
12. Eric Stokes: CB | Age 27 | Previous team: Las Vegas -Stokes is a former first-round pick coming off arguably his best pro season after taking a few years to figure things out. This might be the right time to buy on talent that's always been obvious.
11. Rashid Shaheed: WR | Age 27 | Previous team: Seattle -Speed. Invest in it. Rebuild your team around it. Shaheed knows how to get behind defenders like very few others can.
10. Boye Mafe: Edge | Age 27 | Previous team: Seattle -Mafe's always been a better eye-test edge rusher than production-based edge rusher. The lower sack count helps the Titans court a player who might be worth as much as Oweh for a lower price tag.
9. Jamel Dean: CB | Age 29 | Previous team: Tampa Bay -Dean is the epitome of reliability, and he's been this reliable playing his whole career in one of the blitz-heaviest defenses possible that asks more of him than the average cornerback.
8. Connor McGovern: C | Age 28 | Previous team: Buffalo -McGovern hasn't allowed a sack in 1,350 pass blocking snaps over the last two years. How's that for a sales pitch?
7. Trey Hendrickson: Edge | Age 31 | Previous team: Cincinnati -Hendrickson might just be the most valuable player in free agency, but it'll be a little out of character for the Titans to give a long-term, big-money contract to a free agent on the wrong side of 30.
6. Jaylen Watson: CB | Age 27 | Previous team: Kansas City -Don't be scared off by the idea of another Kansas City cornerback. Watson is less of a boom-or-bust option than L'Jarius Sneed ever was, and if he hits the open market he likely does so as CB1.
5. Wan'Dale Robinson: WR | Age 25 | Previous team: New York Giants -See No. 4.
4. Alec Pierce: WR | Age 25 | Previous team: Indianapolis -Pierce had 1,003 yards and six touchdowns in 2025. Robinson had 1,014 yards and four touchdowns. The difference was Pierce did so on 47 catches, while Robinson did his work on 92 catches. It's a battle between the game-breaking field stretcher and the game-managing drive extender for top Titans receiver target.
3. Jaelan Phillips: Edge | Age 26 | Previous team: Philadelphia -Phillips is about to be a very, very rich man, and deservedly so. It'd be malpractice to not at least see what the asking price is.
2. John Franklin-Myers: DL | Age 29 | Previous team: Denver -A central cog in Denver's dominant pass rush the last two seasons, Franklin-Myers is a hyper-productive interior lineman with Saleh ties who hasn't exactly hidden his allegiances to Saleh and some of his former teammates who've resurfaced with the Titans on social media. Pair him with Simmons and the Titans easily have the best defensive interior in the NFL.
1. Tyler Linderbaum: C | Age 25 | Previous team: Baltimore -Linderbaum might just be the NFL's best interior lineman. He's only missed two games in four years. He's made three straight Pro Bowls. He's only allowed 15 quarterback hits and sacks in his whole career. It's hard to imagine a better gift for Cam Ward than the gift of almost automatic security up the middle.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
Could Nahshon Wright, left, Jauan Jennings, Kevin Byard, top, Jamel Dean, bottom, and Tyler Linderbaum be Tennessee Titans's targets for free agency.
(Getty Images (3) / USA Today Sports / Imagn Images)
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
Could Nahshon Wright, left, Jauan Jennings, Kevin Byard, top, Jamel Dean, bottom, and Tyler Linderbaum be Tennessee Titans's targets for free agency.
(Getty Images (3) / USA Today Sports / Imagn Images)
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
51. Mitchell Trubisky: QB | Age 31 | Previous team: Buffalo -The Titans need a reliable, experienced backup QB. Trubisky knows Titans OC Brian Daboll's system already and can help mentor Cam Ward.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
50. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine: WR | Age 28 | Previous team: Miami -Nothing wrong with a couple of depth pieces who know your locker room and know what it feels like to win in your city.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
49. Corey Levin: G/C | Age 31 | Previous team: Tennessee -Nothing wrong with a couple of depth pieces who know your locker room and know what it feels like to win in your city.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
48. Chris Manhertz: TE | Age 33 | Previous team: New York Giants -A blocking specialist at tight end who spent the last two years with Daboll. Easy fit for a strong role player.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
47. Roy Lopez: DL | Age 28 | Previous team: Detroit -A versatile, multi-use defensive lineman who can play end, tackle or nose. Think of Lopez as Sebastian Joseph-Day insurance if he moves elsewhere.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
46. Oli Udoh: OT | Age 29 | Previous team: Tennessee -Don't waste a good swing tackle. Keep him around if you can and preserve continuity.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
45. Ahkello Witherspoon: CB | Age 30 | Previous team: Los Angeles Rams -Witherspoon grew up in the league under Titans coach Robert Saleh's wing in San Francisco. Could be a steadying presence in a cornerback room in need of several bodies.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
44. Jihad Ward: DE | Age 31 | Previous team: Tennessee -Ward's another holdover from the 2025 Titans who makes sense. Don't sleep on how productive he was on last year's beat-up defense.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
43. Brian Robinson Jr: RB | Age 26 | Previous team: San Francisco -Robinson's a bruiser with starting experience who's also been productive catching passes. He shouldn't touch the ball 300 times, but he helps an offense.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
42. Gabriel Davis: WR | Age 26 | Previous team: Buffalo -Can you believe Davis doesn't turn 27 until April? The Bills veteran knows Daboll's system and has plenty of experience running routes from the slot and perimeter.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
41. Reed Blankenship: SAF | Age 27 | Previous team: Philadelphia -It's not high on the Titans' list of needs, but a reliable centerfielder of a free safety could help. Enter the former Middle Tennessee State player who's started 50 games in Philly.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
40. Dylan Parham: OG | Age 26 | Previous team: Las Vegas -A young four-year starter who can fill a hole at guard, if there ends up being one.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
39. Tyrod Taylor: QB | Age 36 | Previous team: New York Jets -There aren't many free agents around who've played for Saleh, Daboll and defensive coordinator Gus Bradley. Taylor's the perfect blend of first-hand experience, mentorship for Ward and game readiness if needed.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
38. Rasul Douglas: CB | Age 30 | Previous team: Miami -The Titans are going to need a veteran cornerback like Douglas who'll help foster the rebuild on a short-term deal.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
37. Quincy Williams: ILB | Age 29 | Previous team: New York Jets -Williams was an All-Pro under Saleh's watch in 2023. Inside linebacker isn't a huge need for the Titans, but the reunion makes sense.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
36. Nahshon Wright: CB | Age 27 | Previous team: Chicago -Wright might end up being one of the highest-paid free agents on the market this year, but he's a classic boom-or-bust coverage option with really only one year of starting experience. A lot of risk for a huge investment.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
35. Jamaree Salyer: OL | Age 25 | Previous team: Los Angeles Chargers -Having a swing lineman who can fill in at both guard and both tackle spots is an immense luxury. Salyer's that guy in this class.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
34. Tyler Allgeier: RB | Age 25 | Previous team: Atlanta -The fact that Allgeier was as productive as he was playing behind Bijan Robinson shows he deserves a chance to be a starter somewhere, or at least a rotational one.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
33. John Simpson: OG | Age 28 | Previous team: New York Jets -Starting guards are getting more expensive, but Simpson's a reasonable investment with past Saleh ties.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
32. Bradley Chubb: Edge | Age 29 | Miami Dolphins -If Chubb's willing to sign on a short-term prove-it deal, he'd be a great asset as a productive player and mentor in this Titans rebuild.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
31. Kirk Cousins: QB | Age 37 | Previous team: Atlanta -Consider Cousins the best backup QB on the market. He'd be one heckuva mentor for Ward.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
30. Chig Okonkwo: TE | Age 26 | Previous team: Tennessee -Okonkwo was the Titans' leading receiver last year. Depending on the new regime's feelings about TE Gunnar Helm, Okonkwo is an option worth considering keeping around.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
29. Travis Etienne: RB | Age 27 | Previous team: Jacksonville -The Titans' needs at running back are hypothetical but feel real. Etienne improves the room, but the question is who'd be released to make space.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
28. Sebastian Joseph-Day: DL | Age 30 | Previous team: Tennessee -Good quality starters who've seemingly enjoyed their times in Tennessee. The Titans don't get worse for retaining them.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
27. Kevin Zeitler: OG | Age 35 | Previous team: Tennessee -Good quality starters who've seemingly enjoyed their times in Tennessee. The Titans don't get worse for retaining them.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
26. Cade Otton: TE | Age 26 | Previous team: Tampa Bay -Again: It's tough to weigh the Titans' need for tight end depth against the investment in Helm. Otton's an all-around good player though.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
25. Alontae Taylor: CB | Age 27 | Previous team: New Orleans -Taylor's a local kid made good who'd improve the cornerback room. The question is how well he'd fit as a nickel in Saleh's defense.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
24. Romeo Doubs: WR | Age 25 | Previous team: Green Bay -The first in a long line of free agents in this top 25 who fall in the bucket of "how much do you want to pay for a No. 2 receiver?"
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
23. Kevin Byard: SAF | Age 32 | Previous team: Chicago -Too good, too valuable, too beloved and too easy of a PR move to not at least consider bringing back.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
22. Riq Woolen: CB | Age 26 | Previous team: Seattle -There's no denying how dominant Woolen is at his best. There might be questions about how to count on Woolen being at his best often enough to justify a big contract.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
21. Cordale Flott: CB | Age 24 | Previous team: New York Giants -Flott was quietly a very effective rotational cover corner for the Giants last year and deserves a chance at a long-term starting role.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
20. Dre'Mont Jones: Edge | Age 29 | Previous team: Baltimore -The Titans got a fifth-round pick for trading Jones in November. Now they can bring him back and he'll factor in as a No. 1 edge option again.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
19. Kenneth Walker III: RB | Age 25 | Previous team: Seattle -It's hard to imagine the reigning Super Bowl MVP hitting the market, but the Titans would have to explore adding him if such an event comes to be.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
18. Jauan Jennings: WR | Age 28 | Previous team: San Francisco -Another local kid, and another No. 2 receiver option. He helps the team for the right price.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
17. Alijah Vera-Tucker: OG | Age 26 | Previous team: New York Jets -Vera-Tucker missed all of 2025 with injury. There's clearly risk involved to bringing him in, Saleh connection or not, but he's clearly also a starting-caliber interior lineman.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
16. Daniel Faalele: OG | Age 26 | Previous team: Baltimore -Maybe not significantly better than Vera-Tucker, but also not coming off an injury.
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15. David Onyemata: DL | Age 33 | Previous team: Atlanta -If anyone can be "famously underrated," it's Onyemata. Pair him with Jeffery Simmons for a mean interior duo.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
14. Odafe Oweh: Edge | Age 27 | Previous team: Los Angeles Chargers -Whoever signs Oweh is going to have to pay him like a No. 1 edge rusher. While it doesn't feel aligned with the Titans' strategy to do so at a premium position, Oweh's got tremendous upside.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
13. David Edwards: OG | Age 28 | Previous team: Buffalo -Edwards is going to demand a hefty price, but that's fair for a cornerstone option on the offensive line.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
12. Eric Stokes: CB | Age 27 | Previous team: Las Vegas -Stokes is a former first-round pick coming off arguably his best pro season after taking a few years to figure things out. This might be the right time to buy on talent that's always been obvious.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
11. Rashid Shaheed: WR | Age 27 | Previous team: Seattle -Speed. Invest in it. Rebuild your team around it. Shaheed knows how to get behind defenders like very few others can.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
10. Boye Mafe: Edge | Age 27 | Previous team: Seattle -Mafe's always been a better eye-test edge rusher than production-based edge rusher. The lower sack count helps the Titans court a player who might be worth as much as Oweh for a lower price tag.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
9. Jamel Dean: CB | Age 29 | Previous team: Tampa Bay -Dean is the epitome of reliability, and he's been this reliable playing his whole career in one of the blitz-heaviest defenses possible that asks more of him than the average cornerback.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
8. Connor McGovern: C | Age 28 | Previous team: Buffalo -McGovern hasn't allowed a sack in 1,350 pass blocking snaps over the last two years. How's that for a sales pitch?
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
7. Trey Hendrickson: Edge | Age 31 | Previous team: Cincinnati -Hendrickson might just be the most valuable player in free agency, but it'll be a little out of character for the Titans to give a long-term, big-money contract to a free agent on the wrong side of 30.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
6. Jaylen Watson: CB | Age 27 | Previous team: Kansas City -Don't be scared off by the idea of another Kansas City cornerback. Watson is less of a boom-or-bust option than L'Jarius Sneed ever was, and if he hits the open market he likely does so as CB1.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
5. Wan'Dale Robinson: WR | Age 25 | Previous team: New York Giants -See No. 4.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
4. Alec Pierce: WR | Age 25 | Previous team: Indianapolis -Pierce had 1,003 yards and six touchdowns in 2025. Robinson had 1,014 yards and four touchdowns. The difference was Pierce did so on 47 catches, while Robinson did his work on 92 catches. It's a battle between the game-breaking field stretcher and the game-managing drive extender for top Titans receiver target.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
3. Jaelan Phillips: Edge | Age 26 | Previous team: Philadelphia -Phillips is about to be a very, very rich man, and deservedly so. It'd be malpractice to not at least see what the asking price is.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
2. John Franklin-Myers: DL | Age 29 | Previous team: Denver -A central cog in Denver's dominant pass rush the last two seasons, Franklin-Myers is a hyper-productive interior lineman with Saleh ties who hasn't exactly hidden his allegiances to Saleh and some of his former teammates who've resurfaced with the Titans on social media. Pair him with Simmons and the Titans easily have the best defensive interior in the NFL.
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Tennessee Titans best free agents available: Our top 51 players ranked
1. Tyler Linderbaum: C | Age 25 | Previous team: Baltimore -Linderbaum might just be the NFL's best interior lineman. He's only missed two games in four years. He's made three straight Pro Bowls. He's only allowed 15 quarterback hits and sacks in his whole career. It's hard to imagine a better gift for Cam Ward than the gift of almost automatic security up the middle.
Since 2021, only four players who weigh in at Franklin-Myers' listed weight of 288 pounds or heavier have more sacks and tackles for loss than Franklin-Myers does: Chris Jones , DeForest Buckner , Leonard Williams and Quinnen Williams .
The Titans need help on the defensive line heading into 2026. Past contributors Sebastian Joseph-Day and James Lynch are free agents and the Titans traded two-year starter T'Vondre Sweat to the New York Jets in February in exchange for edge defender Jermaine Johnson II. That leaves Simmons as the only prominent defensive lineman under contract for 2026, with Simmons coming off a first-team All-Pro season that ranks as one of the best defensive seasons by any player in Titans history, regardless of position.
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Franklin-Myers wasn't shy about his connections to the Titans in the build-up to free agency. The veteran put out several social media posts voicing his approval about everyone from Saleh to Johnson to the support staff. Johnson returned the favor with a social media post encouraging Franklin-Myers to sign with the Titans in the days before free agency.
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com . Follow Nick on X @nicksuss . Subscribe to the Talkin' Titans newsletter for updates sent directly to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: John Franklin-Myers signing with Titans, reuniting with Robert Saleh
