The Tennessee Titans announced three roster moves on Wednesday including signing DL James Lynch to a contract.
The Titans also waived WR Tay Martin and LB Kyron Johnson with injury designations. These two players would revert to injured reserve on Thursday should they clear waivers.
Titans Cut Ties With Veteran WR & LB
New Tennessee Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi has already made broad sweeping changes to the organization in his first offseason at the helm. Cam Ward, the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, will be the team's new quarterback, but Borgonzi also turned over a fair amount of the roster otherwise.
No longer will the poor general manager tenures of Jon Robinson and Ran Carthon plague this franchise; Borgonzi is doing things his way. The team spent big in free agency and had plenty of draft capital at their disposal, so this should be a truly new-look Titans team next season.
Unfortunately, part of rebuilding a team is getting rid of several pieces from the previous regimes. On Wednesday, ESPN's Turron Davenport reported that the Titans were waiving both linebacker Kyron Johnson and wide receiver Tay Martin due to injury.
Johnson joined the Titans' practice squad early last season, but failed to ever be promoted to the active roster. He never played in a game for Tennessee, so his release is relatively unconcerning for the big picture of the team.
Martin only played in one game for the Titans last season, but he made his lone appearance count. He caught one pass for a 49-yard touchdown late in the season against the Houston Texans, and that glimpse alone should be enough for another team to sign him.
With the addition of linebacker Cody Barton and several wide receivers this offseason, both of these players became expendable. Borgonzi is already making tough decisions for Tennessee this offseason, and the Titans should be better off for it in the long run.
Titans Re-Sign Veteran Defensive Lineman
The Tennessee Titans are bringing back a familiar face to the team.
"The #Titans are re-signing veteran DT James Lynch, source said, giving the former #Vikings fourth-rounder a 1-year deal," NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport tweeted.
Lynch, 26, signed with the Titans practice squad shortly before the start of the 2024 season and eventually made his way into the team's defensive line rotation.
Lynch appeared in all 17 games for the Titans this past season, recording 20 tackles and a sack.
The fifth-year pro from Baylor played in just 23 percent of the team's snaps on defense during the season, but the Titans clearly liked him enough to bring him back onto the roster.
Lynch joins Abdullah Anderson, Keondre Coburn, Sebastian Joseph-Day, Jeffery Simmons and T'Vondre Sweat as the members of the Titans defensive line. Tennessee didn't add anyone in the draft on the defensive line, which likely prompted Lynch's return.
If the Titans had found a replacement for Lynch in the draft, the team might not have brought him back. Instead, Lynch will have a chance to compete for a spot on Tennessee's 53-man roster.
