Sad New: Bengals cornerback Chidobe Awuzie Has Been Issue” Including The Crisis With….
NASHVILLE — It’s that time of year, the NFL offseason, when free agency and the accompanying speculation are in full bloom. The Tennessee Titans, with salary cap space in excess of $65 million, are touted as potential suitors come March 13. ESPN recently released a list of the top 50 free agents, followed by a piece on good fits for those players. According to the matchmaking by ESPN’s Matt Bowen, Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marquise Brown and Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Chidobe Awuzie are best suited to join the Tennessee Titans. Bowen believes the speedster Brown would work well with Titans receiver D’Andre Hopkins as the team tries to retool the receiver room under new coach Brian Callahan and offensive coordinator Nick Holz. “Brown would add a different element to the Titans’ wide receiver room because of his vertical stretch ability and open-field speed after the catch on in-breakers,” Bowen said. “Brown has 28 touchdowns in his career (four with the Cardinals in 2023), with 10 of them coming on throws of 20 or more air yards. In coach Brian Callahan’s offense, Brown would work with DeAndre Hopkins and Treylon Burks to give quarterback Will Levis a versatile group of pass-catchers.” Awuzie would reunite with Callahan, who spent the previous five seasons as the Bengals’ offensive coordinator.
“The Titans need some veteran help in the secondary, as they allowed the league’s third-worst completion percentage to opponents (67.8%),” Bowen wrote. “And at 6-foot and 200 pounds, Awuzie not only has the man coverage skills to challenge on the perimeter, but also the fluid movement traits and closing speed to play off the ball in zone schemes. This is a solid fit for new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson. Awuzie didn’t have a pick in 2023 with Cincinnati, but he did make 57 tackles and force a fumble.” What might Brown and Awuzie command in salaries? Pro Football Focus, the sports analytics organization that grades the performance of every NFL player, projects a one-year, $12 million contract for Brown and two years for Awuzie with an average salary of $10.5 million. Two Titans are on the ESPN list. Running back Derrick Henry, at No. 37, is matched with the Baltimore Ravens. Cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting, No. 38, is paired with the Minnesota Vikings.
The Cincinnati Bengals have made a killing in the NFL Draft over the past few years. Obviously, it helps to draft guys like Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, but players like Tee Higgins, Jessie Bates, Germaine Pratt and Logan Wilson, among others, have been big hits outside of the first round. They have the chance to find some gems like that in the 2024 NFL Draft as well.
This draft looks to be deep, which bodes well for the Bengals to find some instant contributors later in the draft who could help them make another run to the Super Bowl. Two players look the part of players who could help the Bengals now and could be drafted Day 2 or after: Oregon’s Bucky Irving and Ohio State’s Cade Stover.
