Tennessee Titans taking a chance on former Bears pass rusher

Tennessee Titans Credit: Daniel Bartel-USA TODAY Sports

After two outside linebackers made their roster as undrafted free agents, the Tennessee Titans took to the waiver wire to find some additional upside off the edge. The Titans took a couple of players from the Chicago Bears, including their newest pass rusher Trevis Gipson. The other was cornerback Kindle Vildor, an intriguing nickel option for Tennessee going forward.

But the big story is the acquisition of Gipson, who was a fifth-round pick out of Tulsa in the 2020 NFL Draft. The Bears moved on, and nobody on the waiver wire was willing to bite and take on the final year of Gipson’s contract. The Titans came to terms with Gipson as a free agent and he has a unique opportunity to sort of resurrect his NFL career within Mike Vrabel’s defense.

The Titans’ top pass rushers right now are Harold Landry, Arden Key, and Rashaad Weaver. It’s not exactly a star-studded group although Landry is effective when healthy and Key is a bit underrated at this point. As a matter of fact, Weaver had the most sacks last year out of any Titans EDGE player at 5.5 and more QB hits than even Jeffery Simmons (15).

This was a calculated risk type of move for the Titans at a position that has been a desperate need for a handful of years now, and Tennessee just can’t seem to find the right guys to fill the void. They have tried players like Jadeveon Clowney and Bud Dupree, but to no avail.

So what does Trevis Gipson bring to the table?

He’s got more upside than the typical player passing through waivers at this time of year. At the age of 26, Gipson is just coming into his prime and has 10 sacks over the last two seasons combined. In 2021, he had a career-high 7.0 sacks. In 2022, he had a career-best 11 QB hits. He’s got 35 total pressures over the last two seasons combined.

All 7 of Trevis Gipson's sacks in 2021. Dude's a MENACE 😈 #Titans #TickleTickle 🧤 pic.twitter.com/VaLdnWYZmg

— Justin Graver (@titansfilmroom) August 31, 2023

Titans fans are obviously hoping for big-time production out of Gipson even though the Bears, who also need pass rush help, gave up on him. Gipson is a big body at 6-foot-4, 265 pounds. He is explosive and athletic at that size and I think getting him into Mike Vrabel’s defense where he can play a versatile role will be really helpful for him. He doesn’t need to strictly come off the edge to make an impact. I think the Titans can line him up in a variety of positions and find some success.

We’ll see how quickly he can acclimate to the defensive terminology and make an impact, but this was one of my favorite signings any team made at roster cuts.

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