The Tennessee Titans made another splash signing that will bring a talented and experienced defensive back to a secondary that needs as much help as it can get.
After spending the first four years of his career in Tampa Bay, Sean Murphy-Bunting is officially heading to Tennessee after the two parties agreed to terms on a one-year deal worth up to $5 million.
Murphy-Bunting is a long and athletic cornerback who isn’t afraid to challenge receivers at the line of scrimmage.
Truthfully, he has all of the physical tools to become a top-notch cornerback if he can ever get to a point where his natural instincts and technique are on par with his natural talent and athleticism.
One of the biggest concerns with Murphy-Bunting is his injury history. The Central Michigan product has missed 13 games since 2021. Nevertheless, he provides the type of invaluable versatility that the Titans love in their players.
Last season alone, approximately 65 percent of his defensive snaps came on the outside, while a little over 27 percent took place in the slot.
SMB is an INT guy. More picks in the playoffs than some got in they career!! @seanbunting_ Athletic & can play both inside and outside! @Titans got them a playmaker who can do it on the big stage 🤝🏾💼 #LogKnows https://t.co/Ft3GDVuTar
— Logan Ryan (@RealLoganRyan) March 21, 2023
Also, according to Pro Football Focus, Murphy-Bunting finished the 2022 campaign with a coverage grade of 80.9 after allowing just 51.2 percent of the targets thrown his way to be completed and a passer rating of 59.6.
Murphy-Bunting ultimately finished the year with a respectable overall grade of 76.6.
This is clearly another relatively cheap “prove-it” type of deal for a player who has the potential to thrive now that he is in another system.
More importantly, this move now gives the Titans a deeper secondary and defense overall, and more options for a cornerbacks group that has a lot of injury concerns, but plenty of upside.
Jeffery Simmons
Harold Landry
Denico Autry
Arden KeyAzeez Al-Shaair
Monty RiceKevin Byard (🙏🏽)
Amani Hooker
Kristian Fulton
Sean Murphy-Bunting
Roger McCrearyIf the #Titans complete the SMB signing, their defense looks strong on paper.
Especially that front four pic.twitter.com/zMygRfyp0q— Shaun Calderon (@ShaunMichaels31) March 19, 2023
This signing, along with the others, should also allow the Titans to prioritize their offense in the upcoming draft — that is, of course, unless there is an unforeseen slide from a talented defender in which the prospect’s value trumps the team’s need at No. 11 overall.
The Titans get a strong grade for the signing of Murphy-Bunting, a move that has a ton of upside and very little risk.
Final grade: B
