In recent days it was reported that the Tennessee Titans have had talks about a contract extension with pending free agent and defensive lineman DeMarcus Walker, who is set to hit the open market next week.
But it appears the Titans aren’t the only ones interested in signing Walker, with The Draft Network’s Justin Melo reporting that the veteran defensive lineman is receiving “a ton of interest” from other teams in free agency.
Walker was one of the biggest standouts on either side of the ball for the Titans in 2022. Signed to a one-year, $1 million deal, Walker returned ridiculous value, notching a career-high seven sacks.
#Titans impending free-agent DL DeMarcus Walker is receiving a TON of interest from outside parties, per league source.
The Titans are still in the race, but expect things to heat up within the next few days. Stay tuned.
— Justin M (@JustinM_NFL) March 9, 2023
Walker is an interesting case. He’s a career backup who put up starter-quality production while not seeing a full complement of snaps, en route to a career year at the age of 28.
How much he makes in free agency will be determined by how teams view him.
If the Titans and/or other teams see him as the very good rotational player he really is, Walker stands to receive more along the lines of what Spotrac estimates, which comes out to $3.2 million on a one-year deal.
If there are teams out there that view him as a starter, that will drive up his price and make it less likely the cash-strapped Titans re-sign him.
If we’re taking this report at face value, the Titans’ pursuit of Walker is trending in a bad direction for their hopes of keeping him.
