Report: Titans' Jack Conklin to Have 'Many Suitors' in Free Agency; Jets Linked
Rob Goldberg@TheRobGoldberg
Featured ColumnistMarch 1, 2020
Free-agent offensive tackle Jack Conklin could have his pick of options once free agency opens on March 18, although there are conflicting reports about where he will land.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported Conklin plans to sign with the New York Jets, although he wrote that it doesn't mean the two sides have "struck a wink-nod deal."
Conversely, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported he's not expected to end up with the Jets despite interest, adding the tackle "will have many suitors in free agency."
The 2016 first-round pick spent the past four years with the Tennessee Titans and started all 57 games he played, but the team decided not to pick up his fifth-year option for 2020.
Conklin tore his ACL in 2018 but played all 19 games for the Titans last season, including three postseason games on the way to the AFC Championship Game.
Though his play has been inconsistent since being a first-team All-Pro selection as a rookie, he was a reliable part of the Titans offense last season while helping clear holes for Derrick Henry, who led the league with 1,540 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns in 2019.
It would also represent a significant boost for the Jets if he signs there, helping a team that ranked 31st in the NFL in rushing last season and 32nd in yards per attempt. The team signed running back Le'Veon Bell to a four-year deal worth $52.5 million, but he struggled behind an offensive line that featured a lot of changes throughout the year.
Signing Conklin would help boost the run game while also providing more protection for franchise quarterback Sam Darnold.
Meanwhile, the 25-year-old said in January he "would love to be back" with the Titans, per Jim Wyatt of the team's official site, but the team will likely focus on re-signing fellow free agents Henry and Ryan Tannehill.
"To think all those guys will be back, that's just not going to happen," head coach Mike Vrabel said on Bleacher Report's Stick to Football podcast when discussing whether all of Tennessee's key free agents will return.