Washington Redskins fans fell out of favor with edge rusher Brian Orakpo due to his constant injuries and purported lack of playmaking ability, but Tennessee Titans fans have to feel satisfied with the job the 29-year-old has done this season.
Looking to juice up their pass rush this offseason, the Tennessee Titans inked standout 3-4 outside linebacker Brian Orakpo to a lucrative four-year deal worth $32 million with $13.5 million in guarantees. Ruston Webster and the Titans put plenty of faith in an aging pass rusher coming off of a 0.5-sack season in just seven appearances, but Orakpo has managed to bounce back to his 2013 form here in his first season in Nashville.
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As of right now, Orakpo is tied with elite defensive end Jurrell Casey for the team lead with seven sacks, and he’s encouragingly managed to stay healthy for the entirety of the season thus far. Meanwhile, his partner-in-crime Derrick Morgan, who was re-signed by the Titans this past offseason in an effort to put a studly 3-4 OLB duo behind Casey, has missed four games and has less than half of the number of solo tackles.
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Orakpo’s strong season is a big reason why the Titans front seven is among the NFL’s most underrated, and they quietly have one of the best 3-4 linebacking groups in the league. Avery Williamson and Wesley Woodyard have formed a solid young guy-old guy tandem at inside linebacker, and Orakpo’s and Morgan’s resumes speak for themselves.
Spending $13.5 million in guarantees on a 29-year-old pass rusher with a big injury history is usually something of a risk, but the Titans had no choice but to pay the man what he wanted. Not only is that the nature of the beast when you are a bottom-feeder trying to attract free agents at marquee positions, but, well, 3-4 outside linebackers with a reputation will always command a notable sum of cash on the open market.
Though Orakpo is signed through his age 32 season and has dead money spread throughout the duration of his four-year pact with the Titans, it’s hard to do anything but praise this signing. It’s been just 14 games out of the, theoretically, many the Titans could be paying him for, but the legitimacy that Orakpo helps bring to the table for this defense can’t be understated.
We always talk about how a veteran pass rusher, such as Julius Peppers, can help take a playoff team to the next level, but sometimes it’s important to recognize the value of a veteran pass rusher to a less decorated team. As we saw this season, Orakpo’s contributions aren’t going to make a team like the Titans a stronger threat, but you can only imagine how much worse a team that is 26th in net yards per pass attempt would be on defense without his seven sacks and consistent pressure.
Aug 23, 2015; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Titans linebacker Brian Orakpo (98) during the first half against the St. Louis Rams at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
It’s almost remarkable to think that Orakpo fell out of favor so quickly in Washington, but he became an under-appreciated commodity after his 2014 season, which coincided with Ryan Kerrigan taking the step to “elite” status.
Many forgot just how good Orakpo was in the previous season, and, well, he’s finding that form again.
Orakpo’s play will decline going forward, and the narrative could easily shift with a nagging injury or two, as those have been known to follow the former 13th overall pick.
That said, the Orakpo signing has paid off thus far, and, again, while it is still early, any positive free agent signing has to make the organization happy. After all, this is the same team that signed Harry Douglas, and, worse yet, thought it would be a good idea to give him more than pennies on the dollar in the process.
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I’m not sure if Orakpo’s play will last, but since the guaranteed money is quite reasonable, he would be cuttable in the future if injuries and decline do catch up to him.
The Titans would have to swallow the dead cap hit, but, for them, it’s arguably worth it considering how much he can help those around him as a pass rusher who can put pressure on the quarterback with regularity; those players aren’t easy to find off of the edge.