By Jordan Long
The Tennessee Titans agreed to a one-year deal with free agent wide receiver Eric Decker. This move gives the Titans a veteran wide receiver for quarterback Marcus Mariota to throw the football to. What could Decker bring to the team?
Decker is heading into his 8th season and the Titans will be his 3rd NFL home. He previously played for the New York Jets and the Denver Broncos. Decker is a valuable weapon because of his ability to catch the football. He surpassed the 1,000-yard receiving mark three times in his career. Decker has a total of 5,253 receiving yards. He is a dangerous receiver because he makes defenders miss and his yards after catch can create a large chuck of yards. His average yards per catch is an impressive 13.6 yards. Decker was available after the Jets failed to trade him and decided to release him on June 12th.
The Tennessee Titans needed another pass catcher for Mariota. The Titans have wide receiver Harry Douglas and tight end Delanie Walker. After Douglas and Walker, they don’t have a veteran and the core is weak. They decided Decker is well worth the risk.
Decker, when healthy, will play the outside receiver opposite of Harry Douglas. Defenses must decide which receiver to double cover and that might create mismatches. Whichever receiver they double cover, one should be open for large gains. Adding Decker will take the pressure off Douglas.
The downside of the deal is the health of Eric Decker. When he is 100%, he is one the top receivers in the NFL. Decker appeared in 3 games last season because of a shoulder tear and hip surgery. He was still productive with 194 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns.
On paper the Titans have strengthened the passing game which ranked 25th in the NFL last season at 221.3 passing yards per game. The Titans have to hope that Decker stays on the field. If he doesn’t, this was a wasted deal.
What do you think of Eric Decker heading to Tennessee to become a Titan?
I think it is a good move for Decker not just on a business side, but on a personal side. His wife sings country music, so being in Nashville is perfect for her. Deck can make a lot of plays like you stated when healthy so I really hope he is healed up and does well. I have remained a fan of his even when he went to the Jets so I would like to see him succeed as a Titan.