The Los Angeles Chargers have signed enough former Ravens to be considered the Baltimore West, but maybe it’s time to start calling them the West Coast Titans. As of today, the Chargers have six former Tennessee Titans on their roster and practice squad.
Former Titans second-round pick Kristian Fulton signed with the Chargers as a free agent in hopes that better coaching would lead to a career resurgence (more on the coaching side of things later). After the draft, the Chargers signed EDGE Bud Dupree to a two-year deal. The veteran defender had only spent two years (2021-22) with the Titans after signing a five-year, $82.5 million deal.
It all went smoothly over the summer. Then general manager Joe Hortiz went to work, shuffling the team’s remaining players like a madman.
Suddenly, a wave of moves took place to add former Titans to the roster. Here they are:
- Signed NT Teair Tart (who joined the Titans as a UDFA) after his release from the Miami Dolphins
- Traded for DB Elijah Molden (former Titans third-round pick)
- He claimed RB Hassan Haskins (former Titans fourth-round pick) off waivers
- WR Dez Fitzpatrick (former Titans fourth-round pick) was signed to the practice squad
Also, the Chargers worked out EDGE defenders David Anenih and Thomas Rush today. Any idea where they came from?
Anenih: Signed with the Titans as a UDFA in 2022. No regular season snaps. Productive 2022 preseason at EDGE.
Rush: Joined the Titans in 2023 as a UDFA. Only 30 snaps, 2 pressures last preseason.
Shelton: 2023 CB UDFA while LAC assistant GM was with NYJ. 2 PBU on 5 targets this preseason https://t.co/FrotFQFyDq
– Tyler Schoon (@tylerjschoon) September 2, 2024
There are no known direct connections between the Chargers and these players. However, there are a few possible reasons why the Chargers are actively acquiring former Titans:
- Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter coached Vanderbilt in 2021, which is 10 minutes from Nissan Stadium where the Titans play football. Molden, Tart, Dupree, Fitzpatrick and Fulton were all Titans in 2021.
- To go back to Fulton’s quote about the Titans coaching staff failing him and setting him up for success: It’s very possible that Hortiz thought there was a lot more talent to be extracted from those Titans players than they were able to show. Today, Fulton appears ready to bounce back under Minter. Maybe he thinks these other players can follow the same path.
- It’s possible that the style and vibe of the players recruited during Mike Vrabel’s tenure matched Jim Harbaugh’s. Their team styles overlap somewhat.
Whatever the reason, the addition of at least six former Titans, with potentially more on the way, is notable. Five of them are expected to be active on game day, with one (Fulton) starting and three (Tart, Dupree, Molden) heavily involved in the defensive rotation.
