Buck Reising, Tennessee Titans reporter and host of Tackling Music City, provides additional information on the team’s most recent addition at linebacker.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — With uncertainty and injury plaguing the team’s linebacking corps, the Tennessee Titans opted to bolster their depth by dealing a 2019 sixth round pick (per ESPN’s Adam Schefter) to the Baltimore Ravens for linebacker Kamalei Correa (6-3, 241).
The trade, first reported by Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic-Baltimore, was confirmed by Correa’s, agent David Canter, Tuesday morning.
Correa was selected by Baltimore in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft from Boise State and initially utilized as an inside linebacker without much success. In 25 games as a Raven, the 24-year-old notched just 19 combined tackles, one forced fumble and two passes defensed. The move of Correa to his more natural position of edge rusher seemed to have paid dividends for he and his former team through the 2018 preseason.
Unfortunately for Correa, Baltimore’s depth at outside linebacker was more than sufficient.
Harbaugh called the Correa trade “a good trade for both teams. We’re just stacked up at that position. Kamalei knew it.”
— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) August 28, 2018
“I think what (Correa) can do is he’s shown some versatility over the first part of his career,” coach Mike Vrabel said. “He’s played off the ball. He’s played on the ball. Had a really good preseason and what we felt like was that he can give us some depth at both spots. He can help us on fourth down, give us some rush but also be able to spell some of those guys right now that we have, whether it be (Derrick) Morgan or Brian (Orakpo).”
A high school teammate of Tennessee quarterback Marcus Mariota at the St. Louis School in Honolulu., Correa comes to Nashville at a time when the Titans depth at linebacker (inside and outside) is wearing thin.
2018 first-round pick Rashaan Evans has been unavailable for the vast majority of training camp with an undisclosed injury and is slowly being worked back into practices. Veteran Brian Orakpo has missed almost as much time as Evans after “bumping shoulders” with tight end Luke Stocker early in camp but made a return to the St. Thomas Sports Park fields Monday with limitations. Orakpo’s counterpart, Derrick Morgan, is reportedly dealing with a knee injury he sustained against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Aug. 18, 2018 second-round pick Harold Landry III has been held out of practices with an ankle ailment he sustained Saturday in Pittsburgh and undrafted free agent Sharif Finch did not practice Monday or Tuesday.
An all-conference performer at Boise State, Correa totaled 27 starts and 40 games and made 110 career tackles, 20 sacks, 31.5 tackles for loss and five forced fumbles during his collegiate career.
Tennessee waived linebacker Deontae Skinner in a corresponding move.
Comments