Three days after losing starting safety Johnathan Cyprien for the season to an ACL injury, the Titans have found his replacement, agreeing to terms with former Saints first-round pick Kenny Vaccaro.
Prior to landing in Tennessee, Vaccaro had generated little interest in free agency. This was less a reflection of his talents and more a function of a soft safety market this offseason that saw Tyrann Mathieu and Tre Boston sign one-year "prove it" deals in Houston and Arizona, and currently has Earl Thomas holding out in Seattle for a new deal (with no resolution in sight). Meanwhile, Eric Reid and Mike Mitchell -- who combined to start 25 games in 2017 -- are still looking for work.
Titans coach Mike Vrabel confirmed that the team had planned to work out Reid as part of the effort to find Cyprien's replacement, but NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reports that "multiple flight cancellations kept [Reid] from coming in," and when other teams showed interest in Vaccaro, the Titans moved to sign him.
"[Tennessee] had good talks with Reid and he remains an option down the road," Rapoport added.
Vaccaro, who was reportedly impressive in his workout for the team, arrives in Nashville after five seasons in New Orleans where he was the 15th overall pick in 2013. He started 12 games last season and had seven passes defended to go along with three interceptions, the latter a career best. He was also part of one of the league's best defenses, which ranked eighth overall efficiency (up from 31st in 2016) and fifth against the pass, according to Football Outsiders' metrics.
In Tennessee, Vaccaro joins a safety group that includes Pro Bowler Kevin Byard and Kendrick Lewis.
