After six seasons with the Tennessee Titans, could cornerback Cortland Finnegan's time with the Titans be coming to an end? From the sounds of it that very well could be the case. And if he hits the open market, he certainly would be an upgrade for any team in need of improvements in the secondary.
And since the Bengals will be looking for additions in the secondary, it would be safe to assume that at the very least, they would consider signing Finnegan to play opposite of Leon Hall. Of course that's if Finnegan hits the open market.
As of Monday the Titans have not made any contract offers to the soon-to-be free agent.
"I can't negotiate with myself," said agent Terry Watson. "The Titans are going to have to put some numbers in a counter proposal."
From the sounds of that, it would appear as if the Titans have made little effort to retain Finnegan. But who knows what they are planning to do. Maybe this is a sign that the Titans intend to slap the franchise tag on Finnegan or that they are ready to move on without him in the picture.
If and when Finnegan hits the market, teams will move quickly to sign him. He has been one of the best cornerbacks in the league for years. And since the Bengals have an insane amount of cap space this offseason, it's rational to think that they would pursue him considering he would fill one of their holes.
For the Bengals, he would provide a significant upgrade over Nate Clements, Kelly Jennings, and Adam Jones. While Clements and Jennings both had respectable seasons, they were also inconsistent and consistency is something Finnegan would bring to the table. As for Jones, he didn't provide much production when he played. He was unable to stay on the field for much of the season. Finnegan would also provide the Bengals with a number one cornerback while Hall continues his recovery from an Achilles injury suffered during Week 10 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Last season Finnegan had 75 tackles, one interception, one sack, and one fumble recovery in 16 games. For his career he has 14 interceptions and has consistently been one of the top cornerbacks in the league. He has been one of the most durable cornerbacks since emerging onto the scene in 2006. He has played in all but three games in his career. Not bad considering all of the wear and tear cornerbacks endure every season.
It will be interesting to see if the Bengals pursue Finnegan if he hits the open market in March.