Titans owner Bud Adams just turned 90 years old, and his goal must be to drop a million per year on free agents.
The Titans have been among the most aggressive players in free agency, a move Adams himself signed off on.
“We want the right players, that’s the main thing. We have to get the players we know can perform and make us look like we’re a tough team to play against again,” Adams told Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. “[General manager] Ruston [Webster] knows how I feel about this thing now. . . . He is getting the job done.
“There are certain guys we may have to pay a little more than they should maybe be getting, but I want to win. . . . We may have to pay some more money, but I’m in. I’m ready to go with it.”
Frankly, the fact that Adams admits to overspending is great.
“We needed to be aggressive. Mr. Adams gave his blessing and allowed us to be aggressive,” Webster said. “But it was actually fun to set a plan and then just go do it. . . . And these were the guys we targeted.”
The Titans have spent $88.5 million on free agents, signing former Bills guard Andy Levitre (six years, $46.8 million) and former 49ers tight end Delanie Walker (four years, $17.5 million) on Tuesday, then coming back with former Lions defensive tackle Sammie Lee Hill (three years, $11.4 million), former Jets running back Shonn Greene (three years, $10 million) and former Colts linebacker Moise Fokou (two years, $2.8 million).
Adams joked that he hopes the money translates into playoff appearances.
“I may have a heart attack if we don’t,” he said. “I just had my 90th birthday and somebody asked me, ‘Adams, how long are you going to stay at this thing?’ I said ‘I’ve made it 90, so I might as well go to 100.’ And I’d like to get in the playoffs and see some winning football over that stretch, too.
“I am excited. I feel pretty good about these guys we’ve got now. And we have the draft coming up, too. Things are looking up.”
Maybe, maybe not, but it’s still awesome to watch Adams take off the mittens and throw the cash around.