It appears the Titans thought highly of the Raiders’ special teams work during the 2016 season because they added a pair of core special teamers from Oakland as free agents on Thursday.
Adam Caplan of ESPN reports that the Titans signed linebacker Daren Bates to a three-year, $6 million deal and his colleague Paul Kuharsky reports that safety Brynden Trawick is coming aboard for two years. Trawick’s deal has $3 million in guaranteed money and is worth $4.75 million with incentives that could drive his final payout even higher.
Bates and Trawick both joined the Raiders before last season and went on to play more special teams snaps than any other players on the team. Neither saw much time on defense, which was also the case in their previous stops and will likely continue to be their lot in Nashville.
The Titans are also set to sign safety Johnathan Cyprien as they kick off free agency while tight end Anthony Fasano and guard Chance Warmack have moved on to other teams.