As any Titans fan will tell you, Keith Bulluck has been a mainstay of the organization since they drafted him 10 years ago. He has always played well and played hard, even when the team was really, really, really bad. Like many fans do with Pro Bowl lifers, Titans fans have developed a special attachment to Keith Bulluck and desperately want the Titans to resign him. As always in these cases, fans will blame the Front Office if a deal is not worked out (in baseball and basketball, this is mostly true for small market teams, but in the NFL, its as much on the players and the management of the salary cap than directly the fault of the front office).
However, I have to say, there is a very compelling case as to why the Titans should not resign Keith Bulluck, unless he is willing to play for a much reduced salary. Here it is as I see it:
1. He’s old, and is coming off a severe knee injury that not only ended last years season, but will more than likely kill his chances of being productive in 2010 as well. Then in 2011 there will more than likely be a lockout, so the Titans are looking at 2012 as the next time they will have him for a full season again and not coming off a huge knee injury. At that point he would be 35 years old with a bad knee. How much would he actually be worth?
The Titans run a defense that requires their linebackers to be good, if not excellent, in coverage on Runningbacks and Tight Ends. Keith has always been great at that, but will he be when he is 35 and on a bad knee?
2. Nobody knows his contract demands specifically, but his agent said his knee injury will not affect their asking price. If this is true, that’s retarded for the reasons in #1. His asking price should deservedly take a nosedive. Hopefully, it is just a negotiating tactic, but if it isn’t, I don’t see how the Titans could justify resigning him.
It is not a done deal the Titans should resign him
Tags: Keith Bulluck, Titans resign Keith Bulluck, Titans should not resign Keith Bulluck
