Nania’s numbers say that one of the two former Titans released today could be a solid target for the New York Jets, but not the other.
The Tennessee Titans cut ties with two well-known players on Thursday: potential future Hall-of-Fame defensive end Cameron Wake and former Patriots running back Dion Lewis. Both of these players may scan the free-agent market immediately.
Naturally, whenever a well-known player shakes free, Jets fans will speculate whether said player is a good fit in Florham Park. They tend to nonchalantly come up with an answer of “yes” without putting a whole lot of thought into whether or not the addition would actually make sense.
NFL teams do not think the same way. Names are thrown out the window, and every player is evaluated based on what they can bring to the table in the season to come.
So, that is what we will do right here. Can Cameron Wake or Dion Lewis truly help the New York Jets win football games in the year 2020?
Cameron Wake
Wake signed a three-year deal with the Titans in 2019, joining a new franchise for the first time after spending ten seasons with the Miami Dolphins.
The Titans used Wake in a limited role that sent him out to the field exclusively on passing downs, which allowed him to rush the quarterback on nearly every play he participated in. Wake averaged 21.7 snaps per game and rushed the quarterback on 92.8% of his snaps.
The strategy worked like a charm for the 37-year-old. On a per-snap basis, he was still one of the most productive pass-rushers in the game.