Defensive end Antwan Odom is hoping a deal can be reached keeping him with the Tennessee Titans and off the free agent market, but his agent said the two sides were in a sort of holding pattern Wednesday.
"He's going to give them an opportunity to keep him before March 1st," agent Richard Rosa said. "Defensive ends are hard to come by, especially someone with Antwan's size and speed ... We believe the market will be tremendous for him."
The Titans have 14 unrestricted free agents to decide whether to keep or leave as free agents, and team officials have been busy this week prepping for the NFL Combine starting Feb. 21. That's also the deadline to sign defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth to a deal or slap him with the franchise tag.
But the Titans also face a decision on whether to keep Odom or end Travis LaBoy both, or try to replace both.
The Titans drafted the 6-foot-5, 274-pound Odom in the second round in 2004, and he is coming off his best season yet with a career-high 29 quarterback pressures and career highs with eight sacks, three tackles for a loss and seven passes defensed.
Odom has started 34 of 52 career games with 152 total tackles and 12.5 sacks.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
