The Tennessee Titans added firepower to their pass rush Friday morning.
The team agreed to terms on deals with outside linebackers Brian Orakpo and Derrick Morgan, NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported.
Morgan's deal earns him $30 million over four years, per Rapoport. Orakpo will receive a $32 million contract over four years, with $13.5 million guaranteed. and reached with kicker Ryan Succop, per The Tennessean.
The Orakpo and Morgan moves significantly upgrade a limp pass rush in Nashville.
The 28-year-old Orakpo has prototypical size and speed to excel in the Dick LeBeau/Ray Horton defense. He earned 38.5 sacks in the four seasons he played at least 15 games with the Washington Redskins. However, pectoral tears caused the pass-rusher to miss 14 games in 2012 and nine games last season.
Morgan, 26, was generating plenty of interest on the open market but chose to remain in Tennessee, where he's earned 23 sacks in his five seasons. Under Horton's 3-4 scheme last year, Morgan had one of the best seasons of his career, compiling 6.5 sacks and 63 tackles.
Coupling Morgan with Orakpo gives the Titans a solid one-two punch outside to go along with stalwart lineman Jurrell Casey, who had too often been left without an aid pressuring quarterbacks.
Morgan and Orakpo ranked No. 18 and 19 respectively on our top 101 free agents list when the week began and were among the best players left on the open market.
The Titans, like many losing teams, had to pay handsomely to upgrade their defense, but it's a solid start in their march toward relevancy in the AFC.
In a Friday dominated by Tennessee news early, here is the rest of our first-ever All-Titans Roundup:
»The Tennessean also reports that kicker Ryan Succop signed a three-year deal for $2.4 million per season, according to Jim Wyatt.
»The Titans also added tight end Anthony Fasano, who is mainly a blocker with limited red-zone skills in the passing game.
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