Teair

Tart

Tart was released by the Dolphins earlier this week after signing a one-year deal with them this offseason. The veteran lineman appeared in 13 games last season while splitting time between the Titans and the Texans. He totaled 24 tackles and eight TFLs but was a healthy scratch during the Texans’ playoff stretch. Tart, 27, isn’t a lock to make the Chargers’ 53-man roster.

Tart was a reliable run-stuffer for the Titans for three years before his relationship with the team fell apart as he sought a new contract. The Titans cut him in the middle of the season last year and he was picked up by Houston. He appeared in two regular season games for the Texans but was inactive for their postseason run. Tart had eight TFLs and one sack in 11 games for the Titans last year.

Tart split time with the Titans and Texans last season after the Titans released the veteran tackle in December. Tart played in 13 games last season, totaling 17 tackles, eight TFLs, and one sack, and was a healthy scratch in both of the Texans’ playoff games. With 36 games of starting experience under his belt, Tart can provide a veteran presence to any defensive line and is only two years removed from a 2022 season in which he tallied 26 quarterback pressures.

Tart and the Titans have been at odds for the better part of the season as the former UDFA has been pushing for a new contract. Currently, in his fourth season as a pro, Tart is in the middle of playing out the final year of his contract and is set to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. He’s been a serviceable run-stopper during his time with the Titans and saw his best year as a pro in 2022 when he totaled 34 tackles and five TFLs. He’s already totaled eight TFLs and 21 tackles this season and could be claimed off waivers by a contender looking to bolster their run defense.

After missing two games with the toe issue, a Week 7 bye appears to have done the trick for Tennessee’s run-stuffing tackle. Tart has three TFLs and as many QB hits in four games this year. Having him back for Week 8 will help Tennessee slow Atlanta’s potent ground game.

Tart will now miss back-to-back weeks with the toe injury. When he was sidelined versus the Colts in Week 5, Indy ran for nearly 200 yards, spearheaded by Zack Moss’s 165-yard performance. The anchor of Tennessee’s defensive line has three TFLs and 10 total tackles this season.

It pencils Tart in for a cool $4.034 million. Tart played 520 snaps along the Titans’ interior last season, holding up the run while notching two sacks. Already 26 years old, he’s not terribly projectable, but the Titans are apparently comfortable paying him over $4 million as they rebuild their entire team, but specifically their defense, in 2023.

The Titans also re-signed quarterback Logan Woodside and defensive lineman Teair Tart. All three were set to be exclusive rights free agents. Normally the team’s WR3, injuries to Julio Jones and A.J. Brown thrust Westbrook-Ikhine into a larger role last year. He posted a 38/476/4 receiving line while being credited with seven starts. Westbrook-Ikhine proved capable in a limited role and should be able to stave off any competition for his WR3 gig in 2022.

Tart was a very solid contributor for the Panthers after transferring from Ellsworth Community College; contributing 17.5 TFL in his two years with the program. Pro Football Focus was a big fan of his production, giving the 6-foot-4, 295-pound defender grades above 85 both years he was with FIU. There are some off-field issues here -- he was thrown off East Mississippi Community College’s roster; the school you know from Last Chance U -- but Tart has a chance to be one of the undrafted players that contribute to an NFL roster.

Tart (6'4/295) led FIU in sacks and TFL in 2018, amassing a career total of 17.5 TFL in two seasons since transferring from Ellsworth Community College. He was originally recruited by several high-profile schools such as Alabama, but those offers were pulled when Tart was kicked off his East Mississippi Community College team. He possesses P5 level athleticism and the kind of thick lower body scouts look for in a stout run defender. He will try to stand out at NFLPA Bowl practices in hopes of sliding into the Day 3 mix.