Mike

Otto

The reserve tackle was due to reach free agency next month. A seventh-round pick out of Purdue in 2007, Otto has played 41 games over the past five seasons with two starts for the Titans. Otto’s deal includes a $750,000 signing bonus. The deal’s monetary value suggests the team views him as a “swing tackle,” or the top backup behind LT Michael Roos and RT David Stewart.

The move imperils Otto’s Week 1 status, but recovery from hand surgery should be fairly straightforward. Tennessee’s No. 3 tackle behind LT Michael Roos and RT David Stewart, Otto has appeared in 40 games the past three seasons.

The Titans haven’t ruled out Roos just yet, but his 119-game consecutive starts streak is in jeopardy. Roos has been Tennessee’s best offensive lineman this year, excelling in pass protection.

Otto, who played collegiately at Purdue, started 50 straight games at LT for the Boilermakers but may not be athletic enough to stay at tackle in the NFL.

The first three names were Tennessee second day draft picks this year, and are likely candidates for the practice squad. No surprises among the rest of the list. Wand was once a starter in Houston.

The team’s depth took a hit with the free agency loss of super-sub Daniel Loper, so expect the Titans to draft a developmental offensive lineman in the mid-to-late rounds.

Otto, a seventh-round pick out of Purdue in 2007, finally began being activated on game days in 2009. Through three seasons, he has not started a game.