Veteran DB Added as Mandatory Cuts Draw Near
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Doug Middleton tried out with the Tennessee Titans more than a week ago.
Wednesday, the sides worked out the necessary details and the 26-year-old safety was added to the roster. To make room, the Titans released offensive lineman an XFL alum Avery Gennesy.
The move leaves Middleton little time to make an impression. All NFL rosters must be reduced to the regular-season limit of 53 players by 3 p.m. (CDT) Saturday.
Still, he is something of a known quantity in the league.
The Jacksonville Jaguars waived Middleton nearly a month ago. He played two games for that franchise in 2019 (all of his snaps were on special teams) after he was promoted from the practice squad in mid-December. He also played one game for the Miami Dolphins early last season.
An undrafted free agent out of Appalachian State in 2016, he spent three years with the New York Jets. He appeared in four games as a rookie and seven more (four starts, including in Weeks 1-3) in 2018. In between, he spent the entire 2017 campaign on injured reserve due to a torn pectoral muscle.
For his career, he has recorded 27 tackles and broken up four passes. He also scored a touchdown when he recovered a kickoff in the end zone in the final appearance of his rookie season.
Tennessee’s starting safeties, Kevin Byard and Kenny Vaccaro, as well as the top two backups, Dane Cruickshank and Amani Hooker, have been in place since the start of last season. Plus, the Titans signed veteran free agent Ibraheim Campbell earlier in the offseason.
Middleton, therefore, looks like an option for this season’s expanded practice squad, which will include 16 players, including six veterans.