Tennessee Titans sign C Austin Schlottmann

Austin Schlottmann's two-year, $7M signing earns a C+ Contract Value Index (CVI), reflecting a modest middle-of-the-road center addition during Tennessee's rebuilding moment. At $3.5M AAV, this is a below-market anchor-position salary—appropriate for a depth or bridge starter rather than a franchise cornerstone—but the modest investment sits comfortably within cap flexibility parameters for a 3-14 team in full transition. The signing addresses a baseline positional need without overcommitting resources or dead-cap risk; a two-year window with that annual hit is the kind of low-downside swap a rebuilding front office can absorb or move if circumstance changes. Schlottmann represents functional starter-caliber play at the position, not elite retention or draft-round capital, which aligns with the contract's neutral-to-slightly-positive value profile. For a Titans roster currently in the cellar of the AFC South and positioned for a longer rebuild cycle, this move is pragmatic floor-setting: it fills the position without gambling on upside and allows future cap space to target higher-impact acquisitions. The C+ reflects neither a steal nor an overpay—it's a competent, risk-managed transaction in line with current organizational reality.