When Arden Key first met with the media following his signing a three-year deal with the Tennessee Titans, one thing was very clear: he’s going to bring a lot of great energy to this football team.
And that’s at least one thing head coach Mike Vrabel and general manager Ran Carthon expect from their newest edge-rusher, with both using the word “juice” when talking about what he offers.
“He is instant juice,” Carthon said, per Jim Wyatt of Titans Online. “When he walks in the room, you are going to know Arden Key is in the room. Arden is very versatile, can play with his hand in the dirt, can rush off the edge. He is a guy who is going to give our defense some versatility and ability to line people up in different places.”
“He’s got a lot of great energy; I love his juice,” Vrabel said of Key, per ESPN’s Turron Davenport. “But also his ability to play at different spots across the front on third down and his ability to impact their quarterback.”
My favorite quote from Key — well, aside from his having a chip on his shoulder thanks to his old team, the Jaguars — was his explanation for why he joined the Titans and how he fits in perfect with the team’s front.
“You see that D-line?” Key asked. “I mean, Big Jeff, Denico Autry, Harold Landry coming back on the edge. It was self-explanatory there, just being with those guys.
“Playing against Tennessee, it was always Tennessee’s D-line was bullies, that’s how they play,” he added. “Everything was a bully; we’re going to bully the offensive linemen. That’s the type of play I play with; I’m a bully on the football field and I feel like I fit right in with these guys.”
Key’s versatility checks the boxes for multiple needs the team had to fill in the wake of losing both Bud Dupree and DeMarcus Walker. As a result, Key has a chance to play the most significant role of his career in Nashville.
