DRAFT WATCH: Hometown ties for Titans’ free agents

Among some of the free agents with local ties signed by the Titans are linebackers Nate Morrow and Antuian Bradford of Vanderbilt.

The Tennessee Titans continued to flesh out their roster Monday, adding 20 undrafted free agents and bringing the roster total to 92.

Among those 20 players, who will join the Titans’ 10 draft choices taken over the weekend, include three local players. The Titans signed linebackers Nate Morrow and Antuian Bradford of Vanderbilt and added Tennessee State fullback KaRon Key as well.

Key is glad to be getting a chance to chance to continue his football career in Adelphia Coliseum, where he played his college games at TSU.

“It surprised me, but it felt good when they told me I’d get a chance,” Key said. “With being so busy with my football season last year, I really didn’t get follow the Titans too much, but it’ll be nice to get down there and play that first NFL game and be in the NFL.”

Key carried the ball 52 times for 386 yards as a senior and scored eight touchdowns. He also caught five passes for 86 yards.

“He’s just going down the street,” TSU football coach James Reese said. “I think it’s to his advantage in that they were looking for a fullback to bring to camp, even though they signed Greg Comella. KaRon has the ability to catch ball out of the backfield and play on special teams.”

Titans general manager Floyd Reese called Key “a good looking, lead blocker type kid who hopefully can knock a linebacker down.”

Reese also said the two former Commodore linebackers would be good fits in Tennessee’s system.

“They both have played well in that defense and been productive,” Reese said. “They’re a couple of hometown kids, who are bright and active and kind of fit our style.”

The Titans’ undrafted free-agent haul has a decidedly Southern flavor as players were added from Memphis, UT-Chattanooga, Mississippi State, South Carolina, North Texas, SMU, Louisiana Tech, Houston and McNeese State.

In addition to Key, offensive players signed Monday include tackle Matt Martin of Kansas State, tight end Nate Bandy of UT-Chattanooga, centers Tommy Watson of Mississippi State and Kyle Benn of Washington; quarterback Phil Petty of South Carolina; running backs Dicenzo Miller of Mississippi State and John Simon of Louisiana Tech; and receivers Cedrick Cormier of Colorado, Dedrick Dewalt of Boston College and Orlando Iglesias of Houston.

Defensively, in addition to the two Vandy linebackers, the Titans added Brad Kassell of North Texas at the position. On the defensive line, Tennessee picked up end Kevin Aldridge of Southern Methodist and tackle Ryan Watson of Appalachian State.

In the secondary, Tennessee added safeties Nate Jackson of Hawaii, Joe Judge of McNeese State and Billy Newman of Washington State and cornerback Marcus Smith of Memphis.

Among the more notables in the class are Petty, who orchestrated South Carolina’s turnaround under Lou Holtz, and Benn, who was an All-Pac-10 selection as a senior.

Free agency update

Reese said the Titans front office will sit down this week to discuss their options in regards to what to do next in free agency.

The Titans would still like to bring back some of their own guys, likely Joe Salave’a, Skip Hicks and center Kevin Long.

Hicks’ agent Howard Silber said Monday that he is hopeful of getting something done relatively soon in hopes of getting Hicks back with Tennessee in time for the off-season workouts and upcoming mini-camps.

“Floyd made us an offer before the draft and I countered, and I’m waiting to hear back from him,” Silber said. “He said he needed some time with the draft and all, and I said that was fine. Floyd has always been a straight shooter with me and he said they have a definite interest in bringing Skip back, and I take him at his word.

“We have a couple of other potential suitors, but right now I just think Tennessee is the best fit for Skip.”

“Skip is somebody that we know, who has been productive and we like him,” Reese said.

As for the center position, agent Kendall Kremer is also hoping to hear from Reese soon. The Titans re-signed Gennaro DiNapoli last week and are weighing their options on Long and others.

“We’ll sit down in a day or two and bang around with that,” Reese said of the center situation.

One of the top free agents on the market is San Diego’s Kendyl Jacox. Agent Jordan Woy said his client is interested in the Titans and is hopeful of sparking something between his client and Tennessee.

“I talked to Floyd before the draft,” Woy said. “I’m going to try to visit with him again this week and hopefully set up a visit for Kendyl to come down there.

“The Titans are one of about three or four teams to have expressed interest. Kendyl likes the situations there and I think it might be a good fit.”

Reese, however, indicated that Tennessee’s interest is not that high at the current time.

As for the safety situation, Reese may also be cooling on the pursuit of ex-New York Jet Victor Green.

“I don’t know how we’re going to play it out,” Reese said. “We’ll try to finalize our roster or get close to finalizing it pretty quick. At safety, we must have 10 of them, and adding another one is maybe not quite as attractive as it was.”