Matt Hasselbeck joins the Tennessee Titans

Back in January, coach Pete Carroll announced that re-signing Matt Hasselbeck was Seattle’s No. 1 priority, but the two sides could not reach an agreement before the 4½-month NFL lockout . News broke on Tuesday that the Seahawks wouldn’t re-sign their 35-year-old veteran quarterback, instead pursuing and signing ex-Viking QB Tavaris Jackson. Wednesday, in the wake of this news, the Tennessee Titans plucked Hasselbeck from free agency, signing him to a multi-year deal worth a reported $21 million.

This comes as a sigh of relief to Titans rookie QB Jake Locker, who after the release of Kerry Collins and inevitable departure of Vince Young, planned on being under center with no veteran guidance to study under. A major chunk of the money offered to Hasselbeck is not guaranteed until the final year of his contract, which can only mean that the Titans plan on Locker taking the reigns by that time.

Despite his age, Hasselbeck brings coveted veteran leadership to the table. He  proved that by running the Seattle workouts during the lockout knowing that there was a good chance he wouldn’t be with the team when the season started.

During the 2010 season, the 35-year-old Hasselbeck played in 14 games, threw for 3,001 yards, 12 touchdowns and 17 interceptions while completing 59.9 percent of his passes. Originally drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 1998 draft, the three-time Pro Bowl selection has 29,579 yards passing, 176 touchdowns and 128 interceptions while completing 60.1 percent of his passes in 12 seasons. Hasselbeck comes to Tennessee already familiar with Titans general manager Mike Reinfeldt, who worked in the Seahawks front office before joining the Titans in 2007.

In the post-lockout frenzy to complete rosters, the Titans needed to sign nine draft picks (including Locker) , work to keep some of their own free agents and possibly add a veteran nose tackle, safety and linebacker. They agreed to terms with 14 undrafted rookies Tuesday.  The signing challenges haven’t ended for the Titans, as the start of training camp will mark the first time players get to work out with Coach Mike Munchak and a staff of new assistants.
Hasselbeck’s signing will most certainly bring the Titans back into playoff contention in the AFC. Veteran leadership is the very thing that the team has lacked in recent years. Granted, the Colts are still the favorite to win the division, but adding an oiled weapon to a young arsenal of TE Jared Cook, WR Kenny Britt, and (barring holdout) RB Chris Johnson will get the wheels turning again in Tennessee. This mentor/tutor relationship is going to go a lot better than the last one the Titans had and will raise the fantasy stock for all of  Tennessee’s offensive threats.