Group of former Vols find new NFL home in free agency

Due to Tennessee's status as a premier college football destination, many alumni take the next step and join the NFL after illustrious careers as Vols.

Some of these former players used this offseason as an opportunity to find a new home within the NFL.

Here is where they wound up in the league.

One of the biggest names out of the former Tennessee standouts in the NFL is Joshua Dobbs. After being selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fourth round of the 2017 draft, Dobbs has been a journeyman in the league, though.

Most recently, he made a stop in Nashville to join the Tennessee Titans. Dobbs was pushed into the starting role for the final two games of the season where he hoped to push the Titans to a playoff spot.

In those games, he threw two touchdowns and two interceptions while totaling 411 yards on a 58.8% completion rate. He also lost a fumble in both games as they resulted in losses.

Following this stretch, Dobbs has decided to return to the Clevland Browns after spending time on the team in 2022. His new deal is for one year and $2 million. Following this contract, he will become an unrestricted free agent.

Dobbs will play behind Deshaun Watson but will likely be the team's second-string signal caller. The only other quarterback on the roster is Kellen Mond.

Another big name on the move is defensive tackle Shy Tuttle. He went undrafted in the 2019 NFL Draft but signed with the New Orleans Saints where he made an immediate impact.

Tuttle would play in New Orleans for four years while rarely missing a game. Last season, he played in all 17 matches and started 14. He recorded 49 tackles and one tackle for loss.

Following last year's campaign, Tuttle became a free agent. Ultimately, he decided to stay within the NFC South and sign with the Carolina Panthers.

Tuttle's new contract is worth $19.5 million over a three-year period. He will only carry a cap hit of $2,866,666 and have a dead cap value of $13 million.

Following this contract, Tuttle will become an unrestricted free agent at the age of 30.

One of Tennessee's more recent alumni to find a role in the NFL has been Marquez Callaway. He was a member of the Vols from 2016-2019 before going undrafted in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Despite this, he was quickly signed by the Saints where he spent three seasons. Last year, he played in 14 games but couldn't produce the same numbers he managed in his rookie and sophomore seasons. He finished with 158 yards and a touchdown on 16 receptions.

Due to his contract with the Saints expiring, Callaway looked to free agency. He would sign with the Denver Broncos on a one-year deal worth a little over $1.1 million.

He will be an unrestricted free agent following the season.

In the past few years, the Saints have housed the most Vols in the NFL. However, after this offseason, the title is shifted to the Detroit Lions.

The first player to sign a deal with the Lions is Emmanuel Moseley. The cornerback went undrafted in 2018 before signing a deal with the San Francisco 49ers.

Moseley would spend five years with the 49ers but tore his ACL in Week 5 last season. He has struggled to stay on the field in his career but has been productive when healthy.

Now, Moseley is heading to Detroit on a one-year deal worth $6 million. Following this, he will become an unrestricted free agent.

Joining Moseley in the Lions' secondary is Cameron Sutton. He began his career with the Steelers after being drafted in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

Sutton spent the opening six seasons of his career in Pittsburgh where he became a staple at cornerback. He played in 16 games in each of the last four years. Last season, he totaled 43 tackles, three interceptions and 15 passes defended.

Now, Sutton will be in Detroit for the foreseeable future. He signed a three-year contract for $33 million. He will average $11 million per year while carrying a cap hit of $3.28 million.

In 2026, he will become an unrestricted free agent at 31 years old.

The final defensive player to join the Lions is Jalen Reeves-Maybin.

He was selected in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Lions to begin his career. He played in Detroit for five seasons where he found a role in the middle of the defense.

However, last season, he departed for the Houston Texans. He signed a two-year contract but was released following his first season with the team despite playing in all 17 games.

Now, Maybin has returned to his original team on a 1-year deal worth $1.75 million. He will be an unrestricted free agent following the season.

*****

– TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM.

– ENJOY VOLREPORT WITH A PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION.

– SUBSCRIBE TO THE VOLREPORT YOUTUBE CHANNEL.

– FOLLOW VOLREPORT ON TWITTER: @TennesseeRivals, @TMansfieldMedia, @JNichols_2121, @ByNoahTaylor, @TylerIvens, @RealTBannerman, @RyanTSylvia, @Dale_Dowden, @ShayneP_Media.