NASHVILLE – Cody Barton is on his fourth NFL team in seven years.
Bouncing around hasn't been easy, the new Titans linebacker said.
But Barton has used it to his advantage.
"It's cool experiences, you know," Barton said with a smile. "I have been able to learn from coaches and teammates from these different teams and gather these experiences. And, I've felt that has helped me as a player, learning from these different schemes so when I go to the next team it is nothing new. The lingo is new, I guess.
"But I don't look at it as a bad thing. I look at it as a positive thing, and the things I've learned from each experience helped me grow as a player."
A third-round draft pick of the Seahawks in 2019, Barton has played in 95 games, with 43 games, in his career, including 38 games in the last three seasons for Seattle, Washington and Denver.
Over the last three seasons, Barton is one of only five NFL linebackers (Fred Warner, Tremaine Edmunds, Roquan Smith and Logan Wilson) to post 100+ tackles each season and total 5 or more interceptions over that timeframe.
Barton tallied a career-high 136 tackles in 2022 before recording 121 tackles in 2023 and 106 in 2024 while in Denver.
The Titans signed Barton back in March, and he's been working with his new coaches and teammates during Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the offseason program. Next week, the team will move into Phase 3, when the defense will compete with the offense for the first time.
Barton said he's thrilled the Titans believed in him, and signed him to a multi-year contract.
"It felt really good," Barton said. "Me and my wife are very blessed to be here. We actually bought a house last week. It does feel secure, but at the same time, nothing is ever really secure in this league. You have to be able to perform on Sundays.
"But it is definitely a blessing. I think back in my career and … moving around was tough, the moving itself was. But to feel valued here and to find a home, we are very grateful. Hard work pays off.
"I tell the young guys – if you keep working hard and stay disciplined, at some point it is going to pay off," Barton continued. "I feel like the Titans wanted me to come here and be a part of this team. They signed me to a three-year deal, and it's a testament that if you stay true to yourself it will pay off."
A six-year pro, Barton racked up over 100 tackles for the third straight season last year for the Broncos.
Barton said he loves the look of the defense in Tennessee, and how the team will play.
He's already on the same wavelength as defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson.
"The style of defense, it's aggressive, similar to last year's scheme I was in," Barton said. "The biggest this is the aggressiveness of it.
"(Dennard) is a great coach, leader, demands a lot, is very intense. I feel like he just brings out the best of the group individually and as a whole. I am excited about where this defense is headed."
Barton said he likes what he has seen around him, from the young guys competing next to him at inside linebacker.
Now with a new team, he's ready to help lead the way.
"I've always prided myself in being a leader, someone who can gets guys lined up and take command vocally on the field," he said. "I am not going to change anything, I am going to continue to be who I am and just let it flourish here.
"There is no perfect player, but I try to be perfect. It's about always looking for ways to improve, not just focusing on run or pass, but being dominant in both."
Barton will make his Titans debut in Week 1 against his old team.
The Titans travel to face the Broncos on September 7.
"I am excited, very excited," he said. "But I am not going to make it bigger than what it is – at the end of the day it is a football game. But definitely exited to play against the team I was with last year. I am real excited to go back."
