A Needed Change for the Tennessee Titans?

Photo Credit: George Walker IV/Tennessean.com/USA TODAY NETWORK

Nashville, Tennessee (PSF) — In a shocking move, the Tennessee Titans have fired general manager Jon Robinson. This comes days after a 35-10 blowout loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in a game where Eagles wide receiver A.J Brown destroyed his former team. It is a surprising move to many considering the Titans are probably going to win the AFC South this season and Robinson has never had a losing season during his 7-year tenure in Nashville. The general consensus is that the trade of former Titan A.J. Brown is the reason why Robinson was fired. Robinson traded the star wide receiver to the Eagles at the draft, believing that they could find cheaper wide receiver production elsewhere. As a Titans fan, I’m going to give my opinion on the situation.

To start off, Robinson’s draft history has not looked great in recent years. In the first round of the 2021 draft, he took cornerback Caleb Farley. Farley was viewed as a top cornerback prospect coming out of Virginia Tech, but injuries have been a concern early in his career. Farley’s first two seasons in the NFL have been cut short due to a torn ACL and a back injury that was already a problem in college. In the 2020 draft, Robinson took offensive tackle Isaiah Wilson who arguably could go down as one of the worst first round draft picks in NFL history. Wilson was a problem off the field in his rookie season, and was eventually traded to the Miami Dolphins the year after. He has not been in the NFL since.  

However, Robinson’s 2019 draft class was a success as he drafted the likes of Jefferey Simmons, A.J Brown, Amani Hooker and David Long Jr. He also drafted Derrick Henry back in 2016, which is the same year he was hired as general manager. Robinson has built a fairly competitive roster during his time in Nashville, but recent moves have had people asking questions. For example, offensive tackle Dennis Daley, a decent backup, was brought in by Robinson before the season. When starting left tackle Taylor Lewan went down with a season-ending injury in Week 2, Daley stepped in and has played horrible. He has given up 9 sacks, which is tied for first in the league. Daley has not been worth the fifth-round pick and now might be benched after last week’s Eagles game.

This year’s draft class is still to be determined, but it seems as if Robinson was building for the future rather then making win now moves. Getting rid of a player in his prime like A.J. Brown and trading him for a younger and cheaper option has not worked out for the Titans at all. Derrick Henry is not getting any younger and since the team was the number one seed in the AFC last year, there should have been a clear focus to achieve higher goals this season, instead of being one and done in the playoffs. 

Now, it will be interesting to see who the Titans will hire as their next general manager, considering that Mike Vrabel will have significant power in the decision moving forward. Vrabel is known for being loyal to the coaches he chooses, such as promoting Todd Downing and Shane Bowen to offensive and defensive coordinators. Nevertheless, it is crucial that the Titans make the right hire for the future.