Brace yourselves, lads – I’ve got a hot take YOU WON’T BELIEVE today. I think the Tennessee Titans front office is not just actually good….it’s one of the more underrated in the league. After coming up through the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers organizations, the Titans hired Jon Robinson to take over as general manager in 2016. All the team has done since then is post four consecutive winning seasons, go to the playoffs two of those four seasons, win three playoff games, and make a run to the AFC Championship in 2019. That’s winning, baby.
Earlier this week, the Titans announced that they were hiring Monti Ossenfort to be the new director of player personnel. Another guy plucked from the Patriots tree – Ossenfort was poised to be a GM candidate himself one of these days, and that may very well come to fruition sooner rather than later. But, it’s just the latest in a string of impressive gets this organization has pulled off.
Just look at the draft picks Robinson has made since taking over – Kevin Byard at #64 in 2016, Jayon Brown at #155 in 2017, Nate Davis at #82 in 2019. Byard is the best safety in the NFL. Brown is becoming one of the top young linebackers in the league. Davis is on his way to being the starting right guard for years to come. He’s drawn some criticism over his first round picks, but Jack Conklin was an All-Pro and just signed a big contract with the Cleveland Browns. Adoreé Jackson, Rashaan Evans, and Jeffery Simmons are all well on their way to becoming some of the best at their positions in the league. Are y’all really gonna dock points for Corey Davis (who isn’t even a bust anyway)?
Then, you look at the absolute tear J-Rob has been on in the second round of the draft since taking over – Derrick Henry, Harold Landry, A.J. Brown. It’s ridiculous how well he’s been able to build the Titans roster through the draft.
But, it’s not just nailing the picks he’s had, it’s also identifying need in the future as well. The Titans aren’t in a position so that losing Conklin or Logan Ryan will completely devastate them in the secondary because J-Rob has drafted well and added veteran free agents at the position for cheaper. It’s that sort of manipulation that keeps the Titans in a good spot with both roster depth and salary cap.
There’s also the trades – Robinson shipped out a fourth round pick for DeMarco Murray, who came to Tennessee and had a career resurgence, helping ease Henry into the starting role in the process. He also traded out of the first overall selection that year to stockpile picks from the Los Angeles rams. And, there’s the ‘Dorial Green-Beckham for Dennis Kelly‘ trade, too. The man loves to wheel and deal and usually, it benefits the team.
Not all of Robinson’s moves have worked out, though. That’s definitely fair to say. But, in the face of that, Robinson has shown a propensity for cutting bait and moving on when he has to. Look no further than colossal bust Kevin Dodd for an example of this.
Robinson and company made the decision to hire Mike Vrabel, too. I think the belief was that the guy was going to be a head coach sooner or later in the NFL. The Titans happened to be looking for a head coach – better too soon than too late? People questioned the move at times during the 2018 season, but I think it’s safe to say it looks like a good decision after that 2019 run.
To me, not enough people are recognizing the Titans front office for what it is – one of the best, and definitely most underrated, in the league.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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