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Jon Robinson’s plan vs Ted Sundquist’s plan

By Will Lomas

Sep 11, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Titans general manager Jon Robinson (left) talks with head coach Mike Mularkey prior to the game against the Minnesota Vikings at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 11, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Titans general manager Jon Robinson (left) talks with head coach Mike Mularkey prior to the game against the Minnesota Vikings at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports /
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There are moments that define franchises. Hiring Jon Robinson, may be that moment for the Tennessee Titans.

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There isn’t any one way to build a roster, but Robinson’s way was clear and defined. Titans fans really only had one plan to compare it to in the preseason, and that other plan was Ted Sundquist’s.

This isn’t a piece criticizing either method, in fact I am going into this just comparing ways GMs build teams, but it is a look at what could have happened if Amy Adams Strunk had gone in a different direction.

Let’s look at what Sundquist would have done if he had landed the job, according to the article he wrote for Bleacher Report that was linked above.

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    • Fire Mularkey

    In his piece he argues that his winning percentage and comments from some former players gave him something to be wary about with Mike Mularkey taking the reigns in Tennessee. While he said that he wouldn’t make a final decision until he had met with Mularkey, he seemed pretty set on not having him there.

    Make your own identity

    You could argue that this happened anyway, but it was contingent on keeping Mularkey. Sundquist was wary of trying to force anything and wanted the team to develop their own identity.

    Rally the fans behind you

    This is a great move by a GM and I believe both would have done it well (or did do it well). Sundquist had a plan of telling fans that this was their team and that the deserved the best and he would tolerate nothing less.

    Robinson said that this was a team that he grew up loving and it was a team that he was passionate about. That came off extremely well from a guy who is from Union City.

    The player performance council

    This is a version of something that happened in Tennessee this year, though no one has really come out and said it. However, Jon Robinson mentioned it to Mike Keith in a final interview after the season was over.

    The way I understood the comment was it was a council of players that hold each other accountable and who drive the team throughout the season. They are your leaders.

    In Sundquist’s mind, this is what the council should have been:

    “This cutting-edge program coordinates and oversees the development of individualized performance plans for players and staff in six key areas: physical, mental, spiritual, social, intellectual and financial.”

    This is a great idea because your stars and veterans have to buy all the way in to your team, and they lead the other players by example.

    At the end of the day, the biggest issues that separated Jon Robinson from other candidates seems to be his connection to a winning program that valued stability and the willingness to adapt to Mike Mularkey as head coach.

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    What Robinson did in his first year is nothing short of phenomenal given that he didn’t get to pick his head coach. However, if this coach was able to get this level of performance out of a team that earned the 2nd and 1st picks respectively in back to back drafts, was he that bad of a coach?

    I think that Mularkey showed that he can be a good coach in the NFL when given a GM who understands exactly what he wants. Combine that with someone who has shown he is willing to communicate and learn just how best to equip that coach and you get the 2016 Tennessee Titans.

    I encourage you to read the Ted Sundquist piece linked above and see how many major differences you can find that aren’t based on the aforementioned issues. I think Sundquist will be a great front office man again when he gets his chance and I think it is awesome that he gave us normal fans a look into what rebuilding a franchise looks like.

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