Tennessee Titans buyers and sellers guide to the NFL trade deadline
By Will Lomas
The Tennessee Titans are in the midst of a huge coaching move, but the NFL moves on. Today is the NFL trade deadline, and on this day you are either neutral, a buyer or a seller. Neutral is boring, so let’s take a look at what the Titans would do if they decided to make a move today.
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Sellers
We haven’t talked about this a lot, but the Titans could definitely be sellers today. They aren’t in a position to say that they are a good team and happy with their roster, and there are older players on this team that are garnishing interest. The most obvious is Jason McCourty.
I am a huge McCourty fan and wouldn’t trade him personally, however the New England Patriots have reportedly expressed interest in the Tennessee Titans cornerback.
With a few #2 cornerbacks on the roster, the Titans really lack a true playmaker and you could argue that the cornerback position is one of the biggest needs in the 2016 NFL Draft. If the Titans go for a cornerback in round one, then what happens to Perrish Cox who has been very good this year? He is unproved at the nickel and the Titans actually have a pretty good cornerback.
So, I could see a trade going one or two ways.
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Titans trade Jason McCourty for Jerod Mayo and a 5th round pick.
-This gives the Titans more depth at a need position (ILB) and gets them a depth pick which they need.
Titans trade Jason McCourty for New England’s 2nd round pick.
-If the Patriots want the Titans top corner they need to pay. They have a huge need and he is the best cornerback available, if he even is available. The Titans can go after corner in round one and use this pick to bolster the offensive line.
Buyers
If I were Ruston Webster I would have my eyes set on making a big splash today. He needs to show that he is worthy of his job, and the glaring lack of production out of 2nd round picks is staggering. So, if you aren’t getting anything out of your second round picks, why not trade that valuable asset for someone great?
Here is what I would do:
The Tennessee Titans trade a 2nd round pick (33rd overall) for Cleveland Browns LT Joe Thomas (and maybe Alex Mack).
This would be a blockbuster trade and it should be done for a lot of reasons. Firstly, the Browns don’t have a franchise QB and they won’t until they tank and hit the bottom like the Titans did last year.
Taylor Lewan is a great left tackle and will be very good for a long time, but he could just as easily play right tackle as he could left, and that is a huge area of need for the Titans. Not only does this move give the Titans a All-Pro left tackle, it also upgrades the right side of the line.
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Alright, so you upgrade two positions for essentially a late 1st round pick. However, that isn’t all. Many people have said that center Alex Mack is very close to Joe Thomas even going as far as to say that he will opt out of his contract after this year if Joe Thomas is traded. So even if the Titans don’t actually get Mack in the trade, it makes a lot of sense for him to come to this soft division to be reunited with his friend.
So, the Titans trade a pick that they have not had success with in the past and upgrade at three positions at the offensive line. That is a huge move, and if the Browns are afraid that they are going to waste these final years of Joe Thomas then they have to make a move like this.