Should the Tennessee Titans Trade Kevin Dodd?

Is it time for the Tennessee Titans to try to Trade Kevin Dodd?

Kevin Dodd was the first of the Tennessee Titans three second-round picks in the 2016 NFL draft. The other two were Austin Johnson and Derrick Henry. Both Henry and Johnson have carved out roles for themselves on the team, but Dodd has yet to find his place. Dodd spent most of his rookie season on injured reserve, but he did flash in the Detroit Lions game. In that game, Dodd even recorded a sack.

Since getting healthy again, Dodd has been a healthy scratch for the Titans’ first two games and played minimally in the third. Seventh-round pick Aaron Wallace has outplayed Dodd, showed more versatility playing inside and out and on special teams, and earned the roster spot on game days. However, Wallace was recently placed on injury reserved to have back surgery. The Titans also have a new seventh-round edge rusher who outplayed Dodd in the preseason in Josh Carraway. Carraway has earned himself a nickname from general manager Jon Robinson, who calls him “fastball”.

Why Trade?

Many fans were concerned about the Dodd pick straight out of the gate. Others are still reluctant to label him as a bust just yet. The concerns fans had were that Dodd only had one big year at Clemson and he never played as a stand-up linebacker as he would be asked to do in Tennessee. If the Titans want to trade Dodd, they will have until October 31, 2017 (trade deadline).

Here are some teams who could consider making a deal with the Titans for Dodd. We won’t get into trade details, just note the Titans will not receive a second-round pick back for Dodd. It’s more likely the trade will be similar to that of DeMarco Murray, which would be Dodd and a draft pick to move up a few spots in the draft.

New England Patriots

General manager Jon Robinson and the New England Patriots organization have a good relationship. The Patriots have had a hard time pressuring opposing quarterbacks this season, and as we’ve seen over this offseason, they’re not afraid to make deals. Dodd would be a better scheme fit in New England. He could play with his hand in the dirt as a 4-3 defensive end rather than a stand-up outside edge rusher as a 3-4 outside linebacker.

New Orleans Saints

The Saints need help all across the board on defense. There was a rumor floating around the Titans may trade Dodd to the Saints for safety Kenny Vaccaro. However, the rumor never picked up steam or was swept under the rug quickly. The question is would the Titans want to spend an extra $3.5 million on Vaccaro, and would he be an upgrade over Da’Norris Searcy? The Saints would also have to ask themselves if the trade makes sense. Their pass defense is already bad; could adding Dodd help or only be a slight drop-off for one of their best defensive backs?

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys also run a scheme that is a better fit for Dodd. In Dallas, Dodd could play as a hand-in-the-dirt defensive end. Unlike the Patriots, the Cowboys don’t have an immediate need. The Cowboys have several defensive linemen suspended: defensive end Randy Gregory (10 games), defensive lineman David Irving (four games), and defensive end Damontre Moore is just now eligible to return after a two-game suspension. Dodd could be cheap depth and insurance for future suspensions or injuries for the Cowboys.