Winner: Jon Robinson
While general manager Jon Robinson didn’t do enough to improve the pass-rush, he did the best he could at a position that is tough to find talent for. What I will say is that he absolutely hit home runs with the trade for Tannehill, and the draft selections of Simmons and Brown, both of whom had an impact on the team in 2019. Brown in particular might have been the steal of the draft.
And looking back further, so many of his recent selections in the past few years are turning into great players and making significant impacts. Titans fans have to feel comfortable with Robinson running the ship. He has undoubtedly earned their trust.
Winner: Mike Vrabel
Mike Vrabel was making questionable decisions early on that seemed to only bury what was an already bad team. It was so bad, many Titans fans were calling for his head, and it’s something I was at least considering (this article did not age well).
However, Vrabel turned it around after the decision to go to Tannehill and was able to take a 2-4 team to the playoffs, ultimately winning two games against teams nobody expected them to beat before falling short to the Chiefs in the AFC title game. Vrabel’s future is rock solid now and the Titans look like they have the right man in charge.
Winner: Arthur Smith
Nobody drew more ire than Arthur Smith early in the season. The Titans’ offensive coordinator looked lost, and lackluster play from the offensive line and quarterback certainly didn’t help.
Then came Tannehill, who was able to run the offense to perfection with the help of a top-notch running game and an offensive line that slowly rounded into form. Everything just kind of seemed to fall into place for Smith after that.
With Tannehill under center and Smith calling the plays, Tennessee’s offense reached new heights it had not previously seen in quite some time. And the good news is the Titans will actually have the same offensive coordinator for two years in a row, as Smith wasn’t poached away by another team.
Winner: Dean Pees
Dean Pees was too conservative for my liking in many instances, but he was a great defensive coordinator overall. When the Titans’ offense couldn’t score to save its life, Pees’ defense was the reason this team was able to compete.
His game plan against the Ravens in the divisional round what brilliant. Here’s to hoping the Titans find a replacement as good as Pees.