Tennessee Titans trade that makes too much sense to happen
By Will Lomas
The Tennessee Titans have a roster stuck in purgatory right now because they are too talented to tank, but not talented enough to win.
For some of the young, foundational pieces like Jeffery Simmons, Harold Landry, Chig Okonkwo, Treylon Burks, etc. having a losing season isn’t the end of the world.
On the other hand, when you look at the older vets on the team, guys like Ryan Tannehill, Derrick Henry, Kevin Byard, and Denico Autry are too good to spend their 30s tanking.
This is when I wish that the NFL were more like the NHL or NBA because trades for players of that caliber happen all the time. While it is happening more and more in the NFL, we just aren’t to the point where teams feel comfortable trading unless they feel like they are backed into a corner and are forced to make a deal or they feel like they are getting an incredible value.
It is a shame because there is a trade out there that makes so much sense for the Tennessee Titans and the Atlanta Falcons. A deal that would turn the Falcons into the leaders in the NFC South while also giving the Tennessee Titans more leverage in the draft to grab players that can be the foundation of this team for years to come.
The trade that the Tennessee Titans should be pushing
Desmond Ridder is fine, but Arthur Smith has to realize the situation he is in. If the Atlanta Falcons don’t make it to the playoffs this season, he is betting on becoming one of the few coaches in the last decade to make it to a fourth season without making the playoffs once.
It isn’t worth rolling the dice on a guy who couldn’t beat out Marcus Mariota for more than half of the season.
Do you know who would help get the Falcons over the hump? Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry, the same guys who were the starting quarterback and running back for Arthur Smith when Tennessee was posting 30 points per game in 2020.
Whether you like it or not, there is a lot of smoke around Tannehill and Henry not being with the Tennessee Titans in 2023. If that is something the Titans are considering, it is better to pull off the Band-Aid now.
If we are talking about a win-win trade, this is something that makes sense for both parties:
The Atlanta Falcons get: Ryan Tannehill, Derrick Henry, the 11th overall pick
The Tennessee Titans get: 8th overall pick, 75th overall pick, a 2024 3rd round pick