Stuck in a multi-year rebuild, the Tennessee Titans traded cornerback Roger McCreary to the Los Angeles Rams at last year's trade deadline. The terms did not initially please Titans fans. General manager Mike Borgonzi packaged McCreary with a conditional 2026 sixth-round pick to the Rams in exchange for a conditional fifth-round pick.
McCreary ended up getting injured and failed to make an impact with the Rams. He ended up signing a one-year contract with the Detroit Lions in free agency earlier this offseason worth just $1.4 million. Meanwhile, the Titans entered the NFL Draft with the 144th pick in the fifth round as a result of the McCreary trade.
The Titans didn't end up utilizing the pick, however. Borgonzi packaged it along with their 69th selection to the Chicago Bears in a trade-up to 60th overall. The Titans took linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. The complete terms of the McCreary trade have now officially been finalized.
Titans' Roger McCreary trade with Rams is finally completed
Ironically, that 44th pick was traded five times. It originally belonged to the Titans, who sent it to the Rams for linebacker Ernest Jones. The Rams traded it back to Tennessee for McCreary, The Titans then sent it to Chicago in the move-up for Hill. The Bears included the selection in a trade-up for cornerback Malik Muhammad.
Trading McCreary proved to be a brilliant decision. The nickel cornerback was on an expiring contract while playing a devalued position on a rebuilding team. The Titans needed additional assets to attack this offseason, and trading McCreary provided them with a useful resource.
It doesn't necessarily matter that the Titans didn't utilize the selection. They used it to acquire Hill, a tailor-made fit linebacker for Robert Saleh's scheme. Hill projects as an impact player in Saleh's defense, and it's possible the Titans couldn't afford to acquire him without netting the 144th from the McCreary trade.
The Titans didn't even sign or draft a McCreary replacement this offseason. They appear to trust sophomore cornerback Marcus Harris to play the nickel role. Meanwhile, Hill should have a massive impact for Saleh and Gus Bradley's defense.
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