The message is loud and clear that no one is safe in Nashville after the Tennessee Titans traded long-time safety and team captain, Kevin Byard.
As soon as the Kevin Byard trade was announced, the message to the locker room was clear whether it was intentional or not. That move told this team that Mike Vrabel doesn't believe that the Tennessee Titans have a real shot at the playoffs and that there is an eye on 2024. Now that the toothpaste is out of the tube, the Tennessee Titans have to keep trading.
The worst thing Vrabel can do is talk out of both sides of his mouth, and since actions speak louder than words, the Titans' actions tell you they are rebuilding. So, instead of putting up a facade and pretending that isn't true, embrace it!
Luckily, it sounds like there is interest around the league in a handful of Tennessee Titans players. ESPN Insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano mentioned four names of players that have been discussed around the league as potential trade targets.
In fact, if you read closely you can actually piece together which teams might be most interested in each player. Here are the players potentially on the move and the team(s) that would be the most interested.
Derrick Henry to the Baltimore Ravens or the Cleveland Browns
Derrick Henry's name has been swirling around in trade rumors since the end of last year, and some of that is because the Titans tried to trade him his offseason regardless of what they said when they didn't get the price they wanted.
Now there are a handful of teams that could be interested in upgrading at running back, especially if the Tennessee Titans can eat some of Derrick Henry's salary cap on the way out.
There have been rumors about the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, and Buffalo Bills being interested, but the teams that were mentioned by name in the article were the Ravens and the Browns.
Out of all the teams on that list, the Browns and the Cowboys would probably be the teams that Tennessee Titans fans were most comfortable with, but Mike Vrabel and Ran Carthon just showed you how much they care about your feelings when they shipped Kevin Byard off to Philadelphia so that you could read a year's worth of "I can't believe the Tennessee Titans gave the Philadelphia Eagles A.J. Brown and Kevin Byard!" tweets.
Ryan Tannehill to the New York Jets
This one seems unlikely, but the two talk about how Tannehill looked like an option for the New York Jets until the ankle injury. Will Levis is going to get the start this week and Ryan Tannehill is walking without a boot right now, so it isn't impossible that a trade to the Jets (or to the Atlanta Falcons) still happens.
In a strange way, if the Tennessee Titans totally collapse on Sunday, it could turn out to be the best thing for them. If Will Levis can't get the offense working any better than Tannehill, it would make Tannehill look like a victim behind a bad offensive line instead of a guy who has fallen off.
After a year and a half of watching Desmond Ridder, Arthur Smith has to know that he isn't the answer. The Falcons are at the top of the NFC South right now and he needs a good season to keep his job, so he could view trading for Tannehill as a chance to help his odds of coaching another season in Atlanta.
Denico Autry to the Seattle Seahawks
Denico Autry has been incredible for the Tennessee Titans and he is still on pace for a potential Pro Bowl season. However, considering his age and his contract status, it makes sense for the Tennessee Titans to make a trade with a contender.
The Seattle Seahawks just lost Uchenna Nwosu for the season, so they need some help at EDGE. After getting a king's ransom for Russell Wilson, the Seahawks have a deep roster with plenty of rookie contracts.
Making a trade for one of the most underrated pass rushers in the NFL is a smart way to take advantage of that roster depth, plus the Seahawks could get a compensatory pick for him down the line since they probably won't be spending a lot of money on outside free agents this offseason.
Malik Willis to any team willing to roll the dice
I thought it was interesting to see Dan Graziano say this about the Tennessee Titans quarterback situation,
"Indeed. I actually wonder if the Titans (assuming Tannehill is out this week) might use this last game before the deadline to showcase their young quarterbacks. I still think it's more likely they move Malik Willis than Tannehill, but that assumes someone wants to take a shot on the 2022 third-round pick."
Just the fact that his name is out there is interesting, and while I don't see a team making a deal or Willis it is certainly possible that a team with an older quarterback could take a flyer on him for a pick swap.
Teams like the Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks, Las Vegas Raiders, and the New Orleans Saints might want a dozen weeks to evaluate whether Malik Willis has anything to offer them as a cheap backup.