The Tennessee Titans are reportedly pushing back on trade calls from other teams surrounding running back Tony Pollard ahead of the Nov. 10 deadline, and that is 100% the right move.
According to Mike Florio of NBC Sports, "multiple teams" have called the Titans about Pollard, but general manager Mike Borgonzi has "declined to engage in conversations about a potential trade."
With the deadline fast approaching, teams all across the league are going to be interested in buying or selling their assets. To call it like it is, the Titans are 1-7 heading into the bye week, and barring some sort of miracle, they're not going to be playoff-bound this season.
Tony Pollard has already helped Cam Ward's development in Tennessee
In theory, it would make sense for them to trade some of their veterans for assets (see: the Jeffery Simmons-to-the-Chicago-Bears trade). But even though Pollard fits that mold, the Titans would be better off holding onto him at the deadline.
It's easy to understand why teams have interest in Pollard. He has long been at least a solid running back, and he could move the needle for teams like the Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, or Seattle Seahawks, who need more stability in the backfield. Plus, he has been on a tear recently (246 rushing yards on 46 attempts, five rushing touchdowns, six receptions on eight targets, and 46 receiving yards across his last two games).
The 29-year-old's value also isn't likely to get much higher than this, so capitalizing on that could make sense for the Titans, especially since they are in a rebuilding phase anyway (and because he is on an expiring contract).
Titans RB Tony Pollard adds too much value to Cam Ward to trade before the deadline
However, the most important thing for Tennessee right now is to maximize Cam Ward's development. The second-year quarterback is fresh off arguably the best performance of his young NFL career, and it's no coincidence that it aligned with Pollard's surge.
There is already a ton of pressure on Ward right now. The "bust" label has been dangling over him basically from the second he stepped on an NFL field, and it's not like Tennessee is doing him many favors. Pollard's recent play likely isn't sustainable in the long term, but it's clearly taking a lot of that pressure off of Ward right now, and it's allowing him to play more freely and more confidently. This is huge for a young quarterback still trying to find his footing in the NFL.
Opposing defenses need to zero in on Pollard more than they have up to this point in the season, and that's opening up opportunities for Ward to make an impact. Trading the one-time Pro Bowl running back removed a safety blanket for Ward, and that is the last thing Tennessee should do right now.
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