The Titans had a couple different paths they could have followed in the runup to the trade deadline. Tied with the Saints for the worst record in the NFL, a fire sale of any desirable assets could have taken place. While they let teams know that every player on the roster but two was open for business, they ended up playing a bit of hardball, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. 
The two players off the table, of course, were rookie No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward and star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi faces an uphill battle in his efforts to turn around a team that has gone 4-22 over the past two seasons. In making his plan for how he’ll accomplish this feat, Bongonzi pointed to the team that has won three of the last six Super Bowls and their reliance on cornerstone pieces.
“So, you try to identify, at least I think Cam is one,” Borgonzi told reporters, per Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com. “You know, I think some of these rookies can be. I think Jeff is one. And I’m not going to go through every player on the roster, but you would try to identify maybe like three, four, five guys.”
He continued, “And you saw that in the past with Kansas City. It’s like the same four guys that have been there for that whole run there, right? And so, yeah, I do think there’s some cornerstone players here that can be part of this. Some of them are younger now, and they have to develop, and we need to continue to add to that.”
Specifically, he knows Ward needs to develop and improve, and his belief is that the rookie passer is doing so amidst struggles largely attributed to the quality of his supporting cast. The other rookies that may have a chance to establish themselves as cornerstone players with Ward are a trio of fourth-round pass-catchers. Receivers Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor and tight end Gunnar Helm have all established a strong connection with Ward early. They have a chance to continue to develop chemistry and provide some roster continuity for their fledgling quarterback.
Ward’s other top targets this year, wide receiver Calvin Ridley and tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo, were mentioned as trade candidates who might find homes with contenders for the right price. When no deals took place to move either player, it became apparent that, just because every player was available for a trade, it didn’t mean that they’d be cheap. Tennessee had shipped off cornerback Roger McCreary and pass rusher Dre’Mont Jones, netting a pair of fifth-round picks in exchange, but it was a different situation with the offensive pieces.
Because the team was prioritizing Ward’s growth and development, they couldn’t afford to let go of experienced offensive playmakers like Ridley and Okonkwo for nominal compensation. The Titans sought draft picks to assist in the continuation of their rebuild, but late-Day 3 pick swaps were not going to be enough to persuade them to relinquish those assets.
So, the deadline came and went with little noise on players deemed open for business. Borgonzi held on to the players he deemed valuable to the development of what he hopes will become a franchise QB, and he began his work of identifying potential cornerstone Titans.
The problem for Borgonzi is that no matter what plan he chooses for a rebuild of the Titans… Amy is going to find a way to sabotage it.
I don’t know why GM’s talk as much as they do. Do they just like the attention? How is it helpful to tell 51 players they are not essential to the team’s future? I realize there’s not a lot of talent on the team and many of those 51 will be moving on, but do you need to say it?
Agreed. Even mentioning the obvious one or two helps contribute to the idea that the other players are lesser. Whether you think that this is true or not is another matter, but the thing that is for certain is that they will not play as well or work as hard as they would thinking they’re important and valuable.
I remember back in the day, most everyone laughing at the wacky motivational ideas (like serving cake & ice cream to the players after games) that George Allen would come up with. Funny thing is…a lot of George’s zany ideas worked. He was one of the few HCs back then that really understood the value of positive psychology.