Tennessee Titans cleaning house with new GM making waves
The Tennessee Titans released four players on Wednesday, making a clear statement about the team’s direction.
First-year general manager Ran Carthon isn’t wasting any time.
On Wednesday morning, Carthon released four veterans from the Tennessee Titans including left tackle Taylor Lewan, receiver Robert Woods, kicker Randy Bullock and linebacker Zach Cunningham. All told, the moves saved Tennessee $38 million this upcoming season against the salary cap. Although the most important portion of the transactions was the message sent.
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Clearly, Carthon is going to put his stamp on the roster. A roster he sees as old, expensive and unproductive in the moment.
For Tennessee, the frustration had to be immense after watching a 7-3 start turn into an 8-9 finish with no playoff appearance. The Titans struggled all year to throw the ball. Whether it was Ryan Tannehill, Joshua Dobbs or Malik Willis under center. This was largely because the receiving corps was a mess, led by Woods and rookie first-round pick Treylon Burks.
With the cap cleared, Carthon can now methodically build his team through the draft this year, considering the free-agent class is one of the more underwhelming groups in years. Tennessee could also consider moving off Tannehill if it wants to completely blow things up, as the Titans would save $17.8 million if he’s cut or released this offseason. Currently, Tannehill is entering the final year of his pact, in which he counts as $36.6 million against the cap.
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Considering how strong the AFC is, Carthon is making the right decision. The Titans were never going to win big with this roster. Especially as the offensive line has withered and the defense is relying almost exclusively on the front seven and safety Kevin Byard, while the corners remain a huge question mark.
If Carthon proves his mettle as as general manager, the Titans have a strong core with he and head coach Mike Vrabel. The next portion is finding a franchise quarterback, something the organization hasn’t had since the Steve McNair era.
But for now, Carthon has made his ideals clear. It’s time to turn the proverbial page in Tennessee, where a roster once close to a Super Bowl has fallen, and needed to be torn apart.
