The Tennessee Titans are 2-4 and in last place in the AFC South. Their quarterback, Ryan Tannehill, is dealing with an ankle injury, much like he did last season. And now in his 11th season at 35 years old, the team is poised to move on without him as he heads to free agency this offseason.
We also just learned that the Titans have traded away safety Kevin Byard to the Eagles for draft picks. With the trade deadline fast approaching on October 31st, it’s fair to wonder if the Titans will look to trade other players, especially older skill players like Derrick Henry, DeAndre Hopkins and Tannehill.
DeAndre Hopkins
Nuk has shown he can still be a productive wide receiver this season, as he’s caught 27 passes for 376 yards. At 31 and in his 11th season, the Titans aren’t going to have him for a rebuild. Getting rid of his contract or at least part of it, while getting some draft capital back is much needed for a possible rebuild.
The 4-3 Bills, 5-2 Ravens, 6-1 Chiefs, and 4-2 Cowboys could all use a player like Hopkins to give them a boost heading to postseason and he’d likely come at a discount.
Derrick Henry
Henry’s demise has been foretold often, but has yet to materialize. But, there’s little doubt the team has moved away from giving him a huge workload as he’s split time with rookie Tyjae Spears. But, he’s also shown he still has juice, with 98 carries for 425 yards and three touchdowns through six games. Henry will turn 30 in January and have a tremendous workload over his career. There really isn’t much the Titans can expect out of him over the next few years. Add in the devaluation of running backs, especially those that aren’t strong receivers and this might be the last chance they have at getting something useful in return for the RB King.
The Ravens would be a fun spot for Henry to end up, as they lost J.K. Dobbins and haven’t really found someone to lean on in the running game. Of course, the Bills would also be a good landing spot, as they seem to really want someone for those tough yards and they rather keep Josh Allen from running as much as he needs to.
Ryan Tannehill
Tannehill’s contract is up and the Titans will move on from him this offseason, so it would make sense to get something for him in a trade, but finding a trade partner for an older quarterback who is dealing with an ankle injury is probably impossible. They do need to see what they have in Malik Willis and Will Levis, but they really need to get a better draft pick so they can build around a young quarterback with better credentials than those two.
If Tannehill was healthy, the 3-3 Jets would make a lot of sense as a trade partner. On paper, the 4-3 Falcons and 3-4 Colts could be interesting landing spots as well.
Conclusion
The Titans should get whatever they can for their older players. Adding draft capital and playing younger players helps them assess their roster while it also keeps them losing and vying for a better draft pick in a good 2024 QB draft.
