Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Abdul Carter STILL #1 Despite Injury Concerns at NFL Combine, Giants Trade Back & Trey Smith Tagged

Episode Date: February 27, 2025

Abdul Carter is one of the top options for the Tennessee Titans in the NFL Draft, but things got more complicated at the NFL Combine when it was announced that Carter had an issue with his foot. However, there has been an overreaction to the news and Carter is still the best player in the draft. Matthew Stafford and who his next team will be continues to dominate the headlines, but his situation has a monster effect on the Titans quarterback situation. Finally, one of the top options for the Titans in free agency was Trey Smith, but after being tagged by the Kansas City Chiefs, he is off the board.  Subscribe to the TicTacTitans Film Channel:https://www.youtube.com/@TicTacTitans TicTacTitans Merchandise: https://dixons-dream.square.site/shop/tictactitans-gear/C3AAPNWXSXA6SBYG3USV2I7R?page=1&limit=30&sort_by=category_order&sort_order=asc Follow Tyler on Twitter @TicTacTitans Follow the show on Facebook @LockedOnTitansPod Subscribe to the Locked On Titans YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/c/LockedOnTitans/videos Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! FanDuelRight now, new FanDuel customers can get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in Bonus Bets if your first FIVE DOLLAR bet wins!Download the app or head to FANDUEL.COM to get started. Bet with FanDuel—Official Partner of the NBA.   FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

Despite a massive overreaction to recent injury news, Abdul Carter is still the number one option for the Tennessee Titans. I'll explain why on today's edition of Locked on Titans. You are Locked on Titans, your daily Tennessee Titans podcast, part of the Lock on podcast network, your team every day. Welcome to the locked on Titans podcast. I am your host Tyler Roland Titans fans. Today's edition of the locked on Titans podcast is brought to you by FanDuel.

Right now, new customers can get $150 in bonus bets of your first $5 bet wins. On today's show, we're going to look at Trey Smith getting tagged by the Kansas City Chiefs and what options that leaves the Titans. Talk about how Matthew Stafford continues to help the Tennessee Titans, but we'll start with this massive overreaction to some injury news about Abdul Carter and why I think he is still the number one pick before we do. Do want to thank you for making Locked on Titans your first listen each and every day. Remember Monday through Friday, Tennessee Titans content all year round, always for free.

Make sure that you get subscribed, stay subscribed. It's your team every day. Speaking of every day, shout out to my every dayers out there tuning in Monday through Friday the news and Notes come through really fast this time of year free agency less than two weeks away the draft are right around the corner You're not gonna be more prepared and informed Tennessee Titans fan than you would be if you listen to this podcast every single day So make sure that you get subscribed again to this podcast every single day. So make sure that you get subscribed again.

Some of you guys who watch some of you guys who listen, you're not subscribed. It's just popping up in your feeds. Hit subscribe, help the boy out. That's all I ask for free daily Tennessee Titans content all year round. But with that being said, again, the big news of the day, we got word on Wednesday night, late in the night, that the medical evaluation found an issue with Abdul Carter.

He had what was being called at the time a stress fracture in his foot. And of course, everybody's freaking out. I'm getting tagged left and right. Now they can't draft him. Buh-buh-buh-buh-buh. It was weird because some people who want the Titans to draft a quarterback were almost celebrating

that this young man got injured before the biggest moment of his professional career. Very weird stuff right there. But regardless, we wake up in the morning and we get more realistic, positive news. He has a stress reaction in his foot. He is not going to have surgery. He is going to participate in his March 27th pro day at Penn State and this is not expected to impact his

draft stock whatsoever. So in my mind, I've absolutely zero doubts about Abdul Carter from an injury perspective, based on this information. I have people telling me, Oh, this is two things. Now he had the shoulder. Now it's the foot. Look, is it ideal that there's anything medical? No, I could admit that it's not ideal, but also the overreaction is what's killing me. You're telling me that if a team had this player is the number one player in the

draft, the best player in the draft, that this issue is going to prevent them from taking him number one in the draft. No. And you look at some recent examples here. Julio Jones had a foot issue coming into the combine. Julio Jones turned out all right. Derek Henry had a Jones fracture, which is far worse than a stress reaction. You don't got to be a doctor to know that. Derek Henry bounced back all right. Now you could find examples of any

particular injury throughout the history of the NFL of this guy, the injury, it didn't work out. Okay. Great. And you may say to me, well, Derek Henry and Julio Jones are freaks in nature. Well, if you look at Abdul Carter, you might be able to say that he's a freak in nature. Also, I find it absolutely hilarious that some of the reaction to this was the Titans can't draft an injury prone player Abdul Carter missed zero games in his college career Literally never missed a game in his entire career He had a shoulder injury during the college football playoff and he still dominated Like I'm sorry, but I think it is insanity that if presumably the Tennessee Titans had

Abdul Carter in their mind to take with the number one overall selection that this would somehow delegitimize that. Also some people are saying, well, now they have to go quarterback. Now that, which to me is the most insane reaction of them all. And let me tell you why I think it's insane to say, oh, well now Abdul Carter's hurt. You got to go quarterback now. Before Abdul Carter had this medical concern, quote unquote. If, now I'm not saying this is what the Titans think. I'm not telling you that this is the way that the Titans think.

I'm just presenting a scenario based on what has been presented to me. A lot of you guys saying, Oh, now that Carter's hurt, it's gotta be the quarterback. Well, that implies that it's close that you got Abdul Carter at one and Cam Ward at two. And now there's a medical issue. So Cam Ward should be one. If the Tennessee Titans have Abdul Carter at number one and they have Cam Ward at number two, number three, number four, number five. Why aren't you taking Cam Ward anyways?

If you have a quarterback that closely ranked to a pass rusher, if a pass rusher and a quarterback are even, if a quarterback is just slightly below the pass rusher, you always take the quarterback. So this Abdul Carter medical concern, if it impacts the Tennessee Titans decision, it won't be, hey, we were going to take Abdul Carter, but now we're going to take the quarterback. If you like the quarterback enough to where it's that close, you should be taking the quarterback anyways, because quarterback is so much more important. If they're close, you always go QB.

The reason you would go Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter over one of the quarterbacks is because it's not close because you have cam ward at 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17 and Abdul Carter at one. That's why you take Abdul Carter over the quarterbacks. If it's close, if cam ward is in your top five players and Abdul Carter's number one, you need to be taken the quarterback. It's not even close. So to me, for people acting like this Abdul Carter injury now means that they

should pivot to the quarterbacks. That doesn't make any sense because if they like the quarterbacks that much, anyways, they should be taken that quarterback regardless of the injury or the medical concerns or any of that. If it's close, you take the quarterback. The thing is, if it's not close, this Abdul Carter injury wouldn't make you then bump up the quarterbacks losing. This isn't a teeter totter. This isn't a seesaw.

You know what I mean? This is not a Libra scale. When Abdul Carter goes down, that doesn't push the quarterbacks up. It would push Travis Hunter or Armando Membo, or, you know, one of the position players up because by having Abdul Carter number one and not being willing to go quarterback, you are already admitting that you don't like the quarterbacks enough. So the logic of Abdul Carter getting hurt makes the Titans more likely to draft a quarterback. I don't buy that thought philosophy. It doesn't make any sense to me at all, because if it's close,

you should be going quarterback anyways. And if it's not close, then you shouldn't be taking that quarterback anyways. You should pivot elsewhere. And quite frankly, if there's any impact on the Titans, I think this makes the Titans more likely to trade down now because Carter is inherently a touch more risky with the medical concern. So rather than pivot to players that you don't believe in, that makes the Titans in my mind more likely to trade down. And then if it goes quarterback quarterback quarterback, then you could take Abdul Carter at number three while having more picks in your

back pocket, which eliminates the risk. Or you just take Travis Hunter, a guy who I think is going to be a star player in the NFL. It's that simple. And speaking of trading down, it gets more likely every day. Today's episode is brought to you by fan dual sportsbook. When the game tips off, the NBA action is just getting started and there's no better place to get in on it than fan dual America's number one sportsbook with fan dual, you can place live bets throughout the game.

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more likely that the Titans would trade down, not take a quarterback. But with that being said, we're going to talk about the trade down situation. I talked about some of the quarterback dominoes yesterday. We're starting to get more information on that rapidly and at the end of the day, there's one huge situation with Matthew Stafford that has a massive impact on the Tennessee Titans and I think in a positive way. So right now, the reports out there are just absolutely going crazy with

Matthew Stafford to the Raiders. It was the giants. Now it's pivoted to the Raiders. The Raiders seem incredibly motivated to get this thing done. I will continue to say that what makes the most sense for Matthew Stafford is to go back to the Los Angeles Rams. What makes the most sense for the Los Angeles Rams is to go back to Matthew Stafford and give him his money. But I'll tell you based

on everything we're seeing, I got a little information from one of my guys with the Rams and he said it, you know, seems like he's not coming back to the Rams and I read a report out there today that the Rams are basically done with Matthew Stafford. It's a matter of if or when he gets traded, not if. Again, I have a hard time buying that. But we're seeing a lot of different reports kind of come together. So first, we're getting the Stafford to the Raider stuff. Tom Brady

meeting with Matthew Stafford at the Montana ski resort. It's not tampering, I guess. That's what the NFL is saying because the Rams gave Stafford permission to talk to other teams. So, meeting with Tom Brady at the ski resort, not tampering. Okay, cool. But we get that news. We also get the Jordan Renan tweet of there are two paths for the Giants. Stafford trade or trade up to number one. We're hearing that the Cleveland Browns really like Chideur Sanders. really like Chedur Sanders. Then we're hearing that the Rams really like Sam Darnold or Aaron Rodgers as a replacement.

Ben Albright, Benjamin Albright, who is a media guy for the Denver Broncos, a guy who historically does give good information out. He had a cryptic tweet basically saying that the giants and the Titans were going to make a trade. It's going fast and furious right now, but kind of connect all those dots. all those dots. If Stafford goes to the Raiders, then the Giants can't get Stafford. Then the Giants need to trade up to number one to get a quarterback and their coach and their general manager are desperate. The Titans are not. So you take advantage of that. You get a haul. Let's say pick number three, pick number 34. A next year first, seems like a pretty good starting place. Then the Giants take Cam Ward, the Browns take Shudder Sanders, and then the Titans sit there and they might be able to get the guy they wanted all along Abdul Carter while also having

a bunch of extra picks in their back pocket. That is the ideal scenario for the Tennessee Titans. If they could come away with the best player in the draft at a massive position of need while also getting an extra top 35 pick. Imagine if the Titans had 34 and 35, what they could do with that. Offensive tackle, another edge rusher. Offensive tackle, wide receiver. Offensive tackle, interior defensive lineman.

Offensive tackle and maybe one of the quarterbacks if they want to take an extra swing with that extra pick. I wouldn't. I'm out on that. We're not doing that. But, like, so many possibilities to get really, really good players. And again, and shout out, I forget who it was now because I didn't write it in my notes, but they tagged me on Twitter. It was, uh, Adam Schefter basically saying that the 10th player in this draft may not be that different from the like 50th player or something like that. Outside of like the top handful of players, you know, there's not a massive difference in this class. This is a meat and potatoes class.

This is a, you're going to get solid starters. You probably aren't going to get star players. There's only a couple of those, but you're going to get solid starters like Tetaroah McMillan at wide receiver. Probably not going to be like an AJ Brown, Jamar chase, Justin Jefferson level player, but could maybe be like a Drake may level player. You know what I mean? A T Higgins level player. They aren't high end number one guys at their position, but really, really good starters, you know what I mean? Like you might not get elite all pro guys throughout most of this class, but

there are going to be starters, solid starters throughout. So getting multiple picks in that area would be critical for the Titans, especially since they don't have a third round pick. So if they were able to get that additional draft capital from the Giants, drop only back to three and get Abdul Carter and like still be able to fill a ton of holes. It's a credit. That's the most. Miraculous outcome in my opinion. That's hey, we would take this guy number one, but we use the demand. To get the Giants to jump up and still got the guy we wanted

while getting their picks like that is great. And let me say this too. I'm going to turn this into its own conversation and its own segment probably next week, or maybe as we get closer to draft season and we get through free agency, but we are not talking enough about Travis Hunter. Travis Hunter is clearly the number one cornerback. He's also clearly the number one wide receiver. He said, again, at the combine, I want to play both. We're hearing that there are actually more teams at the combine that have him as a wide receiver than has him as a cornerback. That's interesting. But Travis Hunter is going to

be a very good football player no matter what. So if you want to make sure that you're getting a very good football player, Travis Hunter is right there for you. So I would prefer Abdul Carter, but if the Titans are scared off Abdul Carter because of the injury at all, then you trade down to number three. You let the two quarterbacks go first and then you take Travis Hunter. Like not talking enough about Travis Hunter. Also not talking enough about Travis Hunter as a wide receiver. Like I think that he could be the Titans came out and said, they think he's a cornerback and then a package of plays at wide receiver. But I don't think that it's insane to play him full time at wide receiver.

Like, I don't think that's crazy either. And even if you think he's a full time cornerback and a part time wide receiver receiver. Are we sure Ligeria Snead is a long-term solution after last year? Ousier is gone after the season. Roger McCreary is a free agent after the season. So it's possible that after this year, only Jarvis Brownlee Jr. remains out of those four cornerbacks. So don't tell me that cornerback isn't a massive need either. It's going to be a huge need by this time next year. So having a guy in Travis Hunter

that can give you some wide receiver and cornerback, it's possible that this time next year Jarvis Brownlee Jr. and Travis Hunter are the only cornerbacks that the Titans have. So just keep that in mind as we go forward again. I'm very high on Travis Hunter 2. I know that Abdul Carter is my preferred guy. Some of you guys are pigeonholing me into Abdul Carter or bust. I think Abdul Carter is the preferred option, but I am totally open to Abdul Carter at 1.

Trade down for Carter. Hunter at 1. Trade down for Hunter. I much prefer Hunter in, trade down for Carter, Hunter at one trade down for Hunter. I much prefer Hunter in a trade down scenario. The number one, I'd be okay with the quarterbacks. If the Titans truly believe in him, I prefer cam ward, but I'll hear Shader Sanders I'm okay with trading down to pick number nine and taking our mom Membo or Teta Rhoa McMillan.

Or like I am open to an assortment of possibilities for the Titans. And that absolutely includes Travis Hunter as a cornerback or as a wide receiver. I'm okay with both in this draft class, but with that being said, looking at free agency, the top target for the Tennessee Titans. Looks like he might be off the board. Titans fans, let's cap off today's edition of the Locked Titans podcast. Talked about Abdul Carter talked about the quarterback Domino's helping out the Titans and their ability to trade back in the draft.

And we're hearing a lot of conversation about the Titans trading back from people far disconnected from the Tennessee Titans. Typically it is making its way around the NFL combine, but now I want to shift to free agency because my number one target for the Tennessee Titans is off the board. Before we get into it, do you want to thank you for making the locked on Titans podcast your first listen each and every day. Remember Monday through Friday, Tennessee Titans content.

Oh, you're around always for free. Make sure you get subscribed. Stay subscribed to your team every day. With that being said, Trey Smith, Kansas city chiefs, offensive lineman, former Tennessee volunteer will get the franchise tag from the Kansas city chiefs. I have been in a blender with this guy. Before the franchise tag window open, we heard reports that they were going to tag him, and then when the franchise tag window opened, we heard reports that they weren't going to tag him.

And then today or on Thursday, I should say they do tag him. So it's like we're going to we're not we are. And quit playing with my emotions, Kansas City. This is your fault, not the sources. I'm playing with my emotions, Kansas City. This is your fault, not the sources. Um, anyways, it's disappointing because Trey Smith in my mind was far and away, far and away the best option for the Tennessee Titans, uh, on the interior offensive line.

I think when you look at the offensive tackle position in the draft and the interior offensive line in the draft, that the offensive tackle position is much better. I think that if you look at free agency. I trust Trey Smith at guard more than I would trust any other free agent offensive lineman out there. If I'm going to spend big money, I want to know that I'm getting a really, really good player and Trey Smith gives you that. Now, outside of Trey Smith, you could look at Will Freeze from the Indianapolis Colts, about to be 27 years old. He's a good option.

27 years old. He's a good option. Had a tibia injury in week five and had surgery. So he's coming off an injury. I don't know if you want to do that. You know what I mean? Tevin Jenkins played for the Chicago Bears. Same thing about to turn 27. He's okay. You know what I mean? He's okay. Not a great pass blocker, but you know guys like this turn it around sometimes. Had some injuries that he dealt with early. Then you look at like Kevin Zeitler. He's 35. Titans don't need to be signing anybody who's 35 years old. James Daniels, but he tore his Achilles in week four for the Steelers.

You can't have two interior starters coming off Achilles' tears. Mackay Bekton is only about to turn 26, but I don't trust Mackay Bekton in the Titans locker room. That's not a good move. Brandon Scherff. Good player. 33 years old Patrick McCarrie is a guy who I think could make some sense. He played for the Baltimore Ravens versatile guys played

some tackle left and right kicked into guard last year only 27. Maybe that makes sense, but the projection on that is about 13 to 15 million dollars a year. And I guess maybe you guys won't agree with this, but I would rather pay Dylan Raden's five or six million dollars a year than pay Patrick McCarrie, the sixth best guard in free agency, 15 million, you know, or 10 million dollars. Aaron Banks, 27 years old, played for San Francisco. You want to pay him nine to 10 million dollars? More of a zone guy? Is he going to fit with the power scheme that the Titans are running? Will Hernandez is turning 30. He's been a stout guy though throughout his career. Maybe that's a placeholder. You're probably only paying $5 million a year for him. I could see

that adult and Reisner is an older player at 30 who's been bouncing around the league for a rile. Lincoln Tomlinson, same thing. Evan Brown, like, I don't know at the end of the day if I'm not getting Trace Smith. I don't want to take a chance on injury players like frees and Jenkins and Daniels like I don't want to take a chance on older guys like sure and Kevin Zeitler, so to me of Trace Smith is off the board and Kevin Zeitler. So to me, if Trey Smith is off the board, I'd honestly rather just bring back Dylan Radens and make sure that I draft an interior offensive lineman. It's that simple to me.

I'm just not going to overextend myself. And people have been talking about Jonah Jackson of the Los Angeles Rams, who's been granted permission to seek a trade. Had some injuries last year about $9 million a year in salary cap. But he was benched by the Los Angeles Rams whose offensive line wasn't all that great. I know they have Steve Avella and some other good interior offensive lineman, but if you can't get on the field for the Los Angeles Rams, why am I going to trade for you and then pay you eight to $9 million a year? Why am I making any kind of veteran trade whatsoever when I'm a rebuilding

Tennessee Titans team, it just simply doesn't make a lot of sense. I've been against any of these veteran moves. Like I talked to Zach Lyons from F words and he was like trading for a guy like Kyle Hamilton with a late round pick. And I'm like, Kyle Hamilton's 33, you know, like why would the Titans do that? And he's like, well, maybe not Kyle Vanoy, but you know, a move like that. And I'm still like, you know, it reminds me of Shaq Mason from last year when he got traded to Houston from Tampa Bay because they were done with him And everybody's like, oh, this is a good move. That's a starting-level garden and check Mason was awful. I Think there's a better chance that the fifth rounder

Starts more games for the Titans than Jonah Jackson would long term so I'm just out on any kind of veteran trade like that, like these Cowboys trades, where people are saying trade for Dak Prescott, pick 12 for pick one and Dak Prescott. No, I just, you know, you talk to Michael Parson. Sure. I'll entertain you, but I don't know. I just don't want any, any trades for veterans.

The Titans need to get as many picks as they can. Keep as many picks as they can and take as many shots on players in the draft on day two and day three and hope to get hits. Like that's how you win in the NFL is you hit in the later rounds and get quality starters. You need as many swings as possible with how hard it is to find them there. So I'm just not sacrificing any picks for any of this. starters. You need as many swings as possible with how hard it is to find them there. So I'm just not sacrificing any picks for any of this. If he becomes a free agent, then

bring in Jonah Jackson. Sure. It's the same thing. Other teams are probably saying about Harold Landry. Why would we trade for this player that's at the end of his rope that's getting paid more than he's worth? Why would we do that? Just wait for him to get cut because the team clearly doesn't want him and doesn't want to pay him. The Titans don't want to pay Harold Landry. The Rams don't want to pay Jonah Jackson. So don't trade anything for them. Just wait for them to be cut because the team has made it clear they don't want to play her on their books. So just be smart Titans, be patient, hold firm, hold the line and rebuild through the draft.

But with that being said, that's going to do it for me today, folks. As always, I am your host Tyler Roland and this was locked on Titans. Thanks for watching guys!