Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - AJ Brown Trade Rumors, Titans Looking QB in the NFL Draft and Potential Starter at Guard??

Episode Date: March 28, 2022

The Tennessee Titans star wide receiver AJ Brown has been in some unofficial trade rumors as of late. Is there any truth there and could it happen? Tyler says absolutely not and has some proof for any doubters. Next, there has been some smoke as of indicating the Titans could potentially select or even TRADE UP for a QB in the first round of the NFL Draft. Tyler goes over some of the evidence suggesting they will and some familiar ties that could make it even more likely. Finally, Mike Vrabel spoke at the NFL Owner's Meeting on Monday and had an interesting comment about a one of the openings on the Titans starting line.Follow Tyler on Twitter @TicTacTitansFollow the show on Facebook @LockedOnTitansPodSubscribe to the Locked On Titans YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/c/LockedOnTitansSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.BetOnlineBetOnline.net has you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before. BetOnline – Where The Game Starts!Rock AutoAmazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you.Athletic GreensTo make it easy, Athletic Greens is going to give you a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase. All you have to do is visit athleticgreens.com/NFLNETWORK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to the Locked on Titans podcast. I am your host, Tyler Rowland. Titans fans, it is a Hot Topic Tuesday edition of the Locked on Titans podcast on today's show. We're going to talk about those A.J. Brown trade rumors. I'm going to tell you why they're complete nonsense, and I'm going to provide proof. Also, are the Titans going to select a quarterback in the first round of the NFL draft? We've gotten a lot of smoke. I'll see if there's a fire.

And finally, the Titans have some open spots on their starting offensive line. Mike Vrabel might have given us a hint on Monday as to who could fill one of those open spots. So all of that and much more on a Hot Topic Tuesday edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. Let's get it! You the Locked On Titans podcast. Let's get it. You are Locked On Titans, your daily Tennessee Titans podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Titans fans, it is a Hot Topic Tuesday edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. We got a lot to discuss today.

Gonna talk those A.J. Brown trade rumors. Gonna talk the Titans with some smoke around possibly taking a quarterback in the first round. And then we'll talk about some open spots on the offensive line and how Mike Vrabel might have given us a little bit of intel into who could be filling one of those spots. Before we get into that, I do got to thank you guys for making the Locked on Titans podcast

your first listen every day. If this is your first ever listen to the Locked on Titans podcast, make sure you subscribe on whatever platform you do stream. You're going to find the Locked on Titans podcast there and always free. And that includes the Locked on Titans podcast there and always free. And that includes the Locked on Titans YouTube channel. Subscribe over there.

Smash that notification bell so you know when the content goes live. Hit that thumbs up button if you're watching on YouTube right now. And check me out on social media on Twitter at TicTacTitans. On Facebook at Locked on Titans Pod. And on Twitter at TicTacTitans is where I do all my film analysis. And I put out a good film video, a short one, but a good one on Monday covering one of the topics that we are going to discuss here. But we're going to start with those A.J. Brown trade rumors.

And immediately, as soon as I heard those rumors, I knew this is BS. Number one, A.J. Brown is the MVP of the Tennessee Titans. Do not get it twisted. We have learned that when A.J. Brown is on the field, regardless of Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry and Julio Jones and wide receiver three, four, five, tight end, this, that, and the third, don't matter. As long as A.J. Brown is out on the field and the Titans can have a dynamic threat in the passing game,

then they can be who they want to be as a team. A.J. Brown is the MVP of this team, and I'll be damned if the Tennessee Titans trade him to the New York Jets because they're scared about Tyreek Hill and Devontae Adams' contract. So, number one, just diving in first and foremost, A.J. Brown ain't Devontae Adams and Tyreek Hill. Okay? Now, we all think with increased opportunity, some good weapons,

maybe a better quarterback, for example, maybe A.J. Brown could produce at the level of those guys. But the reality is A.J. Brown's missed considerable time in his first three years in the NFL with injuries. So that's obviously going to bring the value down. He hasn't been anywhere near as productive as those two guys have been. So if we're looking at contracts that make sense for A.J. Brown, we're looking at Chris Godwin, DJ Moore, $20, $22 million a year.

And that's why I think it would be smart for the Titans to get a contract extension done with A.J. Brown this offseason. Don't wait until next year when a couple more wide receivers who are in A.J. Brown's tier get that money. And if A.J. Brown stays healthy all year and they actually throw him the freaking ball, he's going to go absolutely nuts. So it would make sense for the Titans to get the deal done as quick as possible. Base it on that Chris Godwin deal. Base it on that D.J. Moore

deal. Get the deal done now in the offseason. That would be the right move. But I got to tell you, even if they don't get the deal done, you're not trading A.J. Brown. You're gonna find a way to re-sign him next offseason. There's just no way that the Titans are trading A.J. Brown to the New York Jets.

Not a chance. He's not gonna get the contract that Devontae Adams and Tyreek Hill got. And even if he was gonna get that money, you don't trade him now. You find a way to keep him. So, either way, this rumor has just

frustrated me to no end. I don't know how else to say it. But, I told you guys I would give you proof that the Titans aren't going to trade A.J. Brown. Here's what John Robinson, the Titans general manager, had to say about these rumors.

Quote, right now we are just trying to get through this free agency period, seeing where we've landed cap-wise. AJ is an important part of what we do. He's a great teammate. He works hard. He's about what we're about. AJ is a Titan and we want to keep AJ a Titan. And that's part of our goal this offseason. Extend him now. Or whenever that manifests itself, to come to an agreement and keep him around.

Also, John Robinson said this, quote, We get calls about players all the time. That's what GMs do. I haven't received any of those calls about AJ. And if they do call, our intention is, AJ,

we are going to keep him in Nashville. He is an important part of our offense. He is the most important part of the offense. The Titans aren't trading A.J. Brown. Tell your Jets friends to grow up. It's not happening. Nobody wants to go play for the Jets. You're being used as a leverage tool.

Sayonara to those A.J. Brown trade rumors. I've had enough. I didn't even want to talk about it because they're nonsense, but here we are. Complete nonsense. A.J. Brown will be a Tennessee Titan for the foreseeable future. But we got a lot more to talk about on a Hot Topic Tuesday. I do want to say this.

I know that I had intentions of doing a mailbag today. A couple of you guys sent me your questions. I bookmarked those. I got them saved. But there's just so much to talk about and so much going on right now that I had to push that off another day to get to all these hot topics.

I mean, there's just so much to discuss in Titans land right now. I wanted to make sure that we got to those hot topics as soon as we possibly could. And the next hot topic is the Tennessee Titans potentially taking a quarterback in the first round of the NFL draft. As the days go by, we get more and more smoke.

Is there a fire? I'll talk about that in just a second. Before we get into it, though, I do want to tell you guys about BetOnline.net. After months of playing, college basketball has determined the top teams for the Final Four and will determine this year's national champion in this coming week. BetOnline.net is your number one source for all your sports betting needs and sports info, for all the latest odds, contests, and player props. You name it, BetOnline remains the best spot for all of the latest sports developments, including news and reviews for all the leagues this season.

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Titans fans, let's continue this Hot Topic Tuesday edition of the Locked On Titans podcast. We just talked about those nonsensical BS A.J. Brown trade rumors. Now I want to dive into some rumors that might not be BS. And that's the Tennessee Titans potentially selecting a quarterback in the first round of the NFL draft. Before we get into that, I've got to thank you guys again for making the Locked on Titans podcast your first listen every day. Make sure that you guys also check out the Locked on NFL podcast. You get all your Titans news here with me

in under 30 minutes Monday through Friday. in under 30 minutes Monday through Friday. In under 30 minutes Monday through Friday, also get your NFL news with the Locked on NFL podcast. I am actually the host of the Thursday show. So if you want to subscribe just to show me some support for getting free Titans content Monday through Friday, I would take that as some appreciation as well. There's also a YouTube channel for the Locked On NFL podcast.

So if you guys are watching on YouTube right now, just click over to Locked On NFL, subscribe, and then come back and finish the show. But either way, it's free and available on all platforms. Check out the Locked On NFL podcast on whatever platform you choose to stream. But moving forward. So, in my opinion, there are five quarterbacks that I think have at least the talent to be taken in the first round of the NFL draft. There's Malik Willis, my number one quarterback.

There is Desmond Ritter, my number two quarterback. There is Matt Corral, my number three quarterback. There is Sam Howe, my number three quarterback. There is Sam Howe, my number four quarterback. And then Kenny Pickett, my number five quarterback. And I know what you guys are saying. Kenny Pickett is your QB5? Yeah. You know, at some point when you do,

when you create content like this, when you talk about football, you got to just stick your flag in certain places. I mean, there are just certain places where you land. And I don't believe in Kenny Pickett. I don't. I think his ceiling is a Teddy Bridgewater. I do not believe in Kenny Pickett at all.

I would be absolutely enraged if the Titans picked Kenny Pickett. I feel less emboldened, but very similar about Sam Howell. But Malik Willis, love his ability. Don't think he's making it anywhere close to the Titans. I think there's a good chance he goes number two to the Lions. Matt Corral has great physical ability. And then Desmond Ritter is the most pro-ready quarterback, I believe, in the draft right now.

Very technically sound. Has good athleticism, good traits as well, too. But with all of these quarterbacks, you're going to get in the comments and you're going to say, oh, this quarterback sucks. This quarterback's good. All of these quarterbacks have major areas of improvement needed. And when we get into our scouting for the quarterback position in the next week, two weeks,

we'll talk about all the ups and downs of all these guys. But my early initial reactions and reports, I'd only be okay with Willis Corral and Ritter all these guys. But, my early initial reactions and reports, I'd only be okay with Willis, Corral, and Ritter for the Titans. But, what's more important than my general opinion on the quarterbacks is why we're even having this conversation. And number one, the Titans

have been well represented at quarterback pro days. I mean, Pat O'Hara, the Titans quarterback coach, went to Liberty to see Malik Willis. Titans offensive coordinator Todd Downing went to Ole Miss to see Matt Corral. Pat O'Hara also went to Pitt to see Kenny Pickett. Mike Vrabel went to Cincinnati to see Desmond Ritter.

Now, outside of just Ritter, of course, you have Maji Sanders as the edge rusher. You have Alec Pierce, the wide receiver. There's a sauce gardener, the cornerback. I mean, there are a lot of reasons that Mike Vrabel would be going to Cincinnati. Also, Luke Fickle, the head coach of Cincinnati, was Mike Vrabel's best man in his wedding. So when you start to put the pieces together,

and yesterday on Monday, Pat O'Hara went to North Carolina to see Sam Howe. So the Titans are doing their due diligence on the quarterback class. And you may say they'll always do their due diligence. But I think that we're getting some smoke, some mock drafts are mocking the Titans trading up for a quarterback. I think there are some rumblings around the NFL that the

Titans are serious about the quarterback position. And when you think about how the Kansas City Chiefs did it. So the Chiefs had a really good roster and they had Alex Smith. And the Chiefs were picking number 26 in the draft where they traded up to get Mahomes at number 10,

I do believe. All the Kansas City Chiefs fans were saying, don't trade up and get a quarterback. Make the roster better around Alex Smith. If we're better around Alex Smith, then we have a chance to finally win the Super Bowl, not just make the playoffs and lose in the first round at home. Who's that sound

like, guys? Who's that sound? It sounds like all of us. So, I guess as the days go by, I get more comfortable with the idea of trading up because we all talk about how this isn't a great quarterback class. Well, that's what everybody said

about that quarterback class with Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes. So who's to say? Who's to say? Now, listen, I'm not here advocating for the Titans to take quarterback. I'm not saying that should be the pick. But all I'm saying is, I'm not going to be

upset if the Titans trade up and get a Matt Corral or a Desmond Ritter. I think I could live. I think I could live. Okay? And I'll have bolder opinions and stronger opinions when I get a complete scouting report on these guys and feel comfortable with exactly who they are as players. But initially, I could see those two guys making sense

for the Titans in the teens. You know, trade up from 26 to 14, 15, 16, somewhere in there. Because as we see every single year, we could talk about it being a lesser quarterback class, but the QBs are going to go. Because if you don't have your quarterback of the future, you're stuck.

And the Titans don't have their quarterback of the future. And right now, the Titans are kind of stuck with a great roster set up. So why not take a risk on that young guy? I mean, the Titans' last two first-round picks were Caleb Farley and Isaiah Wilson. You're going to be mad if they take a quarterback?

I can't be mad. I can disagree and say I'd rather see them take wide receiver, or I'd rather see him take offensive line and make the team immediately better, but heck, how long has it been since the Titans had a first round pick that actually did immediately make the Titans better?

I mean, Jeffrey Simmons, we had to wait seven weeks for him with the ACL. Panda, the whole NFL is still waiting, and Caleb Farley was not ready to go at all and didn't look ready when he played even if I have high hopes for Farley going forward. So if you're worried that there won't be an

impact player in the first round, well rarely do the Titans find an impact player immediately in the first round. Basically, go back to Jack Conklin's rookie year in 2016. So to me, I guess I see the smoke

I see evidence and I'm getting to a point where we will see I just can't be mad anymore and as there's more buzz there's more smoke it's starting to make me think that there might just be a fire

especially when you consider that a ton of the wide receivers could go early, a ton of the offensive linemen that could actually start day one are probably not going to be there. I mean, you're talking about maybe Zion Johnson and Trevor Penning are the last guys that even could possibly be available for the Titans that could start day one, and I just don't know if I see that.

So all I'm here to say is there's a ton of buzz about the Titans looking at quarterbacks. I don't think it's complete nonsense. There's evidence that they are very interested, although it could be chalked away as due diligence either way. I think there's real, real logic here. And when you consider Desmond Ritter, a lot of people compare Desmond Ritter to Ryan Tannehill. I've seen people who aren't related to the Titans say it's a Marcus Mariota and a Ryan Tannehill combination in Desmond Ritter. Now that would be interesting.

And remember, Luke Fickle, coach at Cincinnati, Ritter's coach, best man with Mike Vrabel. If there is any quarterback that Mike Vrabel is going to feel 100% comfortable with and John Robinson is going to have as much legitimate intel as possible, it's going to come from Mike Vrabel's best friend. So I'm just saying, prepare yourselves emotionally because it is possible the Titans trade up and take a quarterback in the first round.

And as we get closer to the draft, we'll kind of iron out the actual details. But now it's just about the idea itself. So a lot to discuss around that topic and we'll continue to update things as we go. But the last hot topic involves the Tennessee Titans offensive line and a potential starter based on some comments that Mike Vrabel made on Monday. Before we get into that, though, I do want to tell you guys about rockauto.com. This episode is brought to you by Rock Auto.

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and Mike Rabel's comments pointing to a potential solution at one of those spots. Before we get into that, do want to thank you guys again for making the Locked on Titans podcast your first listen every day. As for your second listen, check out the Locked on NFL Draft podcast. It's draft season, folks. We are basically into April now. It is time. You got to get yourself ready less than a month away with the Locked on Draft Podcast. It's draft season, folks. We are basically into April now. It is time. You gotta get yourself ready. Less than a month away with the Locked On Draft Podcast.

It's Ryan Tracy, his former NFL cornerback, Eric Crocker. They're breaking down the draft from two different avenues. They're looking at things from a front office perspective, but also giving you in-depth analysis on all of the prospects. They did a mock draft on Monday, and who doesn't love a mock draft?

So check out the Locked On NFL Draft Podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast Network. It's free and available on all platforms. But diving in, what am I talking about here? The Titans starting offensive line, Mike Rabel made a comment. Well, yes, sir, he did. And I'm going to parse out this comment because I can see it being taken in a way that indicates that a starter has been chosen,

but that's not what Mike Vrabel meant, okay? That's not what Mike Vrabel meant. So, number one, who are we talking about? We're talking about free agent signing Jamarco Jones. Where are we talking about? Talking about left guard. So, Mike Vrabel was at the owners meetings on Monday and he talked about the signing of Jamarco Jones. And I'm going to give you guys just a paraphrase of some of his

comments, but he said Jamarco Jones is a player whose best football is in front of him. He said that. So they believe they can develop Jamarco Jones into a better player than what we've seen so far in his career. Also, Mike Vrabel indicated there's a personal connection there. He said he recruited him. When Mike Vrabel was an assistant coach at Ohio State, he recruited Jamarco Jones out of South Side of Chicago. He would go to recruit and watch Jamarco Jones play basketball.

And he met his mother, who he said was a good woman. You know, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. He also said this. We were able to evaluate him against some good opponents this year. He played left guard against the Saints. We're hoping he can start there and compete at left guard, but he has versatility as well and played all across the line. So people are isolating that.

He played left guard versus the Saints. We're hoping he can start the and compete at left guard. Guys, he's not saying that Jamarco Jones is going to start at left guard and that's the plan. He's saying that when Jamarco Jones comes into practice and starts to take reps, he is going to begin practicing at the left guard position. Okay?

That's what that means. And then they'll go from there. So, no reason to panic or anything like that. But, the fact that Mike Vrabel was willing to say that, obviously they have an idea that Jamarco Jones is an interior offensive lineman. They want to use him as a guard, primarily. Which, of course, the number one thing you could say is immediately, oh, that means they don't believe in Radins as a guard.

And maybe Dylan Radins will play right tackle. I'm not willing to go there. I could also easily say, maybe they don't believe in Raidens at all. Maybe they don't think Raidens can start, period. I mean, I hope that's not the case, but I mean, you could take it as Raidens is the right tackle and they're looking at Raidens at right tackle,

or you could take it as they just don't trust Raidens at all and DeMarco Jones has just as good of a chance to start on the O-line as Raidens does, which would be a disaster. But you can't rule it out right now, is basically what I'm saying. But it made me think, what did DeMarco Jones do at left guard

during the Saints game to have Mike Vrabel be so effusive in his praise and so excited about the signing? Well, your boy dove into the tape. And on my Twitter, at TicTacTitans, I put together a little cut-up of just some good reps that I found. So, number one, the good stuff. I thought Jamarco Jones got off the line of scrimmage pretty well. Like, quickly, he got off the line very well. I thought he did a good job when the ball was run to his side and

he had to kick out a defender. I thought he did a good job there. He had some wins and 1v1 pass protection that I thought were impressive against interior defensive linemen. And I also saw him on a couple of plays pull out to the perimeter. And the Titans are more of a zone-based running team. But last year, more than ever, they started mixing in different power runs where you would actually have a pulling guard. So the Titans obviously looking for that versatility, somebody who can pull, somebody who can do zone runs. And Seattle had a very diverse run game.

So Jamarco Jones has shown he can do those different elements. But I also have to be fair. I saw a lot of bad, too. Jamarco Jones doesn't have a lot of play strength. He's not really a body mover. Also, terrible balance issues. I saw him on the ground or a linebacker engage and throw him to the side or slip right past him. A defensive lineman getting in his face quickly, quick swim or rip

move and getting right around him. I mean, he just doesn't have very good hands. He doesn't have very good balance, which you could trace back to the feet and the footwork. I just think that he's missing a lot of technical refinement and it kind of pairs up with what Mike Vrabel said. You know, we think his best football is in front of him or ahead of him. That means that the Titans believe there's natural talent there, and he needs technical work, which from what I'm seeing, I agree with. He doesn't finish blocks very well. Even if he gets that initial push on a guy,

he's not going to be able to finish the block to the whistle. The guy's going to get off the block and get around him. And there were some times where he made a good initial block, but the defender got off the block, and it wasn't a very good play, and he was able to get to the running. I mean, Seattle's offensive line was not very good. So the idea, I guess, is with better coaching,

which Sean Carter has got a pretty good amount of improvement out of his offensive linemen, so I get that. But with better players around him and better coaching on the O-line, maybe they're able to get him to a low-end starter. But right now, just from what I'm seeing, a lot of his wins were down blocks, which the Titans don't do a lot of in their system. And boy, boy, did he struggle with stunts and pass protection.

I mean, it was bad. Anytime the Saints ran a stunt, he seemed to get completely confused and not be in the right spot. So is that coaching in Seattle? They haven't had a good offensive line in quite some time. Is that Jamarco Jones? I couldn't tell you. Now, what I saw on tape was a guy who had some athletic tools,

quick off the line, good movement ability, really missing technical refinement. But, gotta give credit to my guy Nick Lombardi on Twitter. He used the RAS score, which is like a composite score of all the athletic testing that a guy does when he comes out of college. And Jamarco Jones' athletic testing was miserable.

So it's hard to argue that he's a good athlete. So I'm seeing not great athletic stats from his pro day and his combine. And I'm seeing a big miss on technical refinement. and his combine, and I'm seeing a big miss on technical refinement, I would not be super comfortable with Jamarco Jones being a starter day one for the Titans. I think that would be a big, big letdown. Now, I'm not saying that the guy can't have a great role on the team and be a very versatile spot starter for him when they need help.

But if he's your starter. I think that's very. Very. Very dangerous. For the Tennessee Titans. But hey. Like I said. Mike Vrabel didn't say he was going to start. Said he's going to compete.

At left guard. And that's where he will start taking reps. So. Don't panic yet. A lot of time left. Until the first game. Of the season. But.

We'll monitor everything. And obviously the NFL draft will tell us a lot about how the Titans feel about the offensive line and what they decide to do. But that's going to do it for me today, folks. As always, I am your host, Tyler Rowland, and this was Locked on Titans. you