Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - BONUS CLIP: Tennessee Titans, Mike Vrabel part ways, Titans to modernize approach

Starting point is 00:00:00 Well, we knew it might be a possibility. Didn't happen the way that we thought it would. But Mike Vrabel out as the head coach for the Tennessee Titans. What's next for the organization? Here to help us break it all down is the one, the only, Tyler Rowland of Locked On Titans at Tic Tac Titans on your favorite social media. I am Ross Jackson, Locked On Titans at Tic Tac Titans on your favorite social media. I am Ross Jackson, Locked On NFL expert here. Tyler, as we take a look at what's going on with the Tennessee Titans and Mike Vrabel,

Starting point is 00:00:36 the firing is now official or at least the two parting ways. We could say it may be that way. But what led to this moment for the split between Mike Vrabel and the Tennessee Titans organization? Well, I think the obvious thing up front is Mike Vrabel lost double-digit games in back-to-back seasons. He went on a seven-game losing streak after starting the year 7-3 in 2022 to lose the division. Now, we know about the injury issues covering Tennessee on a day-to-day basis,

Starting point is 00:00:59 but at the end of the day, that is a number that most coaches do not survive from anyway. So the fact that he lost double-digit games in back-to-back seasons, that is a number that most coaches do not survive from anyway. So the fact that he lost double digit games in back-to-back seasons, that simply can't be ignored. But the other reality here is Mike Vrabel has his faults. I've said a long time, Ross, that Mike Vrabel was a good coach. It doesn't mean he's the right coach for this team. And he's had an over-reliance and blind loyalty, some really bad coaches, including Todd Downing, former offensive coordinator, Craig Aukerman, former special teams guy who they had to fire mid-season this year.

Starting point is 00:01:33 And outside of Mike Rabel having Dean Pease and Arthur Smith, who were two of the best coordinators we've seen in quite some time, he hasn't really had the success that you would hope that he would have. And 2021 was a great year, of course, but I think we all know, looking back, the Titans weren't quite the team that their record says they were in that season. So you add in back-to-back losing seasons, you add in this team kind of playing conservative old school football and not really having a modern approach to NFL football. I think that hurts him as well. And that's something that the organization is speaking about now as they're officially coming out and making statements. One thing that really is the catalyst of all of this though is Mike Vrabel has been

Starting point is 00:02:09 throwing fits behind the scenes and he's not happy with the organizational structure. The Titans hired GM Rand Carthon last year. He's had a great first year in charge of personnel and Mike Vrabel is unhappy wanting Rand Carthon to have a boss over top so he can overrule Rand Carthon. This is simply a power play by Mike Vrabel for a second year in a row. And I would imagine the organization is just tired of it and they're not going to bend the knee to him constantly for a coach who again, double digit losses in back-to-back seasons. So it was time to go. And the Titans organization has come out and said, they need to modernize this team and be forward thinking. And I think

Starting point is 00:02:43 that's exactly what they're doing. There's always sort of the uncommon trade you know head coach trade approach that sometimes comes up I know that there was a lot of conversation around Vrabel when it came to that as the possible departure mechanism what happened with the trade was that something that y'all were hoping for over there in terms of like looking at this or is this just kind of the way that it needed to go well I think the reality is Mike Vrabel like I said is a good head football coach so he is going to have value continuously around the league it's not like somebody like Arthur Smith or Frank Reich who isn't going to get an opportunity and isn't in demand Mike Vrabel will be in demand and anytime you have an asset whether it be in football or regular life that has value you're you would be

Starting point is 00:03:23 best to get value out of that rather than letting it go for nothing. But at the end of the day, Ross, you know, like I know, hiring rules in the NFL would have made this an incredibly complex thing. You have to satisfy the Rooney rule, and of course you have Mike Vrabel as a whitehead football coach. You can't just trade for him right away

Starting point is 00:03:38 and not interview anybody else. And with how other teams are looking to hire people, you're going to risk losing out on some of the best candidates. If you hold on to Mike Vrabel, why another team that you want to trade them to checks those boxes. So it would have been a risky move for the Titans to, to hold on and wait for a trade and miss out on other candidates.

Starting point is 00:03:57 It is a risky move to let them go for nothing. But I think the complexity of the situation that would have been required to make a trade made it impossible. And the Titans just said, you know, we're just going to make a clean break. And again, look to modernize this team and move forward with a more futuristic version, I guess, modern version of what NFL football should be. Yeah, that makes perfect sense, especially in terms of the timeline and trying to maximize what your pool is going to be to replace that head coach.

Starting point is 00:04:21 So when it comes to modernizing this team, where are, who are some of the candidates out there at head coach that will help the Tennessee Titans be able to do that moving forward? Well, Ross, it's my opinion and it seems to be something that is playing out in the NFL. You look at the five of the last super,

Starting point is 00:04:37 six Super Bowl winners, offensive head coaches. If you're a good offensive coordinator, you're going to be hired to be a head coach eventually. So you look at what is sustainable. And I think pairing an offensive head coach who can pair with your rookie quarterback in Will Levis, and you don't have to worry about the good offensive coordinator going out of the building every two years

Starting point is 00:04:55 because they did a good job. Sustainability in the NFL, it has proven throughout the last few years that the trend is to have an offensive head coach so you can keep that continuity. So I hope that's what the Titans are looking to do going forward. And I think a guy like Ben Johnson, the offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions, a guy who I really am focused on is Bobby Slowick, the offensive coordinator of the Houston Texans. Not only do you get that young offensive mind, but Slowick's father was a defensive coordinator in the NFL. He knows both sides and you steal away the offensive wizard from your division rival

Starting point is 00:05:27 who just made CJ Stroud the best rookie quarterback we have maybe seen of all time. So stealing from your division opponent, creating continuity with an offensive head coach, that is an ideal circumstance for the Titans. And that's what they need to be focused on going forward. Now, I heard you mention it here just a second ago, but to wrap us up, I just want to get a little bit more clarity on, uh, in terms of opinion on this, when it comes to will Levis, do you expect that a new head coach might come in wanting to work with a new quarterback or does it feel like we'll let this is still the future for this team right

Starting point is 00:05:57 now? No, I know that it's a divisive opinion for people who maybe aren't paying attention, but the Tennessee Titans had one of the bottom three offensive lines in the NFL. You look at their pass catching options, and it's one of the bottom three situations in the NFL as well. I think Will Levis, while having his ups and downs as a rookie, has shown the highs of highs. Ross, you know, what do scouts say? Don't tell me what you can't do. Tell me what you can do. And what Will Levis can do is good enough to attract head coaches. I do not believe that a coach will come in looking to get another quarterback. I think building around Will Levis' talents and traits and having an offensive coach to kind of water that flower and help him grow. I think

Starting point is 00:06:34 right now with Will Levis coming off his first year, right now is the perfect time to do that. So I do believe Will Levis is the quarterback to build around for the Tennessee Titans. And I think any coach that they hire will be on board with that as well. Yeah, definitely something a lot more attractive to knowing what you're getting as opposed to risking finding out later on. For more on what's going on with the Tennessee Titans, who their next head coach will be and how they move on from here, Tyler Rowland over at Locked on Titans.

Starting point is 00:06:58 That's the place to be here as a part of Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. Tyler, thanks so much, bud. Absolutely.

Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - BONUS CLIP: Tennessee Titans, Mike Vrabel part ways, Titans to modernize approach

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