Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - BREAKING: Tennessee Titans FIRE Todd Downing, New OC & GM Candidates

Episode Date: January 9, 2023

The Tennessee Titans FINALLY made the move that everyone was calling for by firing offensive coordinator Todd Downing on Monday. Downing wasn't the only one to go, but this move sends a strong message about Mike Vrabel. Next, Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk gave her requirements for the new general manager. Tyler goes over potential replacements at OC and at GM.Follow Tyler on Twitter @TicTacTitansFollow the show on Facebook @LockedOnTitansPodSubscribe to the Locked On Titans YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/c/LockedOnTitans/videosSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!LinkedInLinkedIn Jobs helps you find the candidates you want to talk to, faster. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/LOCKEDONNFLBuilt BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON15,” 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!PrizePicksFirst time users can receive a 100% instant deposit match up to $100 with promo code LOCKEDON. That’s PrizePicks.com – promo code; LOCKEDONUltimate Football GMTo download the game just visit Ultimate-GM.com or look it up on the app stores. Our listeners get a 100% free boost to their franchise when using the promo LOCKEDON (ALL CAPS) in the game store.TurboTaxCome to TurboTax and don’t do your taxes. Visit TurboTax.com to learn more.Tommy JohnWinter mornings are brutal. So here’s my tip for tackling the day in comfort: Grab new Tommy John Loungewear and take cozy wherever you go. Get TWENTY PERCENT OFF YOUR FIRST ORDER at TommyJohn.com/LOCKEDON. BetterHelpThis episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at Betterhelp.com/LockedOn and get on your way to being your best self. 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, we got him. Todd Downing has been fired by the Tennessee Titans. He wasn't the only one, though. More coaches were fired by the Titans. We're going to go over all of them. Also, I'm going to tell you who is a leading candidate to be the Titans' next offensive coordinator.

But that's not the only news of the day. Titans owner Amy Adam Strunk talked about what she's looking for in the next general manager of the Tennessee Titans. I'm going to go over her comments, and we're going to look at the six current external candidates for the Titans. I'm going to give you a full rundown on every single candidate possible. All of that and more on today's edition of 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, ladies and gentlemen, we got him. Todd Downing finally fired by the Tennessee Titans about a year too late in my opinion, but nonetheless, he is gone. We're going to talk about all the firings today, potential replacement candidates, not only for offensive coordinator, but for general manager. We got a ton of really insightful information about the Titans GM position, what Amy Adams Strunk is looking for, what candidates are going to be interviewing

with the Titans. I mean, this is a monstrous day for Tennessee Titans news. Thank you all so much for joining me here on the Locked on Titans podcast, making the Locked on Titans podcast your first listen every day. Remember, Monday through Friday, Tennessee Titans content for free all year long on all platforms, including the Locked On Titans YouTube channel. Subscribe here. Smash the notification bell so you never miss a single piece of content. Throw a thumbs up on the video right now if you are happy that Todd Downing was fired

and put a comment down below who you want to be the Titans' next offensive coordinator. Remember, I am your host, Tyler Rowland, nearly 25 years as a Tennessee Titans fanatic and a certified film junkie. Also want to let you guys know that today's episode is brought to you by PrizePix. PrizePix is daily fantasy made easy. Pick two to five players, and if they score more or less than the PrizePix projection, you can win up to 10 times your money on your entry. First-time users get a 100% instant deposit match up to $100 with promo code LOCKEDON. That's prizepix.com. Promo code

LOCKEDON. Titans fans, let's dive dive right in Todd Downing was fired by the Titans Mike Rabel's press conference on Monday Had me a little bit of concern when he was blaming Derrick Henry's fumbles on the offense talking about all the injuries I didn't know for certain that this was this would happen despite everything that we've seen on a week-to-week basis I still was a little worried that this might happen. But my god it finally did and It's a rejoiceful day for the Tennessee Titans It is and I just got to say this if the Titans win that playoff game Who knows what happens with Todd Downing?

So I tried to give you guys silver linings on Saturday night on Sunday on Monday show and and here we are but it wasn't just Todd Downing. So I tried to give you guys silver linings on Saturday night, on Sunday, on Monday's show, and here we are. But it wasn't just Todd Downing that was fired. Offensive line coach Keith Carter was also fired. Now, I'm not as, you know, happy about Keith Carter getting fired. I could see why, but he wasn't really given a lot to work with. But the development of certain players didn't really take place either, so I get that. Secondary coach Anthony Midgett was fired. A guy who Mike Vrabel

brought over from Houston a couple of years ago. Makes sense. What has been the weakest part of the Titans defense the entire season? Cornerback play. We haven't seen the development we need from Caleb Farley, from Roger McCreary throughout the season. So I get why these changes were made. Also, offensive skills assistant Eric Frazier was fired. If you have skills and offense in your title, then you should have been fired

by the Titans. It's that simple. So most importantly, Todd Downing. See ya! Set him to the moon. As a matter of fact, I know a guy who could build a rocket ship to send Todd Downing to the moon. As a matter of fact, I know a guy who could build a rocket ship to send Todd Downing to the moon. His name's Josh Dobbs. So maybe we could work on that.

Keith Carter, offensive line coach, fired. Secondary coach, Anthony Midgett, fired. Offensive skills assistant, Eric Frazier, fired. So that is the news of the day. And guys, you know the emotions involved. You know the happiness involved with this. And look, I don't mean to beat a guy while he's down. I don't mean to be, you know, celebrating a guy losing his job. All those

little things, I get it from a human perspective. It doesn't always feel great. But let's be real here. Todd Downing's made a ton of money coaching football. I don't feel bad for him. Okay. I simply don't. Also moving forward here, let's be honest. Like I said, after the game, the guy got a DUI in the middle of the season. He made the organization look bad. It's hard to feel bad for a guy. He's got to learn from that and actions have consequences. So there you go. But yes, ladies and gentlemen, the architect of the worst offense in the NFL, the play caller that has ruined our Sundays for the last two years is now gone. Now we're going to transition the conversation to who could be the offensive coordinator for the times? Who could fill that spot? Now, just the news just dropped about 20, 30 minutes ago,

but there are three candidates right now that I think do make a ton of sense. We are going to dive in to who those candidates could be, but I do want to mention this one last thing about this Todd Downing situation, a big takeaway that I have other than the news itself. This means a lot to me for how I view Mike Vrabel. Mike Vrabel has never fired a coach before. Dean Pease, retired. Matt LaFleur went to be a head coach. Arthur Smith went to be a head coach. One of my big critiques of Mike Vrabel has been his seemingly sense of misplaced loyalty is what I would call it. It seems like he's too loyal

to the point where he's stubborn the way that he protects his coaches and protects what looks like his buddies. Quite frankly, this moment means that Mike Vrabel is willing to adapt. This moment means that Mike Vrabel is willing to self-scout. This moment means that Mike Vrabel is willing to adapt. This moment means that Mike Vrabel is willing to self-scout. This moment means that Mike Vrabel isn't too stubborn to fire people that he's close to.

This is a big moment for Titans fans to know that the direction of the franchise actually makes sense. What we heard from Amy today about what she wants from a GM, the GM candidates that they're interviewing, the way Mike Vrabel has handled this staff and fired people who he's loyal to. This is a very positive, basically revelation for Titans fans that Vrabel was willing to make these changes. He's not Mike Malarkey.

He is not Mike Malarkey. And now that we know that, it gives me incredible confidence going forward. Todd Downing, Anthony Midgett, Keith Carter, all fired from the Titans coaching staff. Who could be the offensive coordinator next? Who could be the next general manager? Guys, I'm diving into all the candidates on today's show, so make sure you stay tuned. Before we get into those candidates, though, I do want to tell you guys a little bit more about our title sponsor, PrizePix.

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We rejoice. Todd Downing is fired. We can move forward now. And we need to talk about who could replace Todd Downing. That's what's most important right now. Who can fill that offensive coordinator spot? Before we get into it, I want to remind you guys again, Locked on Titans, I am with you Monday through Friday all year long. Monday through Friday, year-round, free Tennessee Titans content

on whatever platform you do stream, including the Locked on Titans YouTube channel. Make sure you subscribe for daily Tennessee Titans content just like this, going over all the most important news, going over all the biggest stories. I'm going to be breaking down over 180 draft prospects with you guys. We're going to be doing a free agency preview for every

single position, all kinds of recaps, all kinds of breakdowns leading up to next season. Stay locked in to the Locked on Titans podcast. But Todd Downing fired. Anthony Midgett fired. Keith Carter fired. Offensive skills assistant Eric Frazier fired. Major changes for the Titans. But here are my initial it happened 20 minutes. Guys, look, my hair is still wet because I just

I was on the Peloton while all this happened. I had to jump off, take a shower, get down here, get ready to go. The powder is still dry, as Coach Mack likes to say. But we do got to talk about who could be the Titans' offensive coordinator. And number one, we have to start with Tim Kelly. Tim Kelly is in-house. We know Mike Rabel likes to promote from within the organization. Who is Tim Kelly. Tim Kelly is in-house. We know Mike Rabel likes to promote from within the

organization. Who is Tim Kelly? Right now, Tim Kelly is the Titans senior offensive assistant, passing game coordinator. Some background on Tim Kelly. He was the offensive coordinator with the Houston Texans from 2019 to 2021. Let's call it what it is. He had some up and down years, but what I would tell you is, look at his years when he had an actual NFL quarterback, 2019 and 2020 with Deshaun Watson. He was 13th in yards both years, 14th in points, then 18th in points. He was 9th in rushing yards. Was 15th in passing yards. In 2020, the Texans were 4th in passing yards, 8th in passing touchdowns. Deshaun Watson looked excellent that year. And the Texans, as we know, have been

awful on the roster the last few years. With Davis Mills, no. The offense did not look good. They were at the bottom of the NFL in offense. But look at the 2021 Houston Texans and tell me that Tim Kelly had a good enough roster to have a good offense. And if you want to dive in, look at the games the Titans played against the Texans in 2021. They were close the entire time. And that last game of the season, Titans lost to the Texans one game in 2021 as a matter of fact. And the last game of the season in 2021 against Houston, it was 28 to 25. And the Texans in the second half cut the Titans defense to pieces with exquisite route combinations, attacking zone coverage. So Tim Kelly has all of the things that you want in an offensive coordinator

that the Titans haven't had this year. And there is a theory out there that the reason that the Titans' red zone offense and the reason that the Titans' opening game scripts always look better than the rest of the offense was because that was the part of the game that Tim Kelly was able to strategically plan with Todd Downing going into each matchup. And then once you got through the opening game script, you went into a different package of plays that Todd Downing

was calling and working from. And once you've gotten to the red zone, it was the package of plays that Todd Downing worked on with Tim Kelly. Again, whether you believe that theory or not, I get that's awfully convenient, sure is awfully convenient, and I agree. But either way, whether you believe that theory or not, it's obvious that there are parts of the offense that were far better than other parts, and the parts that were the best

were the opening script and the red zone packages, which can be pre-planned before the game. So take that into account. Tim Kelly is the obvious front runner for offensive coordinator. And according to a report from Albert Breer, he concurred that Tim Kelly is the front runner right now. So I would be perfectly fine with Tim Kelly. I would be very happy with Tim Kelly. I hope you guys understand why that makes sense. Outside of Tim Kelly, some guys outside of the building that make a ton of sense.

A lot of you guys I already see in the chat. A lot of you guys do not want this coach. But I think it would be a big mistake, a big mistake to rule him out. And that's Bill O'Brien, the former head coach of the Houston Texans, currently the offensive coordinator for the Alabama Crimson Tide. He is currently at the Alabama halfway house that Nick Saban has been running for a few years. Guys, I see some pushback to Bill O'Brien.

And look, I get it. The guy is a terrible, a terrible general manager. When he was the general manager for the Houston Texans, they tanked. They were awful. He is not a good general manager. I am not asking Bill O'Brien to be the general manager. Also, I want to point this out.

He may be a terrible general manager, but Bill O'Brien is be the general manager. Also, I want to point this out. He may be a terrible general manager, but Bill O'Brien is a dang good football coach. And if you don't agree with that, you're wrong. It's as simple as that. Nine and seven, nine and seven, nine and seven in his first three years with Houston, with guys like Matt Schaub or Brock Osweiler, he took less than average quarterbacks

and got the Texans to winning records. Not only that, he made the playoffs in 2015-2016. He won a playoff game in 2016 without Deshaun Watson, with quarterback du jour. Okay? So, not only that, but he had a down year in 2017

and went 4-12. Then he gets Deshaun Watson, 11-5 in a playoff win. 10-6, one playoff win. Then 2020, the wheels fall out. He loses four games and gets fired. They

obviously had the comeback loss to Kansas City in 2019, but the point is the guy even before Deshaun They obviously had the comeback loss to Kansas City in 2019. But the point is, the guy even before Deshaun Watson was an incredibly successful coach who took not great Houston rosters, and especially quarterbacks, to the playoffs. He's looked really good as the offensive coordinator of Alabama. Bill O'Brien gave Mike Vrabel his shot

as a defensive coordinator in the NFL. So whether it's Tim Kelly, whether it's Bill O'Brien, both of those guys had a direct hand in the development of Deshaun Watson as well. So success before Watson, success with Watson, and if you're somebody who still believes in Malik Willis, Tim Kelly and Bill O'Brien and Sean McAvoy, shout out Sean, quarterback trainer, all were responsible for the development of Deshaun Watson so they could help Malik Willis if you're someone who still cares about that.

If you don't, then go back to everything that I just said anyways. Yes, Bill O'Brien, terrible GM. You could maybe think Bill O'Brien is not that great of a quarterback or of a head coach. But no matter what you want to say, Bill O'Brien is a good coach and he's a good coordinator. And that's what the Titans are hiring him to do. Not be GM, not be head coach, be coordinator. So honestly, Bill O'Brien or Tim Kelly,

I love both of those options. Another option that I love is Frank Reich. Now, Mike Vrabel talked about when looking for coaches for his coaching staff that he prioritizes loyalty, not guys who are just focused on getting an interview to get out of there and get a better job. So Frank Reich may not fill that void because Frank Reich is going to be looking to be a head coach again.

But if Mike Vrabel wants to do a little halfway house like Nick Saban, then bringing Frank Reich in to be the offensive coordinator and get revenge on Indianapolis, that would be fantastic. So for me, Tim Kelly is the in-house replacement. Bill O'Brien, offensive coordinator from Alabama, who was a pretty solid head coach in the NFL. And then Frank Reich. The Titans don't have the time

to go with a guy who's never called plays before. Hire someone with real, tangible experience. With play, calling experience, and not only experience, but successful experience at that. Because last time, an offensive coordinator was hired with play-calling experience, it was Todd Downing, and he didn't have any success to go off because he rode the Oakland Raiders into the ground.

So, Todd Downing out of there. Tim Kelly, Bill O'Brien, Frank Reich. That's my initial top three that I would like to see. But with that in mind, I mean, that is big news. But we got bigger news to go into as well. Amy Adams-Strunk, Titans owner, talked about what she wants in a general manager. Boy, did it shine some light on maybe some of the shortcomings from John Robinson.

And I'm going to go into six GM candidates who have interviewed with the Titans or will be interviewing with the Titans shortly. Can't wait to dive into that. Before we get into it, do want to tell you guys about BetOnline.net. BetOnline is your number one source for all your sports betting info, stats, news, and analysis.

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We talked about Todd Downing getting fired along with the other changes that the Titans are making on the coaching staff. We talked about potential offensive coordinators who could replace Todd Downing and who makes sense right now on the initial take. Now, we got to talk about General Manager because we got a lot of huge news on General Manager on Monday. So before we get into that, I do want to thank you guys again for making the Locked On Titans

podcast your first listen every day, Monday through Friday, Tennessee Titans content on all platforms, all year round, always for free. Make sure you subscribe and stay locked in to the Locked On Titans podcast. But as for your second listen, check out the Locked On NFL podcast. You're getting all your Titans news here with me. Get all your national NFL news with a local twist from the Locked On NFL podcast. I actually host the Thursday Locked On NFL show. So if you'd go to the Locked On NFL YouTube page and subscribe, it'd be showing me support as well.

And I greatly do appreciate it. But number one, we got to get into Amy Adam Strunk's comment on what she wants from a general manager. Number one, here are the comments. Quote, we want somebody who is an exceptional talent evaluator,

exceptional at roster building and someone who is an excellent decision maker. I also want someone who is an excellent decision maker. I also want someone who is a collaborator. Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. Someone who is able to find and build consensus. Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. To get the best answers for the team.

Someone who is open to innovation. Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. And evaluating talent beyond the traditional avenues. Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. Just want a talented person in all areas. But more than anything, I want someone who can collaborate. Ding, ding, ding. That is super important to me, being able to find the person who can collaborate.

Ding, ding. So we're all working together, rowing in the same direction. Guys, collaborator. I want someone who takes me into account, involves me in the decision. I want someone who involves Mike Vrabel in the decision. Read between the lines. John Robinson did not properly involve Amy Adam Strunk and Mike Vrabel in his decision making. Read between the lines of what she's saying. If you break up with a girl and you get a new girlfriend and your friend asks, man, you know, what do you like about her? Man, you know, she always takes care of me. She checks me when I'm being ridiculous.

She loves going out on the town and seeing cities, what I like to do, blah, blah, blah. Normally, those are all the things that the girl that you dumped didn't do. So read between the lines here. Amy Adam Strunk said collaborator three times in one paragraph. Article by Jim Wyatt, Titans team writer. Go check that out if you want the full article. But the point is here, it's obvious that she's saying John Robinson did not properly include the rest of the organization

in decisions to build consensus. He would do things on his own volition, and it looks like a lot of those things that he decided to do on his own didn't work out. That's how you get fired. You go off on the range, you shoot at the hip, you're a solo dolo cowboy, and the decisions don't work out. That's how you get fired. So keep that in mind. All right. Those comments from Amy Adams Strunk. One more thing. I'm going to pull up the comments one more time on the screen to point out that second part. Someone who is open to innovation and evaluating talent

beyond the traditional avenues. I'm going to take you guys back to a quote that I was told by Kevin Clark from The Ringer. He said that at the Combine last year, he asked John Robinson about analytics. John Robinson's response? I am the analytics department.

Two years consistently, a report by Seth Walter from ESPN identified that the Titans were second to last or last in the NFL when it comes to analytical innovation. Size of the analytics staff. Amy is telling you right there, someone, pulling it up one more time, who is open to innovation and evaluating talent beyond traditional avenues.

Amy knows that they're behind the rest of the NFL in certain aspects like analytics, like data analysis, probably sports science, sports medicine, recovery, all these things that lead to the problems that the Titans are having probably stem from the organization's lack of modernization. The Titans organization has been stuck in the 1990s. That's why the team looks and plays like the 1990s. Amy Adams-Shrunk is telling you right there, we're not doing that anymore.

I want someone to take us into the future. And Mike Rabel, with his moves today, told you he's not going to stand on his laurels and he's going to make changes to his staff and not be stubborn. This is a great day for Tennessee Titans fans and the direction of this organization. So with that in mind,

it's going to be a long episode, guys. So strap in. My bosses are going to get mad at me. I need to keep it under 30. We ain't going under 30 today. Too big of a day for that. So I hope everybody appreciates it. Throw a thumbs up on the video

if you're in for a longer than normal podcast because we got to talk about these candidates. Number one, my number one draft choice for general manager. Titans are doing an interview with all of these guys I mentioned. Titans are interviewing these people.

This isn't cat in the hat, pie in the sky. These guys will get interviews. Number one, Ron Carthon. Right now, he is the director of player personnel for the San Francisco 49ers, an organization that the Titans absolutely need to mirror themselves after. The 49ers are what the Titans hope they are. A tremendous roster with playmakers everywhere with an average quarterback. They are what the Titans are trying to be.

So taking from San Francisco, I am on board. Ron Carthon, former NFL player. Not a huge career, but a former player. His dad, Maurice, played in the NFL. He has been a scout. He has been a director of player personnel for San Francisco and Los Angeles Rams.

His current focus within the organization is on trades, free agency, and waivers. He focuses on the NFL side of scouting. He is a relationship focused man. He talked about how important the relationship between Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch is. So a guy who has cut his teeth, deserves it, has great experience, a former NFL player like Mike Vrabel, and a guy who is focused on relationships

within the organization. A great option. Another guy from San Francisco, Adam Peters. A guy who is all about transparency. Go look at some of the press conference answers that Peters has given. He is all about transparency to the fan base. Right now, he is the assistant general manager to John Lynch and most people in the NFL regard him as one of the top of the top of the top talent evaluators in the NFL.

That's how San Francisco has built such a bang-on roster. Not to mention back to Carthon, they've made some pretty good trades lately as well. So, that's big. For Peters, though, 2019 to 2016, he worked his way from a regional scout to a pro scout with the Denver Broncos all the way to director of college scouting. He's had 20 years of experience within the NFL. And again, his specialty is talent evaluation, which Amy Adams Trump, her thing said she wanted a top talent evaluator because she feels this roster doesn't have enough talent. Adam Peters or Ron Carthon are fantastic choices from San Francisco. Moving forward, we are going to look at Glenn Cook. Glenn Cook, currently with the Cleveland Browns.

Assistant General Manager to Sashi. He was the Director of Pro Scouting, so focusing on scouting the NFL. He was a pro scout for the Green Bay Packers. Before that, Packers, great organization. He is a former college football player and he has been heavily involved with the operations side of football. We're talking salary cap, free agent contracts,

free agent visits, the operations of running a football team. I do want to point this out as well. Glenn Cook comes from the Browns who are a heavy, heavy analytics driven team. So even if Glenn Cook, who's only 37 years old, he's the youngest candidate on the list. Even if Glenn Cook doesn't get the job,

I think interviewing Glenn Cook, a guy who is in an analytics heavy organization and getting his thoughts on how to incorporate analytics into the organization is a fruitful conversation in itself, even if they don't give him the job. Love, love, love these external candidates that Titans are having interviews from. I am so, so to take words from Kevin O'Connor, one of my favorite NBA writers, So to take words from Kevin O'Connor, one of my favorite NBA writers, jacked and pumped about these options.

Next, we are going to talk about Ian Cunningham from the Chicago Bears. And look, I know what you're thinking. Chicago Bears? We don't want a guy from the Bears. But look, Ian Cunningham was a former player personnel scout for the Baltimore Ravens, or he was player personnel and a scout for the Ravens. Then he spent a bunch of years with the Eagles. This year, 2022 is his first year with the Chicago Bears. He took a promotion to assistant general manager with the Bears because he had been the assistant director of player personnel with the Eagles. He had been the director of player personnel for the Eagles in 2021.

He was a college scout for the Eagles, a director of college scouting for the Eagles. He helped hand build that Eagles roster that we know is the best, most talented roster in the NFL right now. Ian Cunningham, like Glenn Cook, also only 37 years old, a rising superstar in the NFL. So Ian Cunningham, another great option for the Titans. The next guy that we are going to talk about is Malik Boyd. So Malik Boyd, the oldest candidate on the list at 52 years old. Right now, he is the director of pro personnel for the Buffalo Bills.

And do I need to say more? The Buffalo Bills, again, one of the most talented rosters in the NFL. He's a former scout for the Arizona Cardinals. He played for Minnesota a few years in the 90s. He's had over 20 years of experience, not only with pro scouting, but with college scouting, but with college scouting as well. And another guy who has been majorly involved in operations with cat logistics, free agent monitoring, things like that. So Malik Boyd, one of the most experienced and the oldest

candidate on the list. The last guy that I want to mention here to you guys is Quentin Harris. He's currently the vice president of player personnel for the Arizona Cardinals. He's got a pro scouting background, more than a college scouting background. That news broke right as I was coming on, so I don't have his picture and as much of a breakdown.

But looking at those candidates, for me, number one for me is Adam Peters. Adam Peters, to throw his face back up on the screen for you guys, he's got that, he's known as just one of the best talent evaluators in the entire NFL. Now, if you get a guy like Adam Peters, you might need a guy who's more skilled in cap management because maybe that's not Peters' exact, you know, area of expertise or forte. But the Titans have Vin Marino, who's been very good at managing the cap,

as John Robinson has told him to. So you got to keep that in mind here. His boss was telling him what to do, and he was finding ways to make it happen. So outside of him, I love all the options, quite frankly. I'm less high on Malik Boyd just because of his age. He's 52 years old. I like a guy who's more close to Mike Vrabel's age, like Ron Carthon, who's 41,

Peters, who's 42, Glenn Cook and Ian Cunningham, who are 37. Those are guys that make more sense to me. But either way, these are great external candidates. Guys, my primary takeaway for you is Amy Adam Strunk is pushing this organization forward. Her words about wanting to be a championship contender and one of the best teams in the league were not for nothing.

Mike Vrabel willing to fire his staff. I mean, this is a great day for Titans fans in the direction of the team. Age discrimination. Get out of here, Ian. You guys are trying to get me, aren't you? You jerks trying to get me and Todd Downing. I see you guys. No, but seriously, it's not about the age.

It's just about compatibility with Mike Vrabel. I want someone who Mike Vrabel connects with. I want someone who is in a similar stage of their life as Mike Vrabel. So that's what I want. And when you look at a guy like Ron Carthon,

throwing him up again, he is him and Adam Peters, both the, or that's sorry, that's Glenn Cook, Ron Carthon. These are guys from San Francisco. Again, I reiterate the Titans are Him and Adam Peters, both the, or that's, sorry, that's Glenn Cook, Ron Catherne. These are guys from San Francisco. Again, I reiterate, the Titans are trying to be San Francisco. That's what their model is. Run game, defense, game manager, quarterback,

freakishly talented roster all around them. The 49ers are what the Titans want to be when they grow up. The 49ers are the Titans what they want to be when they grow up. It's that simple. Okay? So, the last thing that I want to mention here before we move on

is, and I know some of it, for some reason, this is going to upset some of you, but I want to say I'm some of it, for some reason, this is going to upset some of you, but I want to say I'm proud of the Titans for the candidates that they're looking at right now for the diversity.

Ron Carthon, person of color, Glenn Cook, Ian Cunningham, Malik Boyd, Quentin Harris. Push not only this organization forward, but push the NFL forward. I love that. Giving opportunities to people who haven't got them in the past, that means a lot to me.

It may not matter to you guys, but to me, I'm proud to be a Tennessee Titans fan to see them diversifying their search and trying to move the game forward. So I wanted to take a moment to point that out. I think that's very important in the NFL. Whether you think it's important, that's on you. But for me, that means a lot to me. So I love seeing that.

And hopefully that type of stuff continues within the organization. But this is a great day to be a Tennessee Titans fan. I told you guys, once the hurt went away from the loss, you would wake up and realize that what's happening right now is best for the Tennessee Titans future. It's a great day, Titans fans. Tied down and gone.

Great candidates being looked at and interviewed by the Titans for general manager. Can't wait to see who they actually pick. That's going to do it for me today. Guys, I'm going to be back with you tomorrow to break down all the news that continues to come out. I'm guessing we're going to get some word

on futures contracts. Guys, the Titans are going to be bringing into training camp, things like that. It's about to be a wild off season. Make sure that you stay locked in to the Locked on Titans podcast Monday through Friday. Free NFL content,

Titans content, every single freaking day for the entire year. I'm going to be here with you guys on YouTube, whatever podcast platform you use. Thank you all so much for tuning in. That's going to do it for me today though, folks. As always, I am your host, Tyler

Rowland, and this is Locked on Titans.