Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Tennessee Titans MUST SAY NO to Sam Darnold, Matthew Stafford, Yes to Carr & Justin Fields Nonsense

Starting point is 00:00:00 Sam Donald is the worst quarterback option for the Tennessee Titans this all season. And I'll tell you exactly why on today's edition of Locked on Titans. You are Locked on Titans, your daily Tennessee Titans podcast, part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. Welcome to the Locked On Titans podcast. I am your host, Tyler Rowland, Titans fans. On today's show, we're gonna look at the veteran quarterback options for the Tennessee Titans.

Starting point is 00:00:38 I'm gonna tell you why the Titans must say no to Sam Darnold, Why they should say yes to Derek Carr and some options that I don't think are realistic at all before we get into all of it. Do want to thank you for making the locked on Titans podcast. Your first listen each and every day.

Starting point is 00:00:55 Remember Monday through Friday, Tennessee Titans content all year round. Always for free. You're not going to beat that anywhere else. 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. Couldn't do it without you guys. If you aren't an every dayer, you need to be one because there's breaking news all the time at this

Starting point is 00:01:17 time of year. The Tennessee Titans have so many big decisions to make in the next few months and I'm going to be breaking it down all year long for free here on the locked on Titans podcast. So again, make sure that you get subscribed, stay subscribed. And if you aren't in every day or you need to be one, but with that being said, Sam Darnall is the worst quarterback option for the Tennessee Titans. This off season, he's not the only option that I'm not very high on. I don't want the Titans to make a trade for Matthew Stafford. I'm not a big fan of Kirk Cousins as an option either.

Starting point is 00:01:50 So let's start with Sam Donald though because again, I think he is the worst of the worst of the worst option that the Tennessee Titans have this offseason. Why? Because Sam Donald is the worst of both worlds. You hear the phrase, the best of both worlds. Sam Donald is the worst of both worlds. So think about the two routes that the Tennessee Titans could take here with their quarterback position this offseason.

Starting point is 00:02:17 They could go with the veteran option, either with trade or free agency, or they can go with a rookie in the NFL draft. Well, what's the upside of both of what's the pros and cons of both of those routes? Well, let's talk about the con or the pros for both of these routes with the veteran quarterback. You get one experience, in theory, a veteran bridge quarterback allows you to be more competitive and win more games right away because they're a veteran quarterback. The other pro of going with

Starting point is 00:02:50 a veteran quarterback is that you don't have to make a big-time financial commitment. You don't have to give the contract that the Jags gave to Trevor Lawrence. You don't have to give the contract that the Dolphins gave to Tua. You don't have to give so many guaranteed years, you don't have to push money out into the future. You don't have to commit long-term to financial things with a veteran bridge quarterback, you get quarterback experience in theory to help you win. And you get short-term financial commitment, which creates long-term financial flexibility.

Starting point is 00:03:22 That's what the veteran quarterback route gives you. Well, Sam Darnold doesn't give you any of that. Sam Darnold is going to get 40 million dollars for probably three to four years. He's probably going to get 150 million dollar contract for three to four years. And that's if he gets the free agency, that is the opposite of what the Tennessee Titans should be doing. The Tennessee Titans are in no position to give out a big time quarterback contract. Like what Sam Donald is probably going to get this all season that the Titans are not ready to win right now. They don't have anywhere near the environment that the Minnesota Vikings had around Sam

Starting point is 00:04:03 Donald. So the Tennessee Titans are going to put a worse environment around Sam Donald. They're going to get a worse version of Sam Donald and they're going to pay him significantly more and commit long-term money to him. They cannot do that. And then if you look at the other side of it, the other route that the Tennessee Titans could go is the rookie quarterback. Why you go rookie quarterback, two reasons you get upside.

Starting point is 00:04:30 So rookie quarterback, he could turn into a great player that there's upside with rookies, they could turn into great players. The other pro is the rookie contract. So you get this player who could be a good player and they're on a cheap contract for four to five years. So you could build the rest of the team. Sam Donald doesn't give you any of the upside that a rookie quarterback does. Sam Donald is a product of his environment. He is an average to slightly below average quarterback at best. And that's in the best possible environment with the best weapons and a good offensive line and the best offensive coaching you can get. The best version of Sam Donald is an average quarterback.

Starting point is 00:05:11 The Titans aren't going to get the best version. So not only are you going to get Sam Donald who may only be a little bit better than Cam Ward or Chadeur Sanders, but you're going to pay out the wazoo for him. So whether it be short-term financial freedom and experience, you don't get that with Sam Donald and then the upside of a rookie quarterback and a rookie contract, you don't get that with Sam Donald either, he is the worst possible option for the Titans because he gives you none of the benefits financially of

Starting point is 00:05:41 a bridge quarterback and none of the upside of a rookie quarterback. It's the worst thing that they could possibly do. Now I also want nothing to do with Kirk Cousins. Now Kirk Cousins is different. Oh, let me say this on Sam Donald. The Vikings could also franchise tag Sam Donald and then look to trade him. Now you're giving up a draft pick to get Sam Donaldarnold and you're paying him anyways. The Titans, whether it's free agency or a trade, the Titans cannot go get Sam Darnold. It's the worst option they have. Kirk Cousins, I'm sorry, but I think Kirk Cousins is washed. You could say that Aaron Rodgers is washed, but I'm sorry, Kirk Cousins is a worse player than Aaron Rodgers and has been his entire career.

Starting point is 00:06:25 So it's no surprise that a less talented player would rebound from injury worse than a guy who's older than him, but more talented. Well, Kirk Cousins gives you no upgrade in quarterbacking. He could not. The Atlanta Falcons had to play in pistol for like the first month of the season because Kirk Cousins literally could not move around enough to drop back. And then at the end of the season, before he got benched for Michael Pinnix, Kirk Cousins had no velocity on his passes. His injury is impacting him. He can't push off of his back foot to add velocity to his throws. And it led to a ton of interceptions. I'm sorry, but Kirk Cousins is way more washed than Aaron Rogers is.

Starting point is 00:07:12 So obviously I don't want to trade draft picks for Kirk Cousins, but I don't want to pay him even a $20 million veteran contract either, because he truly gives you no more ability to win in my opinion than Mason Rudolph did. I think that's who Kirk Cousins is now is Mason Rudolph. Like that's the level that he's at now. So I'm out on Kirk Cousins no matter what route you want to go to get him. I think he's completely washed. Go watch him last year. He can't move and he has no velocity on his throws. The last player that I want to talk about is Matthew Stafford. No velocity on his throws. The last player that I want to talk about is Matthew Stafford.

Starting point is 00:07:46 Matthew Stafford, in my opinion, is the best quote unquote available quarterback this all season. You would have to trade for him most likely, but out of all the quarterbacks that are quote unquote available, Matthew Stafford is the best of them all by far for sure. So don't get me wrong when I say no to Matthew Stafford, it's not because I don't trust Matthew Stafford. It's because right now we're hearing that the Pittsburgh Steelers are not the Pittsburgh Steelers. That's just one of the teams that makes sense, but that say, or God, so

Starting point is 00:08:20 many quarterbacks that Matthew Stafford could command a late first round pick. Which means the Titans would most likely have to give up their second round pick this year, number 35 for Matthew Stafford. Matthew Stafford is expensive and he's 37 years old. You cannot give up a second round pick for Matthew Stafford. That's a win now move for a win now team and the Titans are not a win now team So no to Donald the worst option No to cousins who's completely washed and no to Matthew Stafford because I ain't paying the price for a trade But I'll tell you the quarterbacks. I would say yes to right now Do want to let you guys know that today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel.

Starting point is 00:09:07 Even after the game tips off, the NBA action is still-off and you want to bet on a fourth quarter comeback You can stay in the action and I will tell you this I would not bet on a fourth quarter comeback against the Luca Donchich Los Angeles Lakers, but if you're looking for a bigger payout, you can even combine your live bets into a same game parlay. I love a same game parlay. I love FanDuel's live betting feature as well. Actually, as a matter of fact, the Lakers played the Utah Jazz last night and I use FanDuel's live betting feature to bet the under on Luka Donchich points

Starting point is 00:10:00 because he's easing his way back in and all of that. But either way, I love FanDuel. It's so much fun to use. Right now, new FanDuel customers can get $150 in bonus bets. If your first $5 bet wins, just visit FanDuel.com to join today. That's FanDuel.com for your shot at $150 in bonus bets. Make every moment more with FanDuel, the official sports betting partner of the NBA. Titans fans, let's continue today's trip around the veteran quarterback Carousel. We talked about three quarterbacks that I am not interested in for the Tennessee Titans

Starting point is 00:10:48 for different reasons with each of the quarterbacks, but that leads to the question of, well, who do you want Tyler? And I've been telling you guys for the last few days, my everydayers have heard these names. My top names that make sense for the Titans are Derek Carr and Aaron Rogers. But I want to start with a name that I just said no to and it's Matthew Stafford. So look, I do not want to trade what it would cost to get Matthew Stafford. The Titans cannot give up a late first round pick or an early second round pick. The Titans can't give up a draft pick at all.

Starting point is 00:11:27 Maybe sixth, seventh round draft pick something like that. Maybe, maybe, but you cannot, you cannot, you cannot give up a day one or a day two draft pick for Matt Stafford. And again, the rumors that we're hearing, it was either Dan Graziano or Jeremy Fowler from ESPN reported that the Reynos would probably be looking for a late first round pick. There's just no way. That is a win-now move. I think a team like the Pittsburgh Steelers, who I Freudian slipped earlier, I think the Pittsburgh Steelers make sense for a guy like Matthew Stafford. They have more of a win now roster.

Starting point is 00:12:06 They're a playoff team. They just need a quarterback to come in and help. I think that Matthew Stafford is the best quote unquote available quarterback this off season. But again, the Titans are not in a position to make a win now move and trade for Matthew Stafford. It doesn't make any sense. It doesn't fit the Titans timeline.

Starting point is 00:12:22 And quite frankly, it doesn't fit Matthew Stafford's timeline either. Why would Matthew Stafford at 37 years old want to go play for the three and 14 number one overall pick Tennessee Titans? Someone explain that to me. Why would they want to do that? So that's why I say it's a no because it doesn't make a lot of sense to me. But I will say this. If Matthew Stafford were available as a free agent at 37 years old, Matthew Stafford isn't getting a three, four year, 150, $160 million contract at 37 years old. That's not going to happen. You're looking at probably one to two years at 30, $35 million, which I would be perfectly fine with.

Starting point is 00:13:12 It would be less of a future financial commitment than Sam Darnold. And it would be a better player than Sam Darnold. So if Stafford was available without giving up draft picks, I would sprint to get Matthew Stafford on the Tennessee Titans as the bridge quarterback. I would immediately make that move. I would love Matthew Stafford. I think Matthew Stafford is still a top 10 quarterback in the NFL. But I'm not trading anything for Matthew Stafford.

Starting point is 00:13:43 That would be insane for the Titans who have talked about drafting and developing and, you know, building the roster and 12 top 100 picks in the next three years. And like, it's just the total opposite of what the Tennessee Titans have said if they trade for him. So to me, Matthew Stafford would be the best possible option if he were available in free agency. And it doesn't look like that's where he's going to be. So the options that are perfect fits for me that make the most sense to me considering everything that

Starting point is 00:14:12 we've talked about so far. Remember there are two things that we're talking about. What is best for the Tennessee Titans future going forward? And then what is best for this year? Because remember, Brian Callahan can't just punt on the season. You can all say, and this is the reaction you see all the time. Why would the Titans want a veteran bridge quarterback like Derek Carr or Aaron Rodgers or Justin Fields or Kirk cousins or when that'll just give them the seven or eight wins and they'll be an NFL purgatory forever.

Starting point is 00:14:52 And that, okay, you're right. You're right about that. You don't want to be in QB purgatory, but Brian Callahan does not agree with you. Brian Callahan would kill a human being for eight wins this year. Brian Callahan has not agree with you. Brian Callahan would kill a human being for eight wins this year. Brian Callahan has to keep his job. Brian Callahan cannot tank the season. Brian Callahan cannot say,

Starting point is 00:15:15 hey, winning seven to eight games, seven to nine games, that actually sets us back going forward. So we can't do that. We gotta lose more games, that actually sets us back going forward. So we can't do that. We got to lose more games than that and intentionally not get the best quarterback that we can. Brian Callahan is not saying that. Brian Callahan is saying I got to win some games to keep my job or I may

Starting point is 00:15:37 never get to be an NFL head coach ever again. So what's best for the Titans going forward? What's realistic as to what the Titans would actually do, the Titans aren't punting on the season. It's not draft a rookie quarterback or add nobody and roll with Levis again. That's not how they're going to do this. So with that in mind, Derek Carr and Aaron Rodgers to me are the perfect in between. They won't cost you as much as a trade would cost you for Sam

Starting point is 00:16:10 Donald or Matthew Stafford. They won't cost you as much as a veteran, as Sam Donald's contract and free agency. So you don't have to pay with the draft picks and you don't have to give such a financial commitment into the future as you would with Sam Donald. It is good for financial flexibility in the short and the long term to go with Derek Carr and Aaron Rodgers. On the other side, realistic for this season, Derek Carr and Aaron Rodgers are far better than Mason Rudolph and Will Levis. So the argument is clear that Derek Carr and Aaron Rodgers would help the Tennessee Titans win more games because they are better quarterbacks. Now, do I think that Derek Carr or Aaron Rodgers are great quarterbacks?

Starting point is 00:16:58 Do I think that they're top 12 in the NFL? No, but I think they're mid. They're somewhere between 14 and 22, 16 to 22. They're average, middle of the road, starting quarterbacks in the NFL right now. And quite frankly, I think the Derek Carr is on the high end of that. Derek Carr is like 14, 15, 16 in the NFL. So if you're looking at it, realistically from what's best for the Titans going forward in the future to have financial flexibility, I'm worried that if the Titans signed Sam Darnold do a three, four year contract, they won't draft a quarterback anytime in the next two years.

Starting point is 00:17:40 And that would be unwise in my opinion. So Derek Carr and Aaron Rodgers don't give you the illusion that you have the quarterback position solved for multiple years. They don't hurt you with a long-term financial commitment. They give you flexibility going forward. If it doesn't work after one year, or you want to draft a quarterback in 2026 high in the draft, then go do that. You're not pigeonholed into keeping this old man around. So whether it be future flexibility for the Titans or whether it be the ability to be more competitive in 2024 or 2025, Derek Carr and Aaron Rodgers are the perfect balance of those two ideas.

Starting point is 00:18:30 It's not a long-term financial commitment and it does make you better at the quarterback position in 2025. That is why I am pounding the table so hard for Derek Carr or Aaron Rodgers. Now, let me say this is my final thing before I go to the quarterbacks that I think make no sense at all and are unrealistic. I'm not trading for Derek Carr or Aaron Rodgers either. So no way that I'm doing that. But it sounds like both of them could be hitting free agency.

Starting point is 00:19:03 Today's episode is brought to you by PrizePix. Football season may be over, but basketball is in full swing, especially by Los Angeles Lakers. And there's no better way to stay in the game than with PrizePix, the best place for daily fantasy sports. With PrizePix, you pick more or less on at least two player projections. And if you're right, you can went up to 1000 times your cash. So you could do more than 29 points for Jason Tatum.

Starting point is 00:19:34 I would go more than 20 points for Austin Reeves who's been cooking lately. Plus prize picks has weekly promos like taco Tuesday, where you get discounted player projections for better values, download the price picks app today. I'm serious. Download the price picks app today. Use the code locked on NFL. You're going to get $50 instantly after you play your first $5 lineup. That's code locked on NFL for $50 instantly.

Starting point is 00:20:01 After you play your first $5 lineup, it's price picks. Run your game. Titans fans. Let's cap off today's edition of the locked on Titans podcast. Looking at the veteran quarterback options for the Tennessee Titans. I told you why it is a firm no on Sam Darnold, no matter what for me and why I am interested in Aaron Rogers or Derek Carr, because I think they are perfect fits for what the Tennessee Titans need this all season. But there are some quarterback options out there that some Titans fans are discussing.

Starting point is 00:20:50 And quite frankly, I think it's so illogical and I think it's completely. Unrealistic at the end of the day. Now, before I get into them, do want to thank you again for making locked on Titans, your first listen for your second listen, check out locked on NFL. I host the locked on NFL show for locked on Monday through Friday, NFL content all year round, just like locked on Titans it's free and available on all the same platforms as locked on Titans. Make sure that you go check out and get subscribed to locked on NFL.

Starting point is 00:21:20 But the two options that I want to mention first that I think are wholly unrealistic is Jamis Winston and Justin Fields. So Jamis Winston was caught at the Superbowl talking in one of the booths. I forget who he was. He was talking to a celebrity. I forget what celebrity he was talking to, but he was basically telling him he would love to go to Tennessee. He would love to go to Nashville.

Starting point is 00:21:42 So Jamis Winston wants to play for the Tennessee Titans this year. And look, I love Jameis Winston. Okay? Like as a personality, I love Jameis Winston. I really do. I think he needs to be in the booth announcing games, on pregame shows, podcasting. He is such an entertaining and inspiring. I know that he's got some rocky stuff in his past when he was in college and we all make our mistakes when we're in young adulthood, no doubt. But James Winston for all intents and purposes, looks like a great teammate, a good guy and uplifting personality. I love, look, I have a tendency, anybody who's been listening to my show for a

Starting point is 00:22:20 while, all my everydayers know I have a tendency to be a bit of a negative Nancy. It's the truth. I'm a pessimist. I've always been this way. I won't explain why. You probably can figure it out on your own if you wanted to because there are pessimists among the audience as well. You guys know how these things happen. Your lack of trust in humanity. But, but having a guy around like Winston who's constantly positive and uplifting and a smile on his face, that's important to balance out the pessimistic people in the locker room. So I love James Winston, but Winston is not a fit whatsoever. Winston is just a different version of Will Levis. That's what Jameis Winston is.

Starting point is 00:23:07 He'll make some big time plays. We saw it in the Broncos Monday night football game, right? That was the full Jameis Winston experience. Went for 300 yards, had three interceptions, four touchdowns, and threw two pick sixes in the final three minutes. Like he had a 30-30 season, folks. 30 touchdowns, 30 interceptions. If you're Brian Callahan and you are telling yourself, I can't go with Will Leves this

Starting point is 00:23:30 year or I am doomed. You can't then pivot to Jamis Winston. Does it make any sense at all? Why would you go from a guy with high turnover variance to one of the most high turnover variance quarterbacks in the NFL in history with a 30 30 season. Not a fit. Doesn't make sense. Maybe he'd be a backup. I'd take Winston as a backup, but he's not going to be the, the certified

Starting point is 00:23:57 starter going in to the season. And it's not going to be Winston and a rookie either. That's suicide for Brian Callahan. going to be Winston and a rookie either. That's suicide for Brian Callahan. Also, Justin Fields. If Brian Callahan didn't want Will Levis, who holds the ball, doesn't process, doesn't have good ball placement, creates turnovers in the pocket, why would he want Justin Fields, who holds the ball, Why would he want Justin Fields who holds the ball, who doesn't process well, who doesn't have good ball placement, and who creates a ton of turnovers in the pocket? Why? It's so illogical. And look, I get it. Not everybody is so locked in that they're scouting Justin Fields on the Pittsburgh Steelers. And they know exactly the tendencies of every player in the NFL. Well, I do.

Starting point is 00:24:49 Okay. I do watch these things. I do talk to people in the buildings with these teams and what their assessment on these guys are. I do. I don't have sources per se, but I know people who do check these things. Like Justin Fields and Jamis Winston are so wholly unrealistic as options for the Titans. Brian Callahan would rather die than take guys who give them the same exact problems that Will Levis does with none

Starting point is 00:25:18 of the upside of Will Levis because these guys aren't on their rookie contracts. They're veterans now. So, Winston and Fields are semi-popular names that I think are insane. Okay? They don't fit at all. Also, Andy Dalton, not a chance. Maybe as a backup to one of the rookies, but the Titans aren't going to go into 2025 with Andy Dalton to be the expected starter. Now Dalton with a rookie quarterback, maybe it makes more sense, but there's just no way there's just no way. Uh, some other names that I'll go through here that I don't think are

Starting point is 00:26:05 realistic as starters for the Titans, Jacobi Brassette or Marcus Mariota or Joe Flacco Carson Winch Jimmy Garoppolo Mac Jones even I like the idea of bringing in Mac Jones as a backup if you bring in another Older veteran quarterback, but I'm not bringing in Mac Jones and expecting him to be the starter You know what? I mean, Josh jobs not a starter in the NFL Like Russell Wilson. I didn't mention Russell Wilson, but Russell Wilson to me is in this category Russell Wilson's not a fit Russell Wilson holds the ball. He can't throw over the middle of the field He's never been a timing precision passer in his career

Starting point is 00:26:40 He's a guy who goes off a play action, throws the ball deep, throws on the sidelines. He doesn't have the mobility like he used to to play make off schedule. And that makes it even worse that he holds the ball as long as he does. Russell Wilson is not a fit for the Tennessee Titans offense of Brian Callahan at all. So those names do not make any sense to me. And I think they're completely unrealistic options, but let me know how you feel about all of these options down below. Hit me up on Twitter and let me know. Uh, later this week we are going to look at, um, I'm probably going to look at some trade packages the Tennessee Titans could, uh, could receive because I think there are some people out there who are shooting way, way too low when it comes to what the Tennessee Titans should be looking for in a train.

Starting point is 00:27:26 So I'll probably talk about that later this week. And of course, anything else that pops up, but that's going to do it for me today. Folks, make sure that you get subscribed, stay subscribed. As always, I am your host Tyler Rowland, and this was Locked on Titans.

Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Tennessee Titans MUST SAY NO to Sam Darnold, Matthew Stafford, Yes to Carr & Justin Fields Nonsense

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.