Titans Vrabel And Carthon Were Right, And Here's My Apology

Anyone who doubted Mike Vrabel's post-draft comment. or Ran Carthon's plan might want to think about apologizing to the Tennessee Titans brain trust.

NASHVILLE - I'm sorry I doubted Mike Vrabel or Ran Carthon's plan for the receiver position this season, and I'm here to say it. 

“Free agency is not over. They're going to let us sign free agents on Monday," said Vrabel following the 2023 NFL Draft. "They will. Free agency is going to go all the way up until the season starts. There will be players that are on other teams that will become available.”

Vrabel uttered those words to a room of doubting media types, like myself, who doubted there would be a receiver available that he and Carthon could add that would provide any major impact on an area of weakness in the roster. 

Yet here we are, nine days away from the opening of the team's training camp (July 25), and DeAndre Hopkins is about to sign a deal to become a Titan.

It didn't seem possible in April, but once Arizona released Hopkins, Vrabel, and Carthon set their sights on signing the Pro-Bowl receiver and put together an offer that ultimately would not be topped by other teams to land their man. 

Throughout the waiting game, the Titans remained quiet while fans prayed and the media wrote incessantly about Hopkins and his situation, with speculation and doubt at the forefront. 

Now that the Titans have their man, and some are filling up on a heaping dinner of crow, it's time for us to turn our attention to something else, and for me, I'm going to do it without doubting the two men who are leading this team at this moment. 

I'm not naive enough to believe that every move they make will turn out as positively as this one, but they have earned the benefit of the doubt, and I'm willing to give it to them.

So in conclusion, Mike, Ran, I'm sorry for doubting you this time. We'll talk about the rest next time.     

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